Drunken pics on sites will no longer be scandalous: Expert

Wellington, May 17 (ANI): A social networking expert has predicted that in the future when drunken pictures are posted on the Internet, they will no longer get as much attention as they do now, as no one will care.

Julien Smith, who is the co-author of New York Times bestseller 'Trust Agents', is a social networking expert who visited New Zealand to speak at the Social Media Junction in Auckland.

"Much of the stuff we say online is there forever, no matter if you put it there once and then you've deleted it, it's going to be there for a very long time," the New Zealand Hearld.co.nz quoted Smith as saying.

"Twenty-five years from now everybody is going to put their photos online. There will come a time when everyone will put their drunk photos on Facebook and everything will be fine.

"Now, were like 'oh it's scandal' but that's because we come from a time where these things were not commonplace. When they become commonplace we won't even think any more.

"My message is less about 'hey be careful what you put online', it's about 'be ethical in what you do and you've got nothing to hide'.

"It's like a coming wave and it's really going to change forever the way that we view relationships and view communities.

"The web is almost like a liberation in a way. It's information. When given to people, they can use it whichever way they want and they can use it to better their lives.

"The idea that we can meet people based on our interests instead of based on where we happen to meet, say in a cafe or at work, means that these relationships could possibly be better and last longer ... we can meet based on any number of things that we may have in common," Smith stated.

He believes fears of the Internet reflect changes in societal values and he uses an example of a time when women wore only skirts that came down to their ankles.

"It's just that way right now because it's not entirely understood. Over time, we'll get over this," he added. (ANI)