Online Responsibility - An Interesting Post-Script

So, you will not believe what happened maybe a whole business day after I posted my little missive about online responsibility (which was actually a response to a freaking episode of Dr. Phil!): A guy with whom I went to highschool, who is now the mayor of the small town in which I grew up, got his Facebook comments plastered all over the regional news!  No shit -- absolutely none.

I didn't do it; I wasn't even aware he'd posted anything until I heard about it online a few hours before it went nuclear (well, he's a Republican, so "newclar").  Still, I wouldn't have tipped anyone off as to anything he says on his profile because... well, for one thing, it never would have crossed my mind and, for another, given the thrust of what he said and the fact that he went to my highschool, I would have thought it him being humorous (or attempting to be -- again, public highschool).

Today brings us another fantastic slip of the thumbs from another "great leader," this one up to Massachusetts (where they paak their caas in the yaads).  Yea-h.

So, let me see if I can clear-up one thing really quickly:

You are not a "private citizen" if you are a politician.  You are a very public figure and there are probably entire leagues of people looking to fuck you up for any number of slights, real or imagined.  Technically speaking, you should already know that you have to watch what you say, with whom you speak, how you look, and basically every, single, other aspect of every waking moment of your life. 

Of course, as a Cyberculturalist -- ahem, THE motherfucking Cyberculturalist (read the URL) -- I also understand how easy it is to "forget" that others can read the things you say and that not everyone is actually your "friend" just because they are on your "Friends List."  And that nowhere near as many of these people have been online as long as I.

If you are a politician, or hoping to one day become one, or anything like that... don't post "nakies," don't post off-color jokes, don't be yourself -- basically do what you do all day long, anyway:

Fucking lie.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009