Google's CEO Warns Kids Will Have to Change Names to Escape "Cyber Past"

Google's Eric Schmidt says that people's private lives are so well documented now that the young will have to change their names when reaching adulthood to avoid their youthful indiscretions. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal Schmidt says: "I don't believe society understands what happens when everything is available, knowable and recorded by everyone all the time." A fresh start from the stupid things you did as a kid seems like a good thing. Now we just need a way to get rid of the dreaded family photo album.

Real name online

[sakdoctor]

I know I shouldn't have used my real name on Slashdot

Re:Your Favorite Youthful Indiscretion?

[Anonymous Coward]

I once bought an Alanis Morrisette album. (posted anonymously for obvious reasons)

Re:Getting old

[Anonymous Coward]

Google may be quietly taking the safe out of the back door, but that's preferable to Microsoft shoving something in your back door.

Forward thinkers

[travdaddy]

"the young will have to change their names when reaching adulthood to avoid their youthful indiscretions"

OK guys, I have to admit, girls are WAY ahead of us on this one.

Re:Either that

[Delarth799]

Nah, thats too easy and simple. We need some long drawn out and complex solution of sorts, with a cool name and light effects of course. Perhaps some type of name changing time machine like the Past-Name Evisceration Machine 9X

Re:Either that

[epp_b]

I'd rather work with someone who has a Facebook page full of comments, a selection of interests and some drunk pictures than the antisocial guy with no life.

Darn. That's me :(

Re:Your Favorite Youthful Indiscretion?

[Anonymous Coward]

Celine Dion.

I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Re:Either that

[WrongSizeGlass]

When we're all unemployable we'll all be unemployeed.

Does that mean there will be more people posting on /. ?? Ugh, here comes the eight-digit ID's

Re:Your Favorite Youthful Indiscretion?

[WrongSizeGlass]

I once bought an Alanis Morrisette album. (posted anonymously for obvious reasons)

Isn't that ironic ...

Re:Just give your kids a famous name

[Anonymous Coward]

Why should I change my name? *He's* the one that sucks! :)

Re:Or maybe

[Mongoose Disciple]

You have unreasonable expectations.

Show me someone who never did anything stupid as a kid, and I'll show you someone who can't possibly raise his kids "right" because he's never going to have any.

Easy Solution!

[bdonalds]

I just legally changed my name to Tubgirl Goatse.

Re:Your Favorite Youthful Indiscretion?

[Sulphur]

I one voted for Lyndon Johnson. (posted anonymously for obvious reasons)

Re:Alice's Restaurant

[cthulu_mt]

That reminded me:

I need to take out my trash.

Without Net Neutrality it is not a problem

[Dan667]

If Net Neutrality is not preserved then it won't matter. The internet will be fragmented and so will the information on it.

Re:Either that

[postbigbang]

Modded? No. But tonight, a search engine harvester is coming here. Your link will be cross associated with your other citations. The SE will make a note of that for later correlation.

And when Jesus comes back, the first place he's going to is Google to find out who's gonna get a big smite. That's what Schmidt's saying. Eric will make a little query, and the shit's gonna fly in YOUR direction, heathen.

Oh, wait....

Re:No history is worse than bad history

[Stiletto]

So, you'll base hiring decisions on wild speculation about someone's past? When you see nothing on Facebook about someone, do you dream that they're a serial killer or a space alien? What company do you work for?

Re:Either that

[Kozar_The_Malignant]

I'd rather work with someone who has a Facebook page full of comments, a selection of interests and some drunk pictures than the antisocial guy with no life.

At the screening committee meeting: "Yes, Bob did graduate top of his class at MIT, but we know for a fact that Alice has been known to have a few beers and take her top off."

Anonymous Coward

[afiske]

I'll just name my kid Anonymous Coward. Then at least whatever they do on Slashdot won't come back to haunt them...

Re:No history is worse than bad history

[Anonymous Coward]

insightful? really? some guy with prejudices about people who _don't_ appear shit-faced (and is afraid to spell the word) on the internet? gotta be kidding me

Re:Your Favorite Youthful Indiscretion?

[easterberry]

People like to think buying Tom Jones is rare, but really, it's not unusual.

From the "Make Sure You Check That Box" department

[Gazzonyx]

I one voted for Lyndon Johnson. (posted anonymously for obvious reasons)

Sulphur, I've got some good news and some bad news for you...

Re:Either that

[raddan]

I think I speak for the rest of /. when I say that we wish masturbating to porn were akin to fornication. If only it were so easy!

Here is the logic

[joepress99]

1. Kid posts stupid things on Internet.
2. Kid embarrassed, possibly unemployable
3. Kid changes name
4. New Google Paid service - Court records on Name Changes
5. Profit