02 24 09 What were you Thinking?

Think before you post. Is this statement something new or is it an idea going the ways of the 8-track tape, Windows 98, or the CD player and the like. As a teen I had a disagreement with a friend who had loose lips and repeated an earlier conversation we had; her father settled it by simply saying to me; “If you don’t want it told don’t tell it”.

With ever increasing friend or foe networks as I call them many people use these environments to either rant or rave, call someone out publically that they didn’t have the nerve to in person, tell your business and theirs, spy on each other or, flaunt their goods so the rest of us will admire them more all the while throwing caution under the preverbal bus. Then there are some who are more responsible; to you I say thank you encourage others to follow.

All I would like to ask is “Have you lost your mind?” By now everyone knows that every email, every text, every online photo, every online chat is being permanently stored in someone’s massive network database for future use. You should not have to read the small print to know this.

It is my belief that often times; companies are forgoing the typical survey because they know we would have to come to a dead stop in order to complete one and none of us are going to give up that much time; myself included. In order to better market their products; instead they track monitor and solicit information in a new form that is the FREE friends network; here they see read and monitor your actions conversations and so on; giving them all the information to customize and tailor their goods and services, these companies retain billion bytes of information on a daily basis. Don’t act as if you’re shocked, you’ve already been warned; nothing is really FREE.

It should be a well known fact by now that the person i.e., company/website making the rules changes them as they suit their own interest not the consumer the user of the product. Analysts everywhere are trying to properly educate online users but it does appear their helpfulness is falling on deaf ears.

Users are told to be discreet online and they do just the opposite and wonder why an employer or co-worker may treat them just a little different. “People wake up” if you put it out there then know that potentially the whole world will see hear read and or print it. Case in point on one of those FREE friends network sites every time you update change or add an item to your profile that information is immediately shared amongst your entire fan base; I for one have looked for the off switch; to my knowledge there isn’t one.

Think before you post anything online line whether it’s a friendly chat, email, or even text…it’s a paper trail and all that evidence can and will be potentially used against you. Ask yourself who really owns the information? Remember what you do in your youth and beyond could very well comeback and bite you and that you’re “Actions speak louder than words” and remember “If you don’t want it told don’t tell it”.