Who we are here, and who we are there

Rather than obsessively guard our online identities, at some point we're just going to have to become accustomed to a new era of personal transparency. And perhaps, this will usher in a new way of doing business: accepting others as whole people, and approaching them on that level. It may no longer be possible to erect divides between public and personal, between one's business life and one's private life.

I think people of my generation intuitively understand this, which may be the force behind our - occasionally somewhat misguided - impulse to reveal too much of ourselves online. We've already given up on the hope of privacy and accepted a sort of tedious street-level limelight. It may be that no one is paying attention to our actions, our words, or our interests at the moment - but they're all still on record. And should anyone seek to analyze them, they'll be there. Available. For many of us, it will be that way whether we like it or not.

Thoughts for a Thursday courtesy of crackingdes.