What Is Public and What Is Personal? The proliferation of technology has made us more con- or information" was the number one reason cited. 78 Many nected and made life easier in many ways. For instance, colleges and universities are also gathering and considerthe Internet certainly has made searching for jobs easier, ing such information in admission decisions. and most people today can't even imagine searching for a job without the Web. Just as you can gather informa- Vhat Would You Do? tion about prospective employers more easily, which every Assume you are a job candidate or prospective student. prospective employee undoubtedly appreciates, employers Then assume you learned that your most desirable job or too can more easily gather information about job candi- school uses any and all information they can find on the dates like you. And this creates a potential problem: Just Web in making their decisions. What would you do? because information about you is available on the Web, does that mean it is appropriate for a potential employer 1. Withdraw your application. to consider it when evaluating you? David Kirkpatrick's 2. Submit your application but include a letter explaining The Facebook Effect explores many privacy issues associwhat might be found. ated with our increasing connectedness. He notes a poll of U.S. employers wherein 35% of them said they rejected 3. Roll the dice and simply take what comes (i.e., do candidates based on information found on social networknothing and hope for the best). ing sites, and "provocative or inappropriate photographs 4. Create and explain another course of action