Internet fame

Internet fame: Have you or someone you know ever posted videos, photographs, or personal information on the Internet? Did you or they later regret posting the materials? If so, why? What are the potential consequences should personal or compromising information fall into the hands of someone who bears a grudge?
These days, with the ubiquitous presence of online social networking and telecommunication devices, we all face threats to our privacy and confidentiality. The inevitability of using the Internet for personal and professional communication and research has accentuated the problem. Although I personally never experienced a breach of privacy or leakage of important information, I’ve known friends who had thus suffered. A friend of mine had the most embarrassing experience, as her pajama party photographs got leaked into the public domain. She posted the pictures in her Facebook profile, setting access to only those who are her friends. But perhaps as a result of someone hacking into her profile and downloading these pictures, they got out into the public domain of the Internet. A big fan of social networking sites like Facebook, my friend is yet to overcome the embarrassment caused by the leak. She is now very hesitant to post or share any sensitive information in these sites and is regretful that she trusted them in the past. It makes sense for her to exercise caution from now on, for these leaks could prove very costly. In this instance she only has to bear through minor social embarrassment. But there are leaks that could prove more damaging, as in having one’s credit card details hacked or professional accounts becoming accessible to miscreants. If this were to happen, she could face severe monetary loss or a dent to her professional reputation. Hence, she has to take all precautions in the future to avoid these scenarios.