Miranda Rights for the Internet
Miranda Rights for the Internet
I. You have the right to remain silent.
You do not need to blog. You do not need to "Reply to this post." You do not need to Get MySpace, and you do not need to Facebook Me. If you say nothing, the blogosphere will not deflate and strangers on message boards will not miss your advice. If you say nothing, the internet will not notice.
II. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.
Nothing on the internet is private. Your real name, your AIM handle, your livejournal, and the email address you had in high school are all out there for anyone who cares to look. Just because you don't know how to find it doesn't mean it can't be found. The internet has a very long memory. You should be willing to bet that it's longer than yours. Anyone you meet could know things about you that you have forgotten you ever said. Speak slowly and carefully... there are a lot of people listening.
III. You have the responsibility to be skeptical about everything; if you lack the ability to do so, find someone who will do so on your behalf.
The internet is not a library. The internet is not a newspaper. The internet is a cacophonous bazaar of peddlers, kooks, and unruly children sharing the same advertisement littered street corner as politicians, scientists and parents. There are no signposts that announce when you're in the wrong part of town, and no one is going to tell you when you're being lied to or misled. An open and skeptical mind and a sense of personal responsibility are the rules of the road; no shirt, no shoes, no service.
I. You have the right to remain silent.
You do not need to blog. You do not need to "Reply to this post." You do not need to Get MySpace, and you do not need to Facebook Me. If you say nothing, the blogosphere will not deflate and strangers on message boards will not miss your advice. If you say nothing, the internet will not notice.
II. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.
Nothing on the internet is private. Your real name, your AIM handle, your livejournal, and the email address you had in high school are all out there for anyone who cares to look. Just because you don't know how to find it doesn't mean it can't be found. The internet has a very long memory. You should be willing to bet that it's longer than yours. Anyone you meet could know things about you that you have forgotten you ever said. Speak slowly and carefully... there are a lot of people listening.
III. You have the responsibility to be skeptical about everything; if you lack the ability to do so, find someone who will do so on your behalf.
The internet is not a library. The internet is not a newspaper. The internet is a cacophonous bazaar of peddlers, kooks, and unruly children sharing the same advertisement littered street corner as politicians, scientists and parents. There are no signposts that announce when you're in the wrong part of town, and no one is going to tell you when you're being lied to or misled. An open and skeptical mind and a sense of personal responsibility are the rules of the road; no shirt, no shoes, no service.