When it comes to sharing, the best gift one can give another is knowledge. How knowledge is used is another story.

Wot knowledge? Wot do you want to know?

Well, for starters:
What’s on your mind?
What’s happening?
What are you doing?

It shouldn’t be news that if you are part of an online community or simply carry a cell phone, you are now part of the media. Of course, not everything brought forth by the media is truth. If Exxon announces that it cares for you and wants to Make You Whole, you won’t doubt the source/hole of this line. Moreover, not everything announced in public is relevant or engaging. Basically, give an inch and a mile will be taken. When meeting a friend on a street some of you could ask “How are you?” none of you would ask “Is Tumblr still online?” unless you’re Julia Segal. Your friend would most likely answer “Not bad, you?” not “TUMBLR DOWN TUMBLR DOWN!” unless you’re Mark Slutsky.

So why add all this superficial information to your online personality? Are you craving attention? Are you showing off your forwarding (share, retweet) abilities? Are you climbing the trending mill with your opinionated genius? Are you lonesome tonight? Need a stalker tonight? Most likely, the answer is: Movement keeps us alive. The general feeling is, as long as something is happening, as long as a force manifests itself, as long as there is smoke, there is fire. Basically, showing your pulse is proof you’re still in the game. There isn’t a medal or any kind of reward system in this game but as long as there is a future to look forward to, they will come. Tomorrow. Tomorrow...

So we furnish our accounts with every little bit of info that we deem interesting about ourselves, thinking somebody somewhere will care. Yes, someone will care that I am at the worst coffee shop in Montreal, that I liked this bacon video, that I want a ticket to get into The Besnard Lakes concert and that I am wearing three pairs of socks. Care a little, won’t you? You might be surprised, somebody will. You know that person at work who offers you half of his vegan bacon cupcake every morning, the one that you always decline politely? Well guess what? He loves it when you Tweet about what show you are attending tonight! Sure, you might not know it, but he’s keeping tabs. Even after you made your account Private he left his MeatCake profile behind and was reborn under the BrightBaconBeacon username. 

Not only is knowledge a source but it is also a versatile tool. You are a part of the web statistics.  Wether you like it or not. Ok, you think you are just using words to make up funny phrases for your friends. Well. The words you enter in the Machine are calculated and then you are Marked. Hello personalized ads. You are then compared and rated through similarities. I’m sure you are quite unique though. Don’t worry. Knowledge can be an Axe to your garden hose or a Hammer to your two-by-four. If you discovered a goldmine, would you tell everyone about it? The same logic applies to anything else, material or not, that you hold dear.

The diver that discovered an underwater shark tunnel regretted the day he shared this discovery with others. Since then, not only has the tunnel been populated with more divers than sharks, but now Hunters also float over the once secret site.

Before you bring to light any kind of information, consider how this information could be exploited by others. I am not saying to conceal or negate what makes your life rich and unique. I’m saying: protect yourself and your support system. Is it safe to tell the world that you are leaving for Mexico for three weeks? Is it wise to give your cell number to your friend on Twitter? I would say: no.   

Labels: please feel secure, suspicious activity here, winter passing