Yes, you read the title right.  I want to know how naked are you.  Do you prefer to wear a parka, hoodie, t-shirt, undershirt, jeans and everything else possible to cover yourself up? Or do you prefer to run around completely naked?  Maybe you’re somewhere in between.  You’re probably partially confused right now.  I haven’t told you what the weather is like and where you’re going.  Does it really matter?  Would you really ever agree to run around completely naked? (Remember, public blog post…don’t answer that )

One thing everyone deals with as they start signing up for social networks is how transparent (er, naked) they’re going to be.  It is something that you really have to give a lot of thought to.  Who will see the information you post?  What’s the reach of it?  Where do you draw the line between what’s really personal and what’s ok to share?  These are all normal questions that run through a person’s head when they first discover social networking.

With the ability to share so much about yourself comes many concerns.  One of which is a concern for safety.  I am fascinated with BrightKite (though I haven’t done much with it lately), due in part to what fellow pirate Chris Brogan uses it for.  One day someone told me they were scared of it.  Never expected the answer I would get.  That person said they don’t like using location-awareness tools like BrightKite because then people with not such great intentions know where you are….or where you aren’t (like at home).  I didn’t expect that answer because I had never thought of it in that light before.  I can understand where that would be a serious concern.  In my opinion, if someone is set to do harm to you, they will.  They won’t need BrightKite to tell them you’re not home, they’ll see your vehicle is gone.

Another concern that comes up often, even more than safety, is regarding privacy.  Most of these sites require some level of personal information.  Couple that with the type and frequency of the information you choose to share and that gets people worried about their privacy.  It is definitely a real concern but I think similar concerns existed when email, GPS and other forms of technology hit the streets.

So, how much and what should you share?  How naked should you be?

There isn’t one blanket answer.  The feature set of the social network dictates how transparent someone can be.  Everyone has a different comfy level when it comes to sharing aspects of their life.  Also, each users’ community will share and receive information in different ways.  Bottom line is that you need to share what you’re comfortable sharing.  I choose to share a lot about my personal life whether it’s through Twitter updates, photos from my engagement shoot, or sending happy birthday wishes.

I enjoy sharing a lot about myself because it has helped me to find whole niche communities of awesome people to connect with.  I guess that means that I’m that guy running around nearly naked.

I hope that you all continue to enjoy what I share.  Let me know if you want me to share more, it’s just right, or a little less.

How have you addressed how naked you’re willing to be?

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Photo by: Kables