The New Virtual World

Virtual everywhere around the world and creating domestic problems …http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5002721.ece

This story is a bit much but it’s an example of our changing world and what’s to come. It’s all over the internet today popping up in many places. I was saying at a recent event that social media also creates an arena where others without good intentions can make personal attacks online against individuals. People could attack one’s character, credibility with no grounds and make a public statement across the Internet where it’s difficult to remove those comments. Let’s say one person may have had poor judgments about an individual for some reason or another and makes it’s known publicly in many places online. If you didn’t know that individual personally and you came into contact with him/her, had a chance to “Google” them, and you happen to see a few negative comments about this person’s character…. Wouldn’t you shape an opinion about that individual based on what you read? You may.

When in fact if someone knew that individual first-hand or had a personal encounter face-to-face, this person was NOTHING like what someone on the Internet described. We know how rumors spread and are we going to live in a world where people sue others for defamation of character or slander someone online? In this new virtual social world, one can make poor comments online about another person and get away with it! Another area of concern is that people could steal the identity of someone else online, pose as that person, potentially destroying one’s character and reputation, not to mention their credit. We’ve all become celebrities online where others can make positive remarks or share good experiences, while others could potentially take negative hits against each of us. It can become the social media paparazzi! It’s scary to think it will be a challenge for each of us to not only protect our true identity in the real world but also in the virtual world. If someone makes a negative comment online about someone with a personal attack or accusation, we will have to manage those responses. People should also be managing the credibility of their brands and taking away new insights from the communities online.  Sometimes it’s best to dispute those claims, learn something new to change your behavior, or handle them with a positive response to shape a better outcome. I still value personal relationships, but I do enjoy what other opportunities the virtual world can bring. We have to be cautious, pro-active and aware of how things are changing in this new world.