Beyond Words

Whether you want it or not, on the internet, the transparency seems to be unstoppable. With the IP address or the data bases, we are unable to control the information about us.
For example, according to the links we clicked on, or the information we gave on surveys, we can see particular adds on our web pages. In this tough economic period, brands are more than ever using viral marketing thanks to the Internet. It is cheaper but it is also a better way to reach their audience. Indeed, if your finances are tight, it is way more effective to obtain awareness on a social application like a Facebook page than to pay for a TV spot. Marketing is much more easier when you have a deep knowledge of your audience because they are talking about their motivations just as a focus group. To me transparency can become a real invasion of privacy.

But isn’t transparency one of the main principles of Web 2.0?

I am thinking particularly about the social networks. When people interact they must be outspoken. When you log in, you reveal a private part of your life, but it appears natural because everybody does the same thing. It does not seem to be serious but at the end I can’t help but imagine how much data people provide to these networks. You upload your profile picture and one thing leading to another, you publish your mail address and your holidays snaps…
We reveal our lives on social networks because they become virtual places where we feel comfortable. But in my opinion it is exactly social networks’ aim : they encourage us to confess and thus to interact because it creates activity on the network. Thus, we forget that we are displaying our lives and that people can judge our pictures, our status…
The hugest error to make is to add a professional relationship as a contact, on Facebook for example, even if you consider this person as a friend. Let’s imagine your relations deteriorate, this person can use these information against you. Moreover it’s important to manage your privacy settings on these social networks. If you don’t, a potential recruiting officer can visit your profile without being your « friend » and dislike the way you display yourself on this platform.

Socialize yourself, but mind the gap between your job and private life.