In life there are givers and takers, one would think that exhibitionists online were the givers - quite the reverse.

rob, faversham, uk

What do people expect? you put on-line your most intimate thoughts or most embaressing moments for everyone in the world with an internet connection to see and then you complain when your future employer checks it out?! I work in recruitment and know for a fact that people aren't always honest in interviews.

As for Maggie in Bittany, remember, it's not just the company reading your reviews, there's also freaks and weirdos out there who also know as much about you as the person giving the interview!!!

Jut, London,

Anything that is put on the internet, even in "private" posts, is effectively shouted from the rooftops. Expectations of any real degree of privacy are quite naive.

It could be thought of as a bit like reading someone's diary, but only after they've published it first.

Chris, Derby,

Nonsense, utter nonsense. Employers are given rules against invading one's personal life worldwide in countless different professions. Just because the technology is available doesn't justfiy using it for employment purposes. I have the right to a personal life and employers have strict rules about it not affecting your work already in place, which employees are expected to follow. It takes a special kind of arrogance to work dilligently for a company to enforce a rule they have no qualms of not following themselves.

Ease up, you uptight blokes. :P

Sage Collins, Long Beach, CA, USA

Surely the simple solution is to take off all web content relating to yourself, for a brief period, until the application process has been completed?

Stew, Worthing,

This is probably the first time in my life that I'm glad I have a very generic name.

John F, London,

dirty!!!

dionersour, luzhou, Chinese

Surely users should just set their My Space and Facebook profiles to private and have a fairly sensible main profile picture.

Sarah, Nottingham, UK

Nice try James we're onto you. The clumsy use of capitals is a bit much don't you think?

Allen, Roswell, USA

Yes I was Googled & shocked when I was told that all my comments
& reviews came up.
It would never have entered my mind to do such a thing, it seems
sneaky in the extreme , like looking into someone's diary.
Had the person in question asked, I probably would have laughed & said
go ahead you wont find anything, but to be told about myself by a stranger was a bit unnerving & has now coloured my comments , meaning I feel
have lost my anonimity .

Maggie, Brittany , France

You will never take me alive!

Mr X, London, Uk

NetRep, "digital dirt", and folks basically arming themselves with info from the net somehow mad the phrase "I.T. Wars" jump into my mind. Sure enough, when I Amazoned it, there is indeed a book called "I.T. Wars" (subtitle, Managing the Business-Technology Weave in the New Millennium). In reading some reviews and excerpts (on Amazon), it seems the author covers quite a bit of this stuff - and then some... I ordered it.

Frank, Baltimore, MD

James is not my real name, so I'm safe.

James, london, uK

I was going to respond to this, but I don't want to mess up my chances if I apply for a job at the Times.

Thom Payne, Lincoln, NE, USA

Ah! Ah! At last the age if perfect information about employers and employees is here (read supply and demand)...

A Smith. Now burling in his grave.

Jim Moore, Nizwa, Oman