Dave Winer posts today about the blur between private and public, and along the way makes some points that are relevant to a very broad audience. His key point:
But we're entering a phase of the evolution of web culture where the parts of people's lives that are private are disappearing. It'll be interesting to watch.
The real challenge is what happens when there is conflict between individuals who have differing views on what is viewable and what isn't. Dave notes that he hasn't talked about former relationships on this blog -- he has a bright line. Good. But he also notes his friend Robert is now using Ustream to put much of his life in public view. Pretend for a minute that Dave wasn't aware that Robert was online, and called to talk to a friend about something in his personal life. It's not so private anymore, eh?
This means we are now at a point where one person can essentially overrule another in terms of what is public and private. This isn't a totally new phenomenon -- letters to lovers repurposed as tell all books, divorce cases, voicemail messages forwarded around the world, etc. But like anything else in the world today, the speed with which this can happen is breathtaking.
I'm optimistic. But still, a bit nervous and feeling a bit more naked today than yesterday.