Is "exposure" a good thing?

Date: 2012-05-11, 6:48PM PDT

It's amusing how many ads -- which are too cheap to offer actual money -- offer you "exposure." Let's not forget that the word "exposure" has more than one meaning, and they are not all beneficial.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. The condition of being exposed, especially to severe weather or other forces of nature: "he died from exposure."

2. To deprive of shelter or protection; lay open to danger or harm: "troops that were exposed to gunfire."

3. Susceptible to attack or criticism; vulnerable.

4. Something (as a condition, situation, or action) that creates a risk of financial loss, esp. for which one may be insured: "the company's exposure could be in the millions."

5. The extent to which one is at risk.

The next time someone offers you "exposure" think about what that could mean.

In God we trust, all others pay cash. 

• Compensation: Pay a fair wage for professional work