The more I use social media, the more I find it easier to lower the walls between my public and private thoughts.  This shift towards greater accessibility offers people like you to find out more about me as a person and vice versa, which I think helps to determine the value of a relationship better.  

As I wandered around Chicago this weekend with my family, I would periodically post an update of my adventures via Twitter, send a text to someone, or check my email.  Why would I do that?  The wonders of technology allows me to stay close to a wider circle of friends and associates, while still spending quality time with my wife and son.  

In the slivers of downtime – riding in a taxi, waiting in a lobby, or sitting a bench while taking a break – I was able to find out what my connected friends were doing and let them know what was going on in my life.  We’re able to keep our conversations going in a near real-time fashion, tell about interesting experiences, and share new ideas as they happen.  In essence, we’re able to extend our conscious horizon to each person who’s connected to the conversation.

Because each of these social platforms are built with varying degrees of openness and they are being woven together by various aggregating services (FriendFeed, etc.), the content we’re sharing with some circles gets pushed out to even wider circles.  At first, I found that kinda unsettling.  Then, I became more accustomed to it.  Now, I relish it.  (Yep, I am Big Brother’s ideal citizen).

Why is it okay for me?  First, I am a pretty open person.  Second, I stay vigilant with what I’m sharing (remember: “this conversation is being recorded for training purposes”).  Third, the more I partake in the digital conversation, the more people I am seeking to attract for business reasons are finding me.   

For anyone trying to determine how much is “too much” when it comes to sharing with social media, I have found great value in the recent post by Chris Saad.  He was exploring his vision for social media and makes a great point of private thoughts vs. social content and has a great visual depiction of it.  

I also found Fred Wilson’s musings on the subject insightful on a similar experience he had with a weekend outing and social media.  Living in public isn’t for everyone, but we can all learn to do it to some degree.

How willing are you to share through social media?