They put these public service announcements all over the radio and television stations basically telling you to be careful what you post on Facebook or on the Internet because what you think is private becomes very, very public.
We can remember when cell phones first became popular and we heard the same warnings. I think we all remember being somewhere and hear somebody's cell phone conversation come over the intercom of the store where we were shopping.
Had somebody tell us not to have a conversation on the cell phone you wouldn't like to see posted on the front page of a newspaper. That was good advice back then, but technology has expanded.
The Flomaton Police Department arrested three people on drug charges early Tuesday morning. They got their tip from a Facebook post that showed a wanted man stoned out of his mind. Police were able to identify where the man was located and it was on from there. Those three spent the night in the Escambia County Detention Center because they were stupid enough to post it on Facebook.
We've seen police and the sheriff's department solve many crimes by simply monitoring Facebook. We remember a burglary was solved due to a selfie that had stolen items in the background. Stupid post.
Social media is a wonderful thing for a lot of people but we hope you realize that what you think is a private message is not very private.
We say this to warn you. Don't put personal things on the Internet. Don't tell everybody you are heading to grandma's for Thanksgiving or you are headed out of town for Christmas. It seems innocent enough, but what you are telling people is you won't be home, which serves as an open invitation for a thief to come for a visit.
Be careful, because everything you post, no matter how secure it is, is being viewed by others.
