The issue of privacy has come up in my life several times in the last few weeks. I admit to being naturally wary of how much information about me is out there in cyberspace. When I post, I try to use my words carefully, and incriminate no one.
Part of my wariness comes from my profession. Actions can come back to haunt you. A perfect case in point is the now former mayor of Arlington, Oregon, who posted some revealing photos to her Myspace page, and then left that page open to the public. Notice I referred to her as the "former" mayor. Last week in a special election, she was recalled. As a teacher I see what my students post to their pages, and sometimes I'm shocked, appalled, amazed, that they would want every detail right out there in the public for anyone to view. I guess that from their point of view, many feel everyone who is someone in their world already knows all the details.
On the other side of the argument are the people I know who have privatized their blogs, Myspace pages, etc. Some have done it to protect the privacy of their children. Others want a safe place to unload without prying eyes over looking every comment. I understand that completely.
My position remains much the same it always has. I leave things open to prove I'm not hiding things, yet I try really hard not to identify names and locations of the people I sometimes write about. The only real exception is to the comments page of my Myspace page. I decided giving my students carte blanche was not a good idea for any of us. After all, I'm supposed to be the adult, right?
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