Chowrangi

I don’t think one should go with a pseudonym on the internet. Nothing is really anonymous on the net. It just gives the false sense of security and one only deceives himself by using aliases. When it comes to hiding your personal life behind pseudonyms or anonymous posts, I can’t really digest it completely. Suddenly out of the blue you could get a shock of your life and find yourself exposed and discovered in broad daylight.

And also don’t switch between your real persona and the virtual one. It’s the sure fire recipe for ruin for you. The key here is consistency and balance. At the end of the day, we are different professionals to different people in different situations merely because we cannot control how people think, and what sort of work they actually require from you. You can’t predict or anticipate the emotional requirements or preferences of your existing or potential employers.

We can only alter what they know and hope what they perceive is the truth. However, to help have some semblance of control on that, we need to brand and present ourselves in a way that is true to ourselves, and most importantly, consistently. People consider inconsistency dishonest, and who wants to work with someone they feel they can’t trust? We all aren’t one type of person or professional. Deal with each as individual cases but always present yourself honestly and consistently.

And don’t think for a moment, that you could change your internet identity at your will, and all the previous traces and trails left by you will vanish in a jiffy. Like a camel, Google doesn’t forget. No matter, how much you try to erase your footsteps, someday might be that inflammatory comment on a specific blog come back to haunt you. That flickr photo you uploaded that blog post about globalization, that swearing you did, and that blurb on twitter.

So be very cautious, responsible and on your toes on the internet. You can’t mask yourself online or off line. There is exists nothing like “Sulemani Chaader” (A mythical large piece of cloth, which if one wrapped around himself, become disappeared out of sight). So don’t swear online, don’t make jokes about color, creed or race. Don’t discuss politics or controversial matters online. Don’t upload anything which you don’t want your boss to see. Watch yourself while you are online.

Other posts by Commoner

• Sandwitched Population - November 21st, 2008
• Clear the Dust - November 20th, 2008
• Exactly What They Want - November 20th, 2008
• Punjab Heats Up - November 19th, 2008
• Eyeball to Eyeball - November 18th, 2008
• No Surprises There - November 18th, 2008
• Yousuf Ready to Leave "Power" - November 18th, 2008
• OGRA Website Hacked By Indian Hackers - November 17th, 2008
• Friends Of Pakistan Again Disappoints - November 17th, 2008
• New But Old Dimensions - November 17th, 2008