Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, has predicted that by 2020, all those who are consumed and using social media will either seek or wish to change their name. Such radical manoeuvres will be a precaution to protect oneself from future repercussions of information proliferated across the Internet. To think that there is basically no limit to the multiplication of information across the Internet, therefore nothing ever gets deleted. This perspective reflects Kevin Kelly’s assumption that “Even a dog knows nothing gets deleted on the Internet”.

Image source

There is an inundated amount of people who lose their employment or their prospective employment is effected as an outcome of their digital presence. Ones klout, being their online state of influence/existence, may be propelled by either a negative or positive presence.

BBC news covered such issues in a recent story, explaining the current process of accessing prospective employees digital footprints as a means of assessing their personality fit with the company’s brand and beliefs. As a protective method for companies in the current day & age, management implement strong social media policies. Where they encourage employees to sustain from posting work related comments, images or statuses on their social media sites, in many cases employees sign strict contracts that they must abide by.

An example of social media outbursts gone awry for an angry employee was in instance for an American Chilli’s waitress who posted a status about getting stiffed on a tip. Not only did she accrue a number of disgruntled comments, but she also lost her position with the company, her facebook account was deactivated and this was all documented through numerous online articles and blogs. Sucks to be her, I mean her slander has been slammed across the Internet with no prospect of being deleted; I bet she was quick to changed her name.