Privacy and the Internet

I've been thinking about privacy for a bit now. Everynow and then I put my name into Google and see what pops out. The funny thing is that though I can control my content I can't control what other people do. I tried to see if there are people who have no identity on the Internet.

What really rattled me was one search I did. There are going to be obvious hits from bulletins, meetings and such. But what do you do when your family posts you or your spouse's family tree and personal photos?

Part of me wonders if it matters and the other part of me is really disturbed. Leading a group of people in any context requires a certain amount of transparency and I think its true of ministry as well. However, there is a line where my private life should not inform my public life. Everything is out of context - who I am in church or at my job will be fairly close to my family life - but I do have my moments - the bleary eyed look might be from not enough sleep or too much beer!

Through Facebook sites I have found my grade 3 picture, grade 4, a picture at my 20th anniversary, my graduation and a pot luck. None of these were posted by me. I also found a teacher friend who had posted pictures of her class (I am sure this is a huge no-no even without the children's names). The fact is we can't control what other people do with our images - whether they post them or others view them. I have consciously decided to never post any photo with anyone other than me in the photo - unless I take it from somewhere else (like from another Facebook site). But others don't have that same philosophy.

Emerging from the Mists

I don't know what has happened but I think I am slowly emerging from a depressed state. I had so much more energy today then I have had in a long time - I actually got stuff done today including almost finishing my taxes.

Taxes suck. Because I'm not the dullest knife in the drawer and I think I should be able to always do my own taxes but it seems to get more complicated. I hope I'm not missing out on big savings by doing them myself - I have been "cheating" for a few years by actually using a software program - used to always do them manually. At least manually I can "see" the logic. The software I am using keeps track of unused RRSP contributions, education credits and so on but I feel a bit like I have let the computer take care of too much.

I appreciate it is the credits that I am claiming that causes the confusion so I really shouldn't complain. But it bugs me that so many people need to pay to have them sorted out - it really should be easier.

Now if I could only find those RRSP contribution statements I could finish....