Blog Politics: Your Internet Footprint
Can what you write in your blog come back to haunt your career? Indeed it can! There have been two recent stories in the current Canadian national election campaign that have come to light this week where candidates have been tarnished by the words of their past.
There is the situation in a Toronto riding where Chris Reid, the Conservative candidate, ended his election bid amidst controversy over comments he made this past summer on his blog. Then we have another conservative candidate Ryan Warawa under attack in a Vancouver riding for numerous comments he made in 2004 on his blog about Liberal candidates in BC. Welcome to the influence of social media on your career!
The important lesson to learn from these two situations is to watch what you write. When you write a blog, you leave an Internet Footprint. The Internet is not forgiving in this respect. The things you write, the comments you make, the pictures and videos you post…when your personal name is attached…they stick…and they stay. It is like the spoken word in that respect. Once you say it, you can’t take it back. That is your voice on the Internet. So, we need to learn to be polite, respectful, and professional online, even when we disagree or voice strong personal opinions. You never know when down the road, someone will tie you back to things you wrote years before. So, think before your write…anything you don’t want to “own” forever should probably not be said…or written!
Anyone want to share other stories they have come across that illustrate a similar concept or do you have an opinion to share?
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