Re-examining my Internet footprint

One of the great advantages of working for my employer is that I am given so many opportunities for learning and professional development.  Just a few weeks ago I spent a week in Boston learning about employment law, a topic that some might find dry, but which I readily soaked up (insert sponge metaphor here).  While the class really had nothing to do with technology, we did touch for a moment on how social media impacts employment issues.  That got me thinking.  Actually, virtually anything gets me thinking.  Having nothing to do will get me thinking.  And so I digress.

Anyway, I am making a few changes to my Internet footprint.  These include:

sgalbert.com

• A beefed up and far more serious disclaimer.  I was surprised at how many resources exist out there to help bloggers create a disclaimer.  
• I removed my picture from the blog and edited my profile.
• The Facebook badge is gone.

LinkedIn

• I don't do much on LinkedIn, so I don't foresee any changes needing to be made at the moment.  That might change though.

Facebook

• I've re-configured some of my privacy settings so that, among other things, my employer's name is visible only to my friends.
• I've de-friended several organizations that really didn't truly represent my values.  Some I connected to basically to get alternative points of view, others because I may agree with the sponsoring organization in some manner.  Regardless, unless it is an organization that I can say I completely support, the connection to me is being severed.  Why?  It goes to the old adage:  you are known by the company you keep.

Some may look at this and go "so what?", and that's okay.  The larger point here isn't necessarily about any revelations on my part, but rather it's about a continuous process of learning-evaluation-change, learning-evaluation-change.  In some small way it's part of how I prove to myself that I'm still alive.  If we don't look at ourselves and what we do with something of a critical eye, then I think the tendency is to become something of a stagnant mess.  I don't know about anyone else, but I am going to do my best to avoid that path.