I used to be pretty paranoid about posting things online. I thought that my privacy was valuable, and so I didn't put anything up. However, a few years ago I

I used to be pretty paranoid about posting things online. I thought that my privacy was valuable, and so I didn't put anything up. However, a few years ago I realized that there was a ton of stuff about me online. Photos on facebook, an article in a school newspaper, all sorts of directories and listings. I had an online identity, whether I wanted one or not. Moreover, I knew it would expand exponentially with time. So, I decided the only solution was to put my own stuff up. I started blogging, Facebooking, and posting on places like HN. I now control the conversation by making sure that most of the stuff about me is from me. That way, I'm in the driver's seat. We are all public personalities now. Yes, it's somewhat distasteful and a PITA. Life in the fishbowl can be stressful. However, the only alternative is to completely withdraw from the world, and that's not really an option.