Everyone knows that google can probably profile you even better than facebook could these days and let’s face it, they know every weird search term you’ve ever plugged in and keep it for several months now. Google was catching felons long before facebook was, in no small part due to the implied privacy that facebook really doesn’t give. Nobody would ask their friends on facebook for or about anything illicit, but most would search google for it.

Now I’m not trying to harp on google, but I think my overall point is that we are engaging in more and more activities these days that leave trails on other people’s databases. Social networks make obvious what some folks have been saying about the internet for years now - you have no privacy there.

I think there is a fine line between what is public and what is private, but where it begins is changing with social media.

I think we need to figure out the difference between private vs. anonymous - the first (to me) involves what level of data an individual feels comfortable disclosing. The 2nd is whether or not you want to be identified at all (i.e., when you fill out forms to access information, etc.). I think the first is a right and the second isn’t helpful. Mostly because I do want targeted marketing on sites. I do want personalization…but that’s where I draw the line. I don’t want my social security number or private physical address available to all and sundry.

For now, my goal is to make sure that nothing I personally post, whether on my site, my blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. is information I’d not want seen by the whole world. The conundrum lies in other sites perhaps disclosing that data.

Is there an answer? Not really. I figure this will be a continually evolving issue as more and more users become familiar with social networking.