Hello world, goodby privacy?

The other day I googled my eighteen month old son’s name to see how often it would occur and whether one of these hits would really link to him. He did show up, not unexpected, but to my surprise not at an URL I had once created myself. Long ago I posted a few videos for his grandparents living abroad. I guess I forgot to check the ‘private’ box, since they now popped up on a different site amongst advertisements and “cute girls from Amsterdam”.

Apart from the anger that my content was somehow stolen, or “leeched” as they call it on this specific website, I wondered whether one can control one’s own online history. This example probably shows one cannot.

That’s a rather serious issue. Once you realize that everything you do on the internet will eventually lead a life of its own, you’ll think twice. Especially on all these web 2.0 websites and communities made to join, share and exchange.

Maybe it’s too early to tell what all the consequences will be, but imagine this 16 year old kid sharing, blogging and uploading all kind of ‘cool’ stuff with his friends. By the time he graduates from university and applies for a serious job, all of a sudden he’s confronted with his “cool” period. Sounds like the equivalent of a very visible tattoo you can’t hide. It might have been really trendy once upon a time, but now that it’s starting to wrinkle (along with your skin), it's rather embarrassing. Okay, so nowadays you can have the tattoo remove by laser, but to get rid of your internet history is a lot harder.

The question is whether we can oversee what will happen to everything we share out there. How will it affect us in the future; will it work for, or against us. I consider this to be a question we should give some serious thought, before blurting out whatever crosses our mind. realise everything I do will add up to my online profile.

Sure, the answer could be to have yourself represented by an avatar or to just stay anonymous. But that’s like going to a masquerade ball. It’s really hard to get to know anybody, if we all wear these masks. So if you'd like to share more than just superficial comments, it’s natural to let yourself be known.

I guess my son won’t be harmed. He’s cute, very appealing and just over 1 1/2 years old. I couldn’t think of a better promotion when going for a job interview!

Exhibitionist’s playground?

We all dream about our 15 minutes of fame, but I guess only a few of us will get a real taste of it in the end. It takes hard work or a special talent, the right contacts or good looks, a bit of luck or a good idea. Just the dream itself won't get you there.

But does this also apply to the internet and to people posting, blogging, commenting, replying and sharing? Looking at a random community or forum, you’d get the idea we all have something important and unique to say or share. But is this really sharing, do we really have that much interesting stuff to talk about? Isn't it just our way of seeking fame?

Sure, some people have something to say, and yes, the internet is a great stage. But how about millions and millions of hollow comments and ten thousands of images and videos that probably only matter to their owner? I know it's a bold statement, but hasn't the internet become an exhibitionist’s playground? Having said so, I wonder who's really watching. Is there really someone out there, or have we become so isolated and self-centered that we don't mind anymore? Did we become so arrogant to think we don't have to reflect and think things over, but that we can bring up whatever we want, whenever we want to?

The funny thing about the internet is that it seems an everlasting archive. So for those of you who seek fame: go on, expose yourselves! Maybe it will bring you the desired fame, and if so, it’s going to last a lot longer than 15 minutes.