Conduct an internet search for the word "privacy," and you will spend the rest of your natural life sifting through websites, articles, weblogs, and laws on the subject. Although privacy concerns have seemingly been around forever, and documents addressing this issue appeared in the late 1800s, concern over the protection of privacy was rocketed to the forefront with the widespread usage of the internet.
As use of the internet increased, so did concerns over the visibility, collection, and dissemination of information. The anxiety over online privacy is not a result of the internet being inherently sinister. Rather, the internet presents a unique environment for privacy concerns. At no other time in history has a person had the opportunity to reach or be contacted by over 800 million people. Combine that fact with the ability to read copious, ubiquitous discussions on the threat to your privacy, and the internet appears to be a treacherous place to visit.
As you are already reading this article, you realize that staying off the internet to protect your information is no more practical than staying inside your house with the doors locked and drapes pulled. The trick is not avoidance, but education. You need to know the answer to the question, "How can I use the internet, and Guru.com, and protect my information?"
Protecting Personal Information
The best way to protect your personal information is to be cautious about its dissemination. In short, be selective, and only give your information to the people who need it.
When posting a project on Guru.com or responding to Project Questions, do not list personally identifying information (name, phone number, URL, business name). Thousands of Freelancers use Guru.com. Although not everyone will view your project, the posting of such information can reach more people than you would like. Describe your project as best you can, and give your contact information to only those Freelancers from whom you would not mind receiving a phone call, email, or visit.
Along the same lines, protect the information of people who are part of your organization or project. If you need someone to revamp a database that contains the contact information of your clients or patients, and you want to include a portion of that database to illustrate your need, strip out the actual contact information, replace it with dummy data, and label the information as "fictitious data." For example:
| Surname |
First Name |
Address 1 |
Address 2 |
City |
State |
ZIP Code |
Email Address |
| Doe |
Joe |
123 Main Street |
Apartment 3A |
New York |
NY |
10001 |
jdoe@email.com |
Not only are you protecting the privacy of your clients or patients, you are complying with laws that protect their privacy, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 [HIPAA].
Protecting Intellectual Property
Protect your intellectual property with the same urgency used to protect your personal information. Although the Copyright Act of 1976 protects all work the moment it is put into tangible form, locating and taking legal action against a party who has stolen your idea or design can be costly in terms of money and time. In short, typing your project description on the site will guarantee its legal protection under the law, but it will not prevent someone from claiming that idea or product as his or her own, either as a result of ignorance of the law or malfeasance. Should you learn that your product or idea has been compromised, you would need to take legal action, using the Act as defense.
When posting your project on Guru.com, take a moment to think about your idea or need. If there is something about it that you consider proprietary, it may be best not to post it for all the public to see. Do your best to describe your need, and then explain that additional information will be released upon the signing of a non-disclosure agreement.
Closing
Appreciating the value of the internet means understanding the rewards and the risks. Typically, the more advanced and beneficial the tool, the greater the danger associated with it.
As you use the internet, consider the information you need to protect. Rather than gaze at your computer screen and furrow your brow at the infinite locations and people who have access to your data, spend your time thinking about what you post, and where it may go. Each time you consider giving out your information, stop and ask yourself, "Who will see this?" and "What will they do with it?" |