This is an issue that is at the heart of managing your reputation online. I saw this feature on Mashable.com, and it definitely made me think about how people today have to be aware of how to effectively manage their reputation online more than ever. With Truuconfessions, it appears that anyone can say whatever they want about others anonymously. Here is what Jennifer Van Grove, the author of the post for Mashable.com, said regarding this new feature:
“This site is fantastic for dishing dirt. So whether you’re dying to get something off your chest, or just want to play gossip voyeur, truuconfessions is both status update heaven for moms and single women alike, as well as the juicy office water cooler where you can’t believe your ears. With truuconfessions, you can anonymously air your dirty laundry in different categories like home, office, or body, mark updates you can relate to with the “metoo” button, favorite confessions, and leave comments. Since everything you can do on the site can be anonymous, it’s a worry-free way to say what you really think about your boyfriend, boss, or bothersome coworkers, without repercussions.”
I do not this is an appropriate tool personally – and I definitely disagree with Ms. Van Grove on Truuconfessions. First, it allows people to believe that they can say whatever they want and no one will know who they are. Plus, it also implies that these individuals will not be held accountable to the consequences of saying negative things about others online in this medium. Well, I beg to differ. Well, there are of course ways to find out what people say online – what is online stays online. This also brings up the issue of managing a reputation for the individual involved. Yes, it appears to be an outlet for individuals to “let out their dirty laundry,” but I do not think that this is the appropriate way to do this by any means. What happens if someone complains about someone and they find out through this outlet about what is being said about them, and it damages their reputation? It basically gives anyone the power to damage the credibility of another person – for a particular reason or not – and I do not think that this is ethical behavior by any means.
I had to deal with this many times when I was in track and field. On various discussion boards, there would be fans that felt that they could post anything they wanted about other athletes, coaches, and teams – and they felt that if they went by an alias or did not post their real name, that no one would be able to find out who these individuals are. Well, there were cases in which these people were exposed, and it was surprising to see who they were. From other coaches to high school athletes – there was definitely a range.
The point that I have regarding this subject is that what is online stays online – and not disclosing who you are online is a problem. We need to be upfront and transparent on how we present ourselves online – and to take the same approach as you would in real life. In my opinion, Truuconfessions has PR nightmare written all over it, and it will be interesting to see what PR cases come from it.
Hope you all are having a great day. 🙂
Best Wishes,
Karen
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