What is the biggest issue facing blogging, citizenship and the future of media?

I believe the biggest issue facing blogging, citizenship and the future of media is, primarily, privacy. Indeed, anonymous information about the blogger or the person that is posting online can be easily collected and revealed to identify specific details about the identity of the blogger. I’ve known some friends who were quite surprised by how easily their identity on the web can be revealed even through the anonymous information they presented to web sites. For instance, I’ve experienced 2 different kinds of websites regarding the type of questions they require you to supply them with in order to complete your free registration to their free services. One website requires a person’s name and address, the other asks for the person’s date of birth, location and postal code. Overtime, I’ve noticed that by providing my birthday, location and postal code, I am, therefore, supplying them with some key identifiable information about my identity on the web.

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/websec2/chapter/ch08.html

The privacy issue on the web can lead to harsh consequences. I’ve had my cousin get a warning from her boss for posting her opinion and emotions, regarding her employer, on her blog. On other hand, there have been a number of employees who has been sacked after criticizing their employers and aspects of their work environment on blogs.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/catherine_sanderson/2007/04/blogger_beware.html

As a matter of fact, I’ve come to acknowledge that, recently, employers are beginning to use the Internet as a tool to check the Internet footprint of prospect employees before considering hiring one. They do so by checking the prospect employee’s Internet footprint. Internet footprint can be usually collected from an individual’s previous posts on blogs, YouTube and social networking sites. As a result, I’ve come to a conclusion that, making and writing a blog under an anonymous name or even a fake name with false personal information isn’t completely the appropriate method of free speech online.

http://www.gradplus.com/news/graduate-job-hunters-urged-to-watch-their-internet-footprint.aspx

http://wdsc.wordpress.com/2007/05/03/implications-of-your-internet-footprint/