Last week we all had a good giggle at the wife of the new head of Britain’s spy agency when she posted personal information, including photos of her husband and their friends, on facebook. But, after the initial laugh, I had a serious think about what i was posting online.

Sometimes, it is easy to forget that the internet has no erase button. For my generation, and those that come after, our entire existences will be documented and easily accessible just by keying in the right google search terms. However, ‘facebook stalking’ a term which has innocently entered the Gen Y lexicon,  isn’t just used by uni students wanting to scope out potential dates for the next faculty ball, but is also used by employers wanting to check up on job candidates, and potential clients, wanting to see if you can walk the walk as much as you talk the talk.

So, what is appropriate (and inappropriate) to post online?

For personal information, I always ask, ‘would my mum want to see this?’ And, if your mum is complete free spirit ask, ‘would I like my friends parents to see this?’

In terms of your business: incomplete or inaccurate business information can be particuarly embarrassing, so double, triple, quadruple check your facts before you post anything that could not only impact on you, but also on your clients, partners and workmates. Also, especially in the case of company blogs and websites, always ensure that you have the rights to all the information and images you post online.

Really, there are no rules, especially as its becoming more and more accepted that individuals will have their own online profiles, blogs and twitter accounts, and the more entrenched this becomes the more lenient the watchers may become. However, when you’re dealing with your reputation, not just for now, but in the future (who wan’t to be doing damage control for something that you posted 20 years ago) caution is key.