Quote:
Originally Posted by Cynette
That's why I cringe when I see what some of you post in other social networking sites.
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This is possibly the single most important message from this entire thread.
"Ownership" of a screen name is an irrelevant concept. No one "owns" a screen name as a globally unique identifier. You can't prevent anyone else from using it any more than you can prevent someone else from being given the same real name as yours (example: guess how many people there are in the world named "Dave Lavery" - while I would argue that any more than one is superfluous, it would appear that the world does not agree).
However, what you, as a unique individual, do while using that identifier in a manner that allows your actions to be coupled to you
-IS- something that you can control. You have to remember that "gee-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time" bile-filled rant about the dumb restrictive decision your parents just made is going to have a life of its own after you post it on Facebook. Six years from now, long after you have forgotten about it, that really cool prospective employer that you really want to work for is going to do a search on Archive.org and read through it. They will realize how you trash talk about your family "in private" and wonder if you will do the same about their company. The "this-is-why-I-think-my-chemistry-teacher-is-the-most-moronic-person-on-the-planet" five-page diatribe that you just posted one day will be reviewed by your co-worker down the hall that is supposed to be mentoring you in your new job. Long after you have forgotten writing that blog entry about your first weekend binge as a college student, an as-yet-unmet significant other is going to read it and wonder why they should ever waste their time with someone that behaves so boorishly. And let's not even consider the reaction from your grandmother (remember? that person that we are all supposed to be making proud?) as she reads through your latest harangue on the universal unfairness of the world and how the rest of us should all just go and stick our heads in dark places.
So please, before you make that vituperative post disparaging the "horrible, wrong-headed, my dog could have done better" post about the refs decision during your last match - think. Think about those words that you are about to post publicly. Think about the message that they convey. But most importantly, think about what those words say about you - as an author, a possible employee, a future compatriot, a potential friend, and a current family member. Because those words
WILL get out. And they will have your name on them.
-dave
.