Your Actions May Come Back to Haunt You

Last week one of my coworkers asked if I had ever done anything when I was younger that has come back to haunt me. I told him that I had. After all I am a father and those little people you helped create will haunt you the rest of your life. He had a chuckle and then said that is not what he meant.

I didn't want to know too much about what he had done but figured it out fairly quickly. He may have taken some pictures that would now be considered less than flattering. I had to laugh as the person that has them is trying to blackmail my friend.

A little while ago I posted a message about someone trying to blackmail me. The person supposedly had compromising pictures of me at my computer. One of my thoughts was that nobody would care enough to look at those pictures. If they did, I doubt it would embarrass me enough to pay any ransom. I shared this insight with my coworker and then asked who he didn't want to see the pictures. He gave me the classic response, his mother. I have to admit that there are probably a number of pictures you don't want your mom to see. Then again, your mother has probably seen you at your worst. I think changing a dirty diaper is as bad as it can get.

I don't think I helped my coworker much but it did remind me that you need to be careful about what you do electronically. Those Friday-night pictures may eventually come back to haunt you. Rants about your previous coworkers could keep you from getting your next job. So be careful about what you do online, you will be glad you did 10 years from now.