Maybe Natural Selection Will Improve Social Media

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	July 27, 2010

Maybe Natural Selection Will Improve Social Media
By: Ari B. Adler

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Is your life an open book? According to the Web site openbook, it is if you are one of the 500 million users on Facebook.

Started in May as a way to challenge Facebook to tighten its privacy controls, openbook uses Facebook’s built-in search function to scan public status updates based on keywords.

The site’s creators seem to want us all to think that because our status updates on Facebook can be searched, something heinous is going to happen. To me, it seems like much ado about nothing. It should not be a shock to anyone that what you post online is posted for the world to see.

Anyone believing that information they post online should not be shared with the public can easily protect that information. Here’s the secret: Don’t post it online. I should start charging for these insights!

Openbook has gotten plenty of coverage from mainstream media writers. Of course, many of their publications are more interested in the hyperbole and sensationalism that gets their headlines retweeted than figuring out if an actual threat exists.

One of the stories used the example of people searching for “I hate my boss” to see who pops up. I ran the search yesterday, and there were dozens of hits. Are bosses really on openbook trying to find out which of their employees hates them? It seems to me they probably already know that.

We’ve all seen and heard the stories about people getting fired because of things they post on Twitter, Facebook, and other social sharing networks. But is it really something for us all to freak out about, or is it just another example of the theory of natural selection?

After all, if survival now requires thinking about the ramifications of posting something online before hitting send, then eventually only the smart people will be online, right?

I can already sense the IQ of social media improving. Thanks openbook!

What do you think? Post a comment below!

Comments

Add Your Comments

Lizz Dezigns (Nashville)	on 29 Jul 2010 at 10:08 am

OPENBOOK (?) If you can't say something nice, don't say it at all. There's alot of " like much ado about nothing". If you hate your boss, go tell that person, I don't care! I have to get away from all the negative complaints and comments that are not a part of my own life. I like to hear the positive side of things!! How does making others go through your pain help it to heal? Keep your bad to yourself ! At times too much negative, (if not more) than positive, and sometimes the cussing and vulgar descriptions are not what I want to "hear", no matter the subject. Explain it with a good mind!! If you think that freedom of speech should enable you harm someone's good day, and make yourself look like a bad mouthed idiot, go to hell! I like to enjoy what I read, and learn from others everyday, using Social Media as your venting tool maybe good for some, but how? Look in the mirror and say it to yourself!

About the Author
Ari B. Adler

Ari B. Adler is a professional communicator with a vast array of experience in media, public, and government relations for public and private sector employers. You can find his personal blog at Here Comes Later and follow him on Twitter at @aribadler