A friend has been estranged from his daughter for about 15 years. (Actually she was my student about the time they parted ways, but I did not know him then). He is thinking he may want to reconnect with her, but knew only the she was in a city (that will remain unnamed here). As he was telling me the information he thought might help me, I sat at the computer and typed her name and the city where he thought she lived into the FaceBook search box and clicked. Before he finished, I turned the monitor to him and said, "here she is." Sure enough, she was friends with dozens of my former students!Today, we can't hide. The information available about us through the web is considerable (even if you are not a "netizen"). To minimize their exposure, I know people who use fake names on FaceBook and tell their friends and family what their FB identity is so they can use the site and stay in touch with some level on anonymity.
I have a FB account and I am friends with colleagues, distant family members, high school friends, but not students in the school where I teach. (Not even with students who graduated a few years ago.) I am careful about what I post and what groups I join (only am only a member of a few)... that is all we can do.
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