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...but we are moving more and more to a transparent society... This key issue isn't whether or not things are changing (they are) or whether it's good or bad (
by edw519 14y ago
...but we are moving more and more to a transparent society...
This key issue isn't whether or not things are changing (they are) or whether it's good or bad (that's debatable).
The key issue is who gets to decide.
If I want to tell the world a million things about myself, that's my business. But if someone else wants to tell the world things about me (especially if they know it's personal or private), then that's definitely not cool.
It's not that much different for institutions, companies, or any group in general. None of us should be surprised at the reaction of another whose digital cherry we popped on-line.
This reminds me of the old tale about the man with a gossiping problem who went to a sage for advice. The sage told him to slice open a feather-filled pillow, shake it outside his house, then come back tomorrow. The next day the man asked the sage what to do about his gossip problem. The sage said, "Go gather those feathers."
- supercanuck 14y agoFor those like me who didn't understand the feathers reference, the analogy of the sage is that gathering up those feathers is the equivalent of taking back what you said. Once it has been said, it is out there forever, the damage has been done.
- WilliamMayor 14y agoI think it also means that gossip spreads really far and you never know where all those feathers end up. Even if you could take back what you say, it's hard to find where the gossip has spread to. I'm reminded of the Friends episode where Ross sleeps with the copy girl.
- cdmoyer 14y agoHmm. I also took from it that the man should just go spend time doing something other than gossiping. Say a task that would take a long time, like gathering the feathers. (ie. you can be less transparent by spending your time doing rather than talking.)