I was sold on the idea after reading Dan Solove’s book, The Future of Reputation.  For reasons unknown, the New York Times has finally caught up with its story in the Sunday Magazine by lawprof Jeffrey Rosen.  The problems are well known.

1.  People post the most mind-numblingly stupid revealing and personal stuff about themselves.
2.  People post things that seem funny at the time but will cause them enormous grief and problems later.
3.  People post things that are easily misunderstood by readers who are not within the intended audience.
4.  People post things in haste or anger, but can’t take them back.

And then there are the problems people cause others.  Some post critically about others.  Sometimes it’s well deserved.  Other times it’s not.  Sometimes it’s completely false.  Sometimes it’s completely true.

One of the most problematic situations is when someone posts information about a friend that contains information that will haunt another person forever.  You can be circumspect in your own posting, but have no control over the propriety of what others post about you.

“Sue Smith was so drunk and high on coke last night that she let all seven of those disgusting guys have their way with her in front of everyone.  LOL!”

Yeah, that’s a hoot.  Unless Sue Smith’s employer happens to run across it as she’s up for consideration for a new job, promotion, appointment.  Sue would have done better to remain in control, but then again, is it necessary that this be her legacy?

Rosen, like Solove before him, offers a number of solutions to the problem of perpetual online reputation.  The problem is that none of them come without a price, primarily in the form of free speech.  Whether the trade-off is worth it largely depends on where one’s reputation falls along the spectrum.  If there are some nasty things out there about you, chances are good that you’re all in favor of declaring “reputation bankruptcy” and clearing the cache, so to speak, of your past.  But then, it will also breed scoundrels by eliminating those aspects of their history that remain critical, such as disbarment.

To those people, and by “those people” I particularly refer to the young and foolish who appear clueless as to why today’s fun and cool adventures won’t be received nearly as well twenty years later, who post about themselves without the slightest degree of thought for their reputation, grow up.  You can be fun, carefree and cool without being utterly foolish.  Ask yourself, will this be nearly as cool when it’s read by my future employer, client or spouse?  If not, don’t do it.

Far harder is dealing with dear friends who mindlessly post the harmful, stupid stuff that wreaks havoc with another person’s life.  They mean no harm.  Oops. Sorry.  Yeah, well, that doesn’t do much good, now does it?

Think.  If you want to screw up your own life, reputation and future, at least you’re the only who will suffer.  Don’t screw with someone else’s life out of stupidity and carelessness.  Don’t do grievous harm to another because it seemed like a funny thing to do at the time.  Read what you are about to publish as if you were someone researching their life twenty years later, and consider that info posted by friends can frequently be considered one of the most credible sources of information about a person.  In other words, you are stabbing your dear friend in the heart and can’t be bothered to think enough of it to restrain yourself.

I’ve seen this happen, and had it happen.  I’ve had very smart people post some very stupid things about me.  It’s cost me friendships when the poster doesn’t get why I’m so angry about their off-hand joke.  But their lack of comprehension isn’t reason enough for me to be burdened by their moment of cluelessness forever.

The price for the solutions to the dilemma of reputation is higher than I care to pay.  There are some negative things about me floating around the internet, and some horrifically awful false statements made for the purpose of trying to do me harm.  I don’t like them, but I would still prefer that we not engage in a series of legal responses that will infringe on free communication.  My shoulders are pretty broad.

The best solution, however, is also the easiest and cheapest.  Stop posting stupid and harmful crap for fun.  Think before you hit “enter”.  Both for yourself and others, but especially for others as they don’t deserve to suffer the consequence of your brain fart. 

Yes, a few funny things will be lost to the ages,  That’s a price I can live with.