In a recent column, Thomas Friedman notes that one's personal & professional reputation is becoming increasingly transparent with the rise of the Internet and video cell phones.
In a new book called "How", author Dov Seidman posits that, according to Friedman, "...in this transparent world, how you live your life and how you conduct your business matters more than ever, because so many people can now see into what you do and tell so many other people without any editor."
There are interesting generational implications at work here. Friedman calls our online presence a "digital fingerprint" that will follow us around - an important point for young people just entering the job market or trying to establish a professional reputation. The rise of Google means that the resume is no longer the primary basis on which a potential employer will make a decision.
As Seidman puts it: "In the information age, life has no chapters or closets; you can leave nothing behind, and you have nowhere to hide your skeletons. Your past is your present."
For younger people who have Facebook pages, MySpace pages - and for everyone with a blog - it's something to think about!
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