Recently my mom sent me a loving email after watching a fox news show on 'From Google to Gotcha' where it outlines some things about being found online. .. nothing new at all. Well, not for the geek type anyway. Those silly younglings and their myspace pages 'n whatnot should definitely pay attention to news posts like that. Everyone should realize that what they say and do online, is not private.
But i would say, that you should not be afraid of it either.
Those of us who know what the internet actually is, know that it is a place that can be used for both good and bad when it comes to online persona's. I know friends who have been fired because of things on their blogs, or things found in IM messages or social networking websites. In some cases I have sympathy, other cases well, what can you expect when you post or say something on the internet that offends or violates your employer's (or potential employer's) trust?
I guess it's a balancing act, and it IS important to keep in mind. I guess I could refrain from posting anything personal on the internet. Take down all resume's, social networking profiles etc. But what would that really do for me? I would much rather be found when someone Google's my name than not. It makes my online persona actually MORE safe than if i were not to have an online presence.
Differing your personal online persona from your professional persona on the other hand, is a battle where i'm just starting to understand the balance. Wooties, is a personal site (obviously) my linkedin profile is more professional (albeit not a blog).. But how do you know a potential employer will acknowledge your 'personal website' as such? Will the employer note your blog as a 'hobbies' section on your virtual resume or will it be noted as the 'Objective'?
.. hrm, something to think about indeed.
But hey, if I didn't have an online persona, who would remind you about what time it is??
(xkcd.com rocks!)