It was an interesting discussion that we had last class on digital preservation and aspects of permanence and privacy. It brought an interesting thought to mind: how do we begin to train people, especially younger ones, how to use the internet and its preservatory powers responsibly and carefully? I actually had an interesting dicussion with a co-worker on this issue, as her 14 year old daughter was posting some somewhat questionable photos on the internet and she came across them. It was a tough discussion that ensued for she and her daughter, but interesting nevertheless. We don’t all have ambitions to run for political office, but it is important to understand that what is online is preserved for a certain amount of time and is relatively retrievable. More and more, employers are using the internet to find information about potential and already employed job prospects that they might not be able to ask you in an interview. The accesability of the digital age makes some thoughts less private than had they been written on paper and passed to another person. It is important that we educate ourselves and others in being responsible for what you publish online.
