Hypothetically Speaking: To Post or Not To Post
December 26th, 2006 RachelLets say your a student. And maybe you’re busy…you don’t really have time for those student-ly things like going to class, attending/participating in tutorial, handing in papers, etc. It’s okay, of course, because excuses are pretty easy to make up, you know. Being sick is a good one (you can have the flu at least twice in a semester), car’s need to be in the shop all the time, or even better take the bus because you can miss it countless times and not really be held accountable…
But you have to expect that by the end of the term, your TA (you know which one is yours, right?) will probably be pretty sick of you…after looking at your name on the attendance sheet three times before she even remembered who you are, of course. For all you know, she’s documented all the “hiccups” that got in the way of your academic endeavors…so you better make sure this last one is a doosie.
If “My mother died and I’ve had to take care of the family and my two little brothers” popped out of your mouth before you could stop it…is it still a “lie”?
Well, if this happened, you should probably cross your fingers and cover your tracks in case your TA is more technically savvy than you think. Especially if you send her hatemail after class, providing more “details” about the “death” of your “mother”.
In other words…check to see what comes up if s/he Googles you.
Those drunken pictures on Myspace/Facebook? “I was drowning my sorrows in beer…” Laughing and smiling amongst a group of fifty people? “These are the times when..sniff…sniff…I need my friends the most.” Messages that read “So glad your mom could make it to the party!” on a day two months after her supposed demise?
I’d suggest deleting those.
Or at least having the common sense to adjust your privacy settings so that said incriminating materials are more private (i.e. don’t show up so quickly/freely in the top 10 search results). But even that doesn’t mean your information is 100% protected from anyone other than your “friends”.
If you don’t want your mom/professor/potential employer/future partner/etc. to see it…
“So you just typed her name into Google…and her Myspace page showed up?”
“Yep.”
“Wow…I should tell the rest of my TA’s that one. That’s hilarious…”
…use some common sense and don’t post it.
