People love Facebook, Twitter and other social networking Web sites to share information about their lives with “friends”. Twitter will help members “share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.”
However, many have learned to be careful with what they share online. Lawyers in divorce cases, for instance are searching “social landscape” web sites for evidence. One attorney located evidence indicating a separated husband bought his girlfriend diamond jewelry while he claimed he had limited marital assets. A mother in a child custody case learned the hard way to watch what is posted on social media sites when a photograph of her drinking a beer was used to prove she had not stopped consuming alcohol like she swore.
Others watch social networking sites too. For instance, law enforcement officers scan them to capture wrongdoers who brag about the crimes they have committed. An Oregon teenager was recently arrested after a post about hitting a vehicle while he was driving intoxicated.
Employers scan job applicants’ pages for embarrassing or even incriminating information and photographs. Be careful and use good judgment about disclosures on social-networking sites.