The world seems to be shrinking around us and our private lives are becoming less private as we expose ourselves on the Internet. I was always told to be careful what I put on the Internet because once its out there, you don't know who will see it. At more than one job interview recruiters have told me they had obtained information on me using Google. I am pleased to say that what they found was something I could be proud of, and something I had created. But what if it hadn't been...

Stacy Snyder was a student teacher on the last leg toward obtaining her education degree. Unfortunately for Snyder, she could not say that her online presence she had created was something she could be proud of. Her story is one demonstrating what happens when you are not careful about the message you present about yourself when using the Internet for social networking and personal expression. According to several reports, Snyder was denied her teacher certificate because of a picture captioned "Drunken Pirate," which she published on her MySpace profile. She is now suing the university who denied her credential. Let's take a look at what the Know More Media authors had to say about Snyder's "drunken pirate" story.

David Sandusky author of YourInividualBrand warns that whether we know it or not, we have a personal brand. We can either control it, or let it get us into trouble. One of the first things people do now when they are looking for information on a person is search for their name online. If we are not careful, what they find could be the kiss of death for our image. The key to avoiding such disasters: control your message.

Manager's Realm contributing author Gary Bourgeult, believes that there are lessons to be learned from Snyder's "Drunken Pirate" predicament. The warning signs that people will be held accountable for their online actions have been there for a long time, and Bourgeult asserted that Snyder should have known better. There can be no real expectation of privacy when things are posted Online. Bourgeult also pointed out that HR professionals are using the Internet as a character reference tool for checking for potential candidates.

A FOXNews article quoted one of Snyder's professors saying, "There were errors in judgment that relate to Pennsylvania's Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators." MarketingBlurb author Susan Gunelius wondered though, when does this type of monitoring become a violation of free speech?

BizMediaScience author Joseph Carrabis discussed the blurring lines between true reality and the distorted realities created by the Internet and other forms of mass media. According to Carrabis, there is an unwarrented expectation of transparency and intimacy on the Internet, noting that such dynamics could lead people to believe they have rightful access to materials or information that was never meant for them to access in the first place. The author also called Snyder's situation one where people are unable to separate virtuosity and reality.

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