The quote €15minutes of fame€ is about the short-lived media publicity or the celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined by Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that: €In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.€ Unfortunately, that has evolved into daily fame for many people that, frankly, is bad for public consumption.
You can blame the Internet, or social media sites, or e-tailers who offer discounts for your public profile€"or you can simply blame yourself. We should all take credit or blame for this. It wouldn't happen if we didn't, in some way, support it.
CNN reports: €At its most extreme level, our hunger for sociability can turn minor incidents into major media firestorms, thanks to the Web's viral capabilities. One minute you're leaving a crummy tip; the next your message is all over the Web. One minute you're a bullied bus monitor; the next someone is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars on your behalf... But even small pebble drops into the vast pool of the Internet can leave big ripples.€
Managing a digital life means knowing what you are consuming versus what you are expelling, recognizing what you are sharing versus what you are protecting. Is privacy possible? To a degree, yes.
I'm a relatively public person because of the nature of my business, so I made a conscious decision years ago how I'd manage my online persona.
Here's how to think about it:
#1 It's unrealistic to have two profiles. Your €pseudo€ personality will eventually be exposed. Just have the one and do it correctly.
#2 Look at your online presence as personal and/or professional. To me, it's the same thing. I'm not posting anything personal that I wouldn't want to be viewed in a professional manner.
#3 Family member names, relationship status, photos, and activities are all relatively private. If you choose to make them public then accept certain scrutiny and risks.
#4 The words you use, the statements you make€"whether profane or not, slanderous or kind€"make up who you are. Choose wisely.
#5 Understand that what you post is forever. It doesn't go away. It will come back to you, whether good or bad.
#6 Know that your data is being mined by advertisers, marketers, complete strangers, predators, everyday people, and your government. Post wisely.
Robert Siciliano, is a personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto and author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!. Disclosures