Reformed Criminals Haunted By Digital Versions Of Their Past Selves / Techdirt, March 2007
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070313/133615.shtml
"There's been a lot of talk about the damage that can be done to an individual's reputation through online message boards. Still, it's not clear that the site is really a problem, or that employers are really taking what's said on the site into account when making hiring decisions. But there's no question that many employers do take steps to find out about prospective employees, whether it's through Google or other databases of criminal activity. As we've mentioned in the past, Google has become a digital permanent record, preventing people from leaving behind embarrassing moments from their past. People with criminal records face their own set of challenges. Often these records make it hard for them to get jobs; even if they get their convictions officially expunged or reduced, it can be very difficult to get those keeping the databases to make the changes."