Oops! Mayor Caught in Online Chat Room

Re: http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050619040909990006&ncid=NWS00010000000001

I found this article on CNN.COM to be extremely relevant to our class discussions because it deals with the internet and privacy. The mayor's personal life was obviously intruded on by the newspaper investigating his chat room discussions, but as noted in the article there is no such thing as a private discussion in a chat room. Having a chat in an online community room is just like having a chat in a bar. People in a bar can hear what you are saying and who you are speaking with.

The same principles apply online. I don't think the mayor should have to resign because his online conversations were recorded - he did nothing illegal. His ethical decision to offer government internships to those in the chat room may be wrong. Bottom line, there is no such thing as privacy on the internet. When you are chatting with someone, always remember that even if you have an anonymous screen name, people can and will find ways to discover your true identity.

This is also a great example of how the internet can ruin a politician's future. I would highly recommend to my candidates not to take part in chat rooms. At at time when the media loves to expose politicians there is no reason to risk a career.