I’m all for sharing personalities, opinions, knowledge, courage, and other wonderful life goodies as freely and uncensored as possible online, but sometimes it comes down to just plain common sense. As we transition to a more Internet dependent social structure and acclimate to the open nature of the Interwebs seeping in to pretty much all aspects of daily life, privacy issues will become more prevalent, like it or not. Sure, some of those concerns are an overreaction (Grandma Fran will forgive you), but many are valid and should be addressed and taken seriously. As much as I’d love to be able to freely share every aspect of my existence if I choose to, society is unfortunately not ready for that.

The griefers in society may be outnumbered by normal folk, but they are also empowered by the anonymity and tools the Internet provides them. Yes, most people’s privacy concerns are limited to embarrassing drunken photo leaks, but freely providing your specific location constantly (or releasing a physician’s client email address list via Buzz) is another matter that could have IRL unpleasant consequences. There’s a difference between taking risks with your pride on the line (like those who boldly Tweet without drafts), vs. taking risks that could get you hurt physically, financially, or in some other tangible lasting way.