contra mundum

world-shaker:

Some of these are a little suspect (“Not everything you read online is grammatically correct”), and one or two are written from too old of a perspective (“People will gossip if you give them something to gossip about”; sidnote from me: Sometimes people will make up stuff to gossip about.), but these two stood out as some of the gems in here:

1. Every single thing you put online has the ability to stay there for ever: Even if you close up your Facebook account or take down your blog or website, someone can still find your stuff and use it. There are tools like the “Wayback Machine” which can bring back web pages that were taken offline years ago. Also, friends and former friends might take screenshots or cut and paste your embarrassing status updates, only to use them later to embarrass you.
2. Not everyone you “friend” is your friend: Just like in the real world, not everyone you know is a friend. Think long and hard about the people you’re “friending.” Drama doesn’t just stay in school anymore, now it follows you home thanks to the social networks. Plus, stuff you share with what you think is a private social networking page is a simple cut and paste away from being broadcast all over school. Also, be careful when friending friends of friends and friends of friends of friends. You don’t really know these people, why are you giving them access to your private life? Sometimes, it’s like giving them the keys to your house.