Things aren't like they used to be

"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." Luke 8:17 (NIV)

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out." Number 32:23 (NIV)

The fact that what we do in our lives seldom remains secret is not a new thing as you can see from the above. I think what people fail to realize is how much the amount of time between when an act is committed to when it comes to light is so rapdily decreasing. You've no doubt heard stories about how "back in the day" politicians, celebrities, etc. were able to keep things from the public eye for years or even decades. The odds of that happening are today greatly reduced.

I think this is due to two main factors. First is technology. Most first worlders now have at their every day disposal the kind of technology spies only dreamed of having not too long ago. Many people have smart phones with video and audio recording capability. Do you ever think about the likelihood someone could be recording what you say to them? I've read that employment law lawyers are having more and more clients comes to them with footage as part of their cases. Good for the employees, bad for the employers. Note that while laws of recordings may vary by state, just because a recording isn't admissible to court doesn't mean that it isn't great leverage for the party who possesses it.

Perhaps even of greater influence is social media, specifically how poorly people manage what they post about themselves. If you didn't already know, nothing on the Internet is secret, and nothing posted every truly goes away. Divorce lawyers LOVE Facebook. It makes their jobs easier in many cases. I read that something like 50% of all divorces cases involve the use of Facebook. 

You should think long and hard about any information you make available about yourself online. The two cases below are illustrative as why.

Case #1
An employee was on workers comp and said he was in so much pain he couldn't get out of bed. He posted pictures on Facebook of him participating in a rodeo. Let's just say that didn't end well.

Case #2
This happened locally. A guy called in sick to work and went with his family to a local amusement park. Of course, he had to share pictures of his day on Facebook. Naturally, his employer found out, and he's now unemployed.

People are always watching what you do. If you do the right thing, no worries. If not, it probably won't take long for that to be discovered.