Does WikiLeaks pose a threat to our best students?

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The WikiLeaks fiasco has appropriately gained widespread international media attention and analysis. But some of the effects of the situation reach farther than one might initially presume. For example, did you know that the US government instructed its employees not to read the leaked cables?

Evan's recent WikiLeaks article was quoted by FOX News - be sure to check it out!

In an article by CNN,  the WikiLeaks prohibition is explored on another level. The article posits the question: Could reading WikiLeaks cost a student his or her future job? CNN reports that experts they spoke with refer to this inquiry as a "gray area," but that some universities have sent warnings to students about negative repercussions that could result.

One way that WikiLeaks indulgences could lead to job problems later is due to the fact that the documents are considered classified. If this is the case, how will federal agencies determine whether the person in question viewed the documents purposefully? This is a good question, because the documents are plastered across the World Wide Web. Certainly, there are some people out there who have inadvertently clicked on one of the numerous links to either the documents themselves or a related news story.  How the US government and employers handle this scenario may determine the employment of thousands and thousands of prospective job hunters down the road. For now, only time will tell (and it may take some time), as the government is struggling with damage control enough as it is. Evan H. Farr on Google +