MySpace. My Business. At least that's what some of us seem to think. We can post items on MySpace, TheDilly, Yahoo Personals and other Web sites without any repercussions. Right? Maybe not. A sheriff's deputy was recently fired from his job because of some things he had posted on his MySpace page, namely a list of his favorite things, including breasts, drinking heavily and swimming naked. To make matters worse, he was wearing his department’s uniform in his main photo.
A quick search on any such Web site for the term "firefighter" turns up several pages of folks. The vast majority of information posted on these pages simply answers the question, "Who am I?" or "What is my profession?" And to be clear, I have absolutely no problem with that. However, some of these Web sites show firefighters thumping our chests as if to say, "Look at me, I’m super cool because I'm a firefighter." Some of these sites even feature stolen copyrighted photos, and some firefighters are pictured holding their children while wearing dirty bunker gear.
Some of this stuff seems like it doesn’t matter these days and, to a certain extent, it doesn’t. Down the road, though, information posted on these profile sites will come back to haunt you. If you post inappropriate material (or even just allow someone else to post something about you), you could lose your job. AAA has fired 27 people because of inappropriate postings; a Florida newspaper reporter lost her job for items she posted on a Web site; and many teachers have lost their jobs because of posted material. And don’t forget, if you've applied for a job, your prospective employer can easily "Google" you as a part of the background search, and they'll likely find your Web page.
The bottom line: If you post information on a personal Web site or something like MySpace.com, be smart. Don't ruin your career just to show off.
Note: This is it for me for a while. It has been my privilege for you to read my article. I've made some good "online" friends through the Note to Self columns, and had a few disagreements with others. In each case, there were productive give-and-take discussions. Numerous factors are in play requiring my attentions elsewhere for a few months.
