What happened to the Star Wars Kid can happen to anyone, and it can happen in an instant.
This part of the article omits the bit about how he was filming himself doing something embarrassing. I think the lesson is that 1) If you do stuff you would not want strangers to see, 2) You film yourself doing it, and 3) Someone gets and disseminates this video, only then can what happened to the Star Wars Kid happen to you in an instant.
Social networks make all of us become like celebrities or politicians. We become more self-conscious about our image. Don't let anybody take you a picture or a video that you don't want your children to see, because they will.
If you're going to join a social network and amass an entourage of close friends and distant acquaintances, you'd better be prepared to stand up for what you believe in. Privacy is not really about privacy. It's about integrity.
It is seldom few in our culture who pay respect to those standing to hold us accountable for our actions.
Privacy is about integrity? What does that even mean?
"It is seldom few in our culture who pay respect to those standing to hold us accountable for our actions." -- wha?
Social networking only means the end of privacy if you let it. I don't let it, and although I'm an n of 1, all you need is 1 to make that answer "no". Other people seem fine to lose their privacy, it doesn't mean the end of privacy.
This part of the article omits the bit about how he was filming himself doing something embarrassing. I think the lesson is that 1) If you do stuff you would not want strangers to see, 2) You film yourself doing it, and 3) Someone gets and disseminates this video, only then can what happened to the Star Wars Kid happen to you in an instant.