Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The All Important Profile
Is cageyness an asset or a liability? In Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's book Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, they discuss how important transparency is in a blog. But, dang! What about identity thieves? I heard Jon Gordon, MPR's host of Future Tense, comment on how over forty percent of people online use pseudonyms or avatars. He wondered why they were doing so. Has he ever seen Dateline's show featuring the capture of online pedophiles? If only one person decides to be dishonest about his/her identity, even if the reasons are noble or just for fun and creativity, the rest of us are put at a disadvantage.
On the other hand, professionals who want to get noticed and credited for their work are quite open about their backgrounds. If a criminal tried to steal the identity of a well-known person, hopefully the rest of us will catch on. Of course, this doesn't mean that well-known people plaster their social security or credit card numbers all over the internet.
So, here's the deal on my profile and the revelation of personal information. I'm on the fence. I'll reveal some, but not so much that I think it'll be a personal safety hazard. Hey, it's the best I can do. At least I'm using my real name.
By the way, wouldn't it be wonderful if criminals could put those creative minds to something more societally constructive?
On the other hand, professionals who want to get noticed and credited for their work are quite open about their backgrounds. If a criminal tried to steal the identity of a well-known person, hopefully the rest of us will catch on. Of course, this doesn't mean that well-known people plaster their social security or credit card numbers all over the internet.
So, here's the deal on my profile and the revelation of personal information. I'm on the fence. I'll reveal some, but not so much that I think it'll be a personal safety hazard. Hey, it's the best I can do. At least I'm using my real name.
By the way, wouldn't it be wonderful if criminals could put those creative minds to something more societally constructive?
Labels: blog, creative, criminals, identity, profile, technology
