Honesty Blog :: Sharing Honesty and Good Deed Stories » Web 2.0 Optimized Honesty

Web 2.0 Optimized Honesty - Honesty Story #10

February 5th, 2007

In the past, if you wanted to report something lost or found you were probably limited to your community. It was very common to see lost-dog or found-cat printouts on many light posts. Unfortunately, the reach was limited to a geographic area. The Internet has completely removed these geographic boundaries, and thanks to technology, communication has forever changed the way we communicate with others. With the click of a button, I can instantly be connected to millions of people on the other side of the world via e-mail, a blog or a forum. I can even be connected real-time with almost anyone in the world in a chat session, an Internet call or even by video, thanks to services like Skype. The greatest part is that it’s virtually free (it may cost you to connect to the Internet). This new-found power of communication has encouraged many people to use technology for doing good and making every effort to be honest.

Dozens of message boards on the Internet are filled with postings by honest people reporting having found someone’s valuables. In fact, according to an article by Andrew Ryan of the Associated Press, these posted reports include found cash, bank cards, diamond bracelets, engagement rings, wedding bands, digital cameras and even a cockatoo valued at $1,200. In his article, Ryan writes about a woman who lost her iPod during her daily commute. Her boyfriend tried to comfort her by suggesting using Craigslist’s lost and found section. Within 24 hours she had her iPod back, thanks to this free message board and the honesty of the person who found it.

Now with half of the U.S. population online, over 154 million people, according to an article on Forbes.com, being honest is easier and more convenient than ever. A few minutes out of my time could mean the world to the person that lost a valued item, and who knows, some day it might be me checking a message board hoping to find that someone took a few minutes out of their time to be honest.

(Photo Aaron Logan)