These days, you don’t have to be a filmmaker to post a video online, or a journalist to share your thoughts on a blog. And you can ever meet people with common interests and learn more about them than you know about your own family members. (And we’re talking even the family members you like.)

 

The opportunities for communicating, sharing and learning online are endless.

 

But with all this creativity and freedom come challenges. Before you upload a photo of yourself in that hideous bridesmaid’s dress your new sister-in-law made you wear, make sure you understand the first and most basic rule:

 

Privacy no longer exists. Period.

 

Lack of privacy is fine for people who don’t post anything online, or at least don’t post anything they’d be embarrassed for anyone to see. Lack of privacy is also fine for those who don’t care if people watch their every move.

Then there’s a third group who hasn’t thought much about privacy, but assumes that when they’re online, the only people who see what they write or post are friends.

 

If this is you, pay attention.

 

What do teachers, police officers, airline employees, insurance company workers, a Wal-Mart employee, a meteorologist, and a restaurant general manager have in common? They’re everyday people who didn’t realize that their employers would see things they’d written, or photos they’d posted on social networking sites. And that got them fired.

Lack of privacy, however, does have its perks. Fighting crime is a big one. There are stories both of criminals taping themselves and their crimes and putting them on YouTube, and of law enforcement officials reaching out to find information by posting to the site. Dumb criminals, beware.

 

Another challenge with these new websites is trust. With so many people posting so much, how do you know what real and what’s not? Of course, when something is clearly someone’s opinion, or meant as a joke, this isn’t an issue. But what about people using PhotoShop to manipulate pictures and post them on websites? Or what about people writing blogs about certain products or companies, such as recommending certain stocks to buy? We, as a society, have to realize that blogs are the opinions of their writers, not facts.

 

A third challenge to be aware of is security, both financial and personal. Financial institutions have software to protect customers from attackers hacking into their sites and gathering private information, but consumers still have to be careful not to volunteer this information (passwords, social security numbers, etc.) to criminals phishing for the information by sending them bogus e-mails requesting responses.

 

While financial security is important, nothing is more important than personal safety. Parents are often shocked to see the personal information their kids have posted online. Before Web 2.0, people shared details of their lives in chatrooms. There were dangers even then, but now, with the growing popularity of social networking sites and people posting photos in addition to content, it is even more important to be aware of what you’re putting online.

 

So that picture of you in the hideous bridesmaid dress that was meant only for your best friends? It got posted to an ugly bridesmaid dresses website, and your sister-in-law saw it. Thanksgiving this year should be fun.

 

Have you faced any challenges when using these websites? Let us know – and we promise to keep your comments anonymous, if that’s what you’d prefer. Trust us.

 

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