Patient Zero of losing personal reputation.
This quote “Patient Zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale instantaneously” was part of a speech by Monica Lewinsky. In her speech she talks about the loss of privacy on a scale that most of us could not imagine. Looking back at the headlines in 1998 and what her speech was about, she was right most of us could not say anything about her but what was in the news or in what we now call cyber space. She also points out that almost anything that hits the online community is out there forever…. How long is forever… Do your research but in our definition of “Forever” it is a “Freaking long time”. This speech was presented for TED.com “Ideas Worth Spreading” check out there ongoing presentations.
From TED’s website this is the purpose of these short presentations.
“TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.”
Information out there is so stuck that it can come back to haunt you and your family even after you are gone. We used to think of the “Library of Congress” as one of the largest catalogs of words in the world, but today the internet has probably proceeded it. Like books once printed there is a permanency. You can’t take it back. Yet every day people document there thought random, intimate, controversial, racist the remarks don’t matter. If you put it out there you need to understand the consequences. In todays age of reporting there is not the type of censorship that newspapers and media outlet had. Most comments even these will go unchecked by fact checkers. Why because we can. It doesn’t make it right or wrong it just is the freedom that the internet has given us. So an important consideration to take from these comments and Monica Lewinsky’s speech is to be compassionate. Don’t say things you may regret or that may hurt others. Its ok to have an opinion one you might share in a face to face conversation but it may not be one you want to put to paper and pen. Unfortunately as Ms. Lewinsky points out in her speech even comments made to supposed friends can become unfortunately publicly available with huge consequences.
Please listen to here speech as you may learn something about, her that you didn’t know but even more importantly the ramifications of her actions and others and how far reaching they can be.
We did not mention that the purpose of the speech, it was about Cyber Bullying, and that’s because we thought there was a more provocative message “The ongoing debate of Private vs. Public record”. We need to fully understand that the internet, email, public records, now even medical records are subject to hacking for the right price. Public humiliation or bullying can be a rewarding outlet if we let it. Unfortunately human nature is to gawk at the train wreck rather than to try to clean up or even prevent the mess. That’s just human nature, but one of our greatest gifts is the ability to think for ourselves. Don’t give in to temptation and follow the sheep, take a stand or sit on the sideline and don’t propagate the gossip. If you support and issue than do that. Don’t help the bullies by passing on there comments and even stay out of the back and forth bickering that takes place in the comments or tweets because it is just generating more traffic for their gossip. We are not suggesting to ignore and issue just try to contain the escalation because often that is all the author wants.
Please pass this along if you like what we had to say and especially if you felt that the speech from Monica Lewinsky had value to you as we felt it does to us.
Please travel the internet safely and help those who may need it because it is a big place out there.
Security and Privacy issues are everyone’s responsibility.
Tech news from the techies at E2 Computers in Tarpon Springs, FL and on the web at www.end2endsupport.com.
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