Some Rethink Posting of Private Info

"They're now more conscious that information they post online can be used in ways they didn't intend it to be," she says. "And I think this awareness is healthy _ for adults or kids."

Today, the rule of thumb is: If it's in the public domain, it's fair game.

Jeff Krakauer, human resources director for the legal services company Juriscape in Pasadena, Calif., says he recently began looking at social-networking profiles _ especially for candidates for whom he's "on the fence."

So far, what he's seen hasn't swayed him one way or another.

"But if something was really wild and way out there, it would cause me some concern," he says.

Hearing more stories like those prompted career counselors at the University of Dayton to survey employers in their database about their use of Facebook. They found that 42 percent of the 326 who responded said they would consider factoring a Facebook profile into their hiring decisions. Some of those employers also said they'd already rescinded offers because of things they'd discovered online.

"I do think it's an invasion of privacy," says Melissa Bush, a business major at the University of Dayton. "But when you think about it, anything you post online is open season."

When she interviewed for an internship last summer, her interviewer told her upfront that they'd be checking her Facebook profile. She didn't worry because she's careful about what she posts _ but lately, she's been deleting messages from friends that she deems inappropriate.

"If you don't want people to read it, don't post it," Bush says. "If you don't want people to see a video, don't post it."

It's a point that officials at universities are beginning to emphasize, with some offering classes and seminars on online safety and ethics.

At least one public service campaign, sponsored by the NBC television network, also reminds viewers that, "When you're online, you're in public."

"We're just beginning to see some awareness," says Gregory Hall, a psychology professor at Bentley College outside Boston who addresses some of these issues in his "Cyber-psychology" course.