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There's a big concern these days, especially amongst college students, about how the use of social networking sites like facebook, myspace, and blogger, will affect a users ability to get a job, or maintain a job: we've all seen stories in the media about people who have been fired for the content of their Facebook page or their Blog.  For younger kids (I mean high school and on down mostly) the concerns of a career search seem far removed from the more immediate concern of fitting in, and certainly the same can be said about many college students (even me). For many college students, who are the main users of Facebook (and its intended audience), those concerns are less distant, especially when the student hits junior year and realizes "oh crap... i'll need to start job hunting in a few MONTHS."  The student can then find themselves in a panicked race to erase any negative online presence that they may not wish for an employer to see.

Why are employers so worried about peoples Facebooks, and blogs?  The answer to that has a few different parts. One is that employers want to look to gauge what kind of person you are, and if your even worth the interview (hint: if your FB has pictures of you smoking a j and trying to blow smoke rings, you're not worth the interview); for example, if your blog contains extremely left wing political comments, then you might not be right for a job at Fox News.  Another would be to see whether or not your an idiot (by idiot i mean someone who is less capable of doing a good job, because they just don't get the proverbial it). An employer assumes that you know they might look at your Facebook, therefor if you didn't take the time, or care to make sure it was presentable then you are an idiot, and not someone to hire. Which brings to the moral of the story: If you don't want your boss (or future boss to see it) then don't put out there in the first place, and if you did then take it down (NOW)!