Today the Krafty Librarian discussed Jakob Nielsen's Top Ten Weblog Design Mistakes of 2005 (you can read Nielsen's complete list here). In her post she noted the mistakes she is guilty of, as well as her thoughts on whether or not they were forgivable mistakes. While Krafty disagreed with mistakes #2 and #10, the mistake I disagree with the most is #9: Forgetting That You Write for Your Future Boss. Here is what Nielsen says about that:

Whenever you post anything to the Internet -- whether on a weblog, in a discussion group, or even in an email -- think about how it will look to a hiring manager in ten years. Once stuff's out, it's archived, cached, and indexed in many services that you might never be aware of. Years from now, someone might consider hiring you for a plum job and take the precaution of 'nooping you first. (Just taking a stab at what's next after Google. Rest assured: there will be some super-snooper service that'll dredge up anything about you that's ever been bitified.) What will they find in terms of naïvely puerile "analysis" or offendingly nasty flames published under your name? Think twice before posting. If you don't want your future boss to read it, don't post.

While I agree with the idea of using caution in what you post to the Internet, doesn't there come a time where you have to (in the words of every Real World cast) stop being polite and start being real? Isn't a large part of the appeal of blogs the stream of consciousness on the part of the author? I know that I appreciate and look forward to the realness of the thoughts posted on my favorite blogs. I don't know if the authors would resonate with me as a reader if they felt the need to self censor. Then again, maybe all bloggers are censoring to some extent. I must own up to the fact that I do largely censor one part of my life, but that is a decision made not for my own protection but for protecting the privacy of the people involved (and before you are wondering what the heck it is I am doing, I'm referring to my students here).

Is it smart to be overly concerned about every little thing you say on the Internet or is it extremely paranoid?

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