Yes, this is the first picture ever posted online. I wonder if these ladies still hang out. They definitely don’t have the same hairdos or wear the same clothes. Does this picture embarrass them or are they proud to be the first?
Our culture is focused more and more through the internet. On my Facebook today I saw a friend’s current progress painting a robot figurine, the coffee another friend was drinking, and the political views of yet another friend. Will these photos and statements disappear into the cyberworld or will they live on there “forever”, just waiting for someone to dig them up?
Well, as scary as this feels, this phenomenon of media lasting virtually forever is really a bonus for me, an author. My works, nestled into their pages on the web, will live there forever. I will always be able to make money on them, or at least get the credit for them if they become free. If someone claims them as their work, I can point to multiple places where my work lives and has lived for a long time. There is no “out of print” online. There is no time limit for my work to survive other than the time limit of how long it interests people.
Yes, in case of apocalyptic failure of everything technological, I do have paper copies of all of it, including the copyright certificates. But after we’ve recovered and have the internet back, provided the Giant Ant Overlords allow it, I’ll put them all back up.
What do you have online that will live forever? How do you feel about that?
Kate Policani 
That’s why I try to keep it civil and not say anything I’d regret or be embarrassed about later! Compared to most people, I don’t have that much out here—yet. Blogging is changing that. 🙂
I think people make the mistake of thinking they don’t have to act in a professional manner online, or even what that means. You won’t be able to be perfect, but you can be mindful and try to keep it professional. Ultimately everyone will have some kind of professional stakes online.
Our writing, our thoughts, our digital artifacts, are at the mercy of a giant server where they are “saved”. They are kept and dispersed though the air, flying pieces of ink-less pages. Will digital technology be able to safeguard our words forever? Does paper last forever?
I don’t think anything lasts forever. But with plastic it comes close 😉
For the most part, I’m more than okay with my words staying online forever. I’m not one to shy away from speaking my mind, and everyone knows that. However, if I could go back and right some of my “myspace” photo wrongs I would do that in a heart beat. Sadly, I don’t even remember my page info! I shudder to think of some ‘party pics’ that might resurface one day. Ya know the ones I thought were cute at 19/20… but now, not so much! Smh!
Lol I know, right! It’s kind of like having some of your baby photos posted online forever. (Oops! My kids actually do!)