Dan Solove’s latest book, The Future of Reputation, is so new that it hasn’t even made number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list yet. It will be there soon. I review it here a few weeks ago.
In the meantime, a friend came to me with a problem. One of his kids is doing the facebook thing, writing stuff that will most assuredly come back to haunt this child. It will happen soon. It will happen in the future. My friend sees it and understands it, but can’t stop it. He has lectured, scolded, admonished his kid to stop. He has explained in dulcet tones how this is not a good thing, in a non-judgmental way. He has punished his child. He has banned his child from using the computer. He has failed to save his child from a terrible mistake.
The only upside to the situation is that his kid is very smart (in some ways) and inclined to read. I urged my friend to get Dan’s book. No, the legal issues discussed will not capture a child’s attention, but the stories of damage to people’s lives may well hit home.
So am I writing this because I want to promote Reputation? In a way, yes. This book is one of the most effective tools I’ve seen to enlighten people, and hopefully kids, as to the potential damage they are causing themselves.
There are a fairly good number of college and law school students who read blawgs, including this one. Some of you think you are very smart. In some way, you probably are. But don’t extrapolate your academic success into overarching brilliance. We all have our lapses. One of those lapses may be that you write about yourselves and your lives now under the misguided belief that what strikes you as humorous or cool today will apply with equal force forever. It will not.
For the females, postings about sexual exploits or proclivities will haunt you some day (as will tattoos, for that matter). Rule of thumb: If it’s not something you would say to your father, don’t post it on the internet. For the males, a stupors of any sort are not nearly as funny as you think and, frankly, don’t show off any talent that will impress anyone over 12 years of age.
Criminal defense lawyers are constantly harping on the right to remain silent. This applies to anything you might post on the internet as well. If you half the brains you think you have, then stop posting stupid crap about yourself. If you need to know why, read Dan’s book.
In the meantime, a friend came to me with a problem. One of his kids is doing the facebook thing, writing stuff that will most assuredly come back to haunt this child. It will happen soon. It will happen in the future. My friend sees it and understands it, but can’t stop it. He has lectured, scolded, admonished his kid to stop. He has explained in dulcet tones how this is not a good thing, in a non-judgmental way. He has punished his child. He has banned his child from using the computer. He has failed to save his child from a terrible mistake.
The only upside to the situation is that his kid is very smart (in some ways) and inclined to read. I urged my friend to get Dan’s book. No, the legal issues discussed will not capture a child’s attention, but the stories of damage to people’s lives may well hit home.
So am I writing this because I want to promote Reputation? In a way, yes. This book is one of the most effective tools I’ve seen to enlighten people, and hopefully kids, as to the potential damage they are causing themselves.
There are a fairly good number of college and law school students who read blawgs, including this one. Some of you think you are very smart. In some way, you probably are. But don’t extrapolate your academic success into overarching brilliance. We all have our lapses. One of those lapses may be that you write about yourselves and your lives now under the misguided belief that what strikes you as humorous or cool today will apply with equal force forever. It will not.
For the females, postings about sexual exploits or proclivities will haunt you some day (as will tattoos, for that matter). Rule of thumb: If it’s not something you would say to your father, don’t post it on the internet. For the males, a stupors of any sort are not nearly as funny as you think and, frankly, don’t show off any talent that will impress anyone over 12 years of age.
Criminal defense lawyers are constantly harping on the right to remain silent. This applies to anything you might post on the internet as well. If you half the brains you think you have, then stop posting stupid crap about yourself. If you need to know why, read Dan’s book.
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