I put my real name on everything that I wouldn't mind my children finding online. If there is anything that I would consider inappropriate for my kids, I *might* use a different username so they can't easily stumble upon certain things *but* I imagine I'm more open and honest than many parents about the types of info I would let my kids find.
As for employers and adult family, they've got a right to know who I am and what I'm really like. If they take issue with something about me, then at least they can know where I stand and can open a dialog with me if needed. I understand wanting to protect your own privacy but I also think there is merit in living an open life with nothing to hide. You might regret things or change your mind later and have to revise things you once said but people might benefit if they get used to forgiving and adapting to one another (imo) instead of making everyone live in fear of being embarrassed or ashamed for expressing themselves. The bottom line is that if we ALL were totally honest and put ourselves out there more often, there would be *something* about each of us that would be embarrassing or inappropriate to someone. We all have relative flaws and you'll be a very up-tight and guarded person if you spend too much time trying to always put your best face forward or make sure nobody can see your shortcomings (someone will always be able to see them anyways). ;p
I especially dislike when people are pressured to hide themselves for fear of losing their right to support themselves/their family. Employers have been able to make hiring decisions for centuries without the help of google and I think it should be their legal obligation to not employ such tools to evaluate a candidate in this day and age either. People have to stand up for their rights to be individuals and to do what they like with their off-work time. Your employer doesn't "own" you so I think it should be illegal to fire, demote, or hold someone back at a job based on anything *other than* on-the-job or criminal behaviors. If an employer is going to make employment decisions just based on what you do on the weekend, blog about, or post on your myspace, then I think that employer is abusing their power and using unethical HR policies.
On the flip side, I dodged a bullet last year and avoided a partnership with a real scam artist by googling and finding out that this person wasn't even using his real name or selling me something he owned the rights to sell (so there is something to be said for incorporating web search into your criminal background/identity check). However just looking up someone to see if they party "too much" or support a political party you despise should be considered an unethical HR practice.
