The electronic footprint

When you're in the public eye you are governed by a different set of rules. The public holds you to a higher standard than the average person. You're not supposed to break the law, be rude in public, or do anything stupid.

And now in our electronic world, Big Brother is always one cell phone away from capturing our every move and uploading it to the Internet.

These days, wherever you go, whatever you do, you leave an electronic footprint. From Brett Favre to the Craigslist Congressman, we see constant examples of people who left a paper trail, even though the paper is now electronic.

Wanna check out how you're doing? Google yourself. You might be surprised what you find. Because you've left an electronic footprint.

Not only are your stories online, but any blog posts, photos, comments, etc. That picture of you getting hammered during spring break that you posted on a social networking site might still be floating around the universe. A rant about a politician or a cause could still be circulating.

In most cases, the Internet is forever. And in many cases, it's impossible to get something deleted.

Back in the old neighborhood, I was told many times never to write anything down. Because it could come back to bite you. That's still great advice, even though flash paper has been replaced by a keyboard and a cell phone.

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