I wonder how prevalent this practice really is. I always start from the position of assuming hype, but then there is this:

Questions have been raised about the legality of the practice, which is also the focus of proposed legislation in Illinois and Maryland that would forbid public agencies from asking for access to social networks.

Seriously? I mean, the ACLU has already gotten involved on someone's benefit, and they're actually naming organisations that have done it. It's creepy.

I wouldn't want to work any place that asked for my FB password. If that's their presumption for an interview then it would be infinitely worse to work for them.

I wouldn't have a problem directing them to my FB profile, but otherwise, fuck them.

Dag, I wish I had some money to give to the ACLU because it's seriously getting to be a creepy culture here in the U.S. of A.

Someone linked to a "fabulous" new feature in choosing seats on KLM airlines: the ability to look at the Facebook/LinkedIn profiles of your possible seatmates!

[link]

I am beyond creeped out.

Well, I'm markedly unlikely to be signing up for meet and seat, like, ever.

I look sideways at your friend. Maybe a 4-year-old is OK to leave alone, but leaving a 2-year-old under the supervision of a prekindergardener? Oh HELL no!

You can look sideways at me then - my kids are 4 and 14 months and they play alone in the bath most nights.

Well, that's...that's weird.

I mean, you have to give them your profile, so you know what you're getting into. "Hey, please pre-stalk me before sitting next to me in a confined space for twelve hours!"

I just read--how old is old enough to leave sitting in a bath by themselves while you answer the door, presumably out of really easy earshot?

I leave Noah and Grace in the tub pretty frequently, usually to go get pjs or a washcloth or something. Granted our house is tiny so I can hear them all the time, but Grace also has a trache that would allow her to drown more easily than the average bear.

Also, speaking of bathtime, I had another mom of the year moment. Noah stood up to be washed and jammed his back into the faucet. Which means I scooped him out unsoaped up. Oh fucking well.

OH! And I also cursed in front of my class. We were talking about the difference between pity and sympathy and I said pity is when someone looks at Grace and says, "Oh, I don't know how you do it. So sad for you." and my response to that is "Fuck you! I love my life and my daughter."

Any time someone says something to you as, "That's so sad" and you want to respond with "Fuck you" it's probably pity.

the ability to look at the Facebook/LinkedIn profiles of your possible seatmates!

Um. No. NO. And someone needs to have a very strongly worded chat about privacy and boundaries with the marketing person that came up with that.

ITA. What the hell, people? I don't want to know anything about my seatmate on an airplane other than (1) Are you a serial killer? (2) Do you have B.O.? and (3) Are you going to try to talk to me other than a polite "Hello" and "Excuse me." None of which should be accesible info on-line, IMHO.

Someone plopped down to me and was all "Hey, how's the (insert random personal detail here?) I read about on FB/LinkedIn," I am afraid I would ask for another seat or an air marshal.