Protecting Your Relationships

In this highly connected, highly networked world it is very easy to forget that your relationships with others in the virtual world are very important. However many people that I interact with do not really consider the impacts of what might happen if they do not take appropriate care in protecting themselves and consequently others.

I will use the most common medium that many people are used to which is email. Even after years of prevalent use, the average person still accidentally sends the wrong thing, at the wrong time, to the wrong people. Usually the impact can be handled or in the most extremes by simply moving accounts. 

In the socially connected world it is not so simple. For many, these networks represent not just simple communications but usually many memories, social interactions, and many hours of effort to establish and maintain. Imagine how you would be impacted if your LinkedIn of FaceBook were compromised? Even social applications such as Twitter and FriendFeed would have some impacts though in these cases there are ways to backup your activities within these applications by using various means. In the cases of LinkedIn or FaceBook while it may be possible to back up portions of your presence, it is not possible to get it all. 

Yet it is not simply a matter of protecting yourself. The important part of social networks are your contacts whom you socialize with: friends, family, colleagues, customers, etc. The fact that numerous forms of spam or malware or worse could impact these individuals is something not to be taken lightly. 

Many of the same basic rules from email such as only accept items from people you trust and in a manner you are comfortable with do not always apply in social network situations. Video, links, notes, applications, etc. take a lot more time and effort for the individual to evaluate. While all of the social networks have security and auditing methods, they are not foolproof.

So take the time to protect and manage yourself and those you socialize with. It is effort everyone will appreciate in the long run.