With this post, I begin a study section on using LinkedIn as part of your social footprint. My mental picture of establishing a social identity includes three basic steps that match those in "real" life, or life 1.0 as we once knew it. MySpace is High School, Facebook is College and LinkedIn is the Business World.
There is much debate about how to manage your identity in life 2.0 since everything is virtual, changeable (to a degree), interlinked and public. Student applicants to a college may meet up with a Web-savvy faculty member or a future employer that researches them in social media. They may have already seen those drunken cell phone pics you posted on MySpace for a laugh and yes, they know what LMAO means.
My favorite new Presidential quote, "I am a lefty, so get over it," could easily become a mantra in life 2.0. I am a ___________, so get over it... Trying to hide your true self from your business self will make you crazy and schizoid, depending upon the width of the span between your personal and public realities. The possible anonymity of the Web tempts people to do all sorts of odd things... shave a few years off of their age, add things into their resumes that never happened, etc..
It's much easier to work hard at being real! Authenticity is one of the most important traits in life 2.0 - so get comfortable with living like a goldfish in a glass bowl. If the thought makes you cringe, then social networking is probably not for you.
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