June 11, 2007

Your Online Image: It Sticks Forever

Keep this in mind: anything you do online is online for the world to see forever.

I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but this is the attitude you should keep in mind when posting to blogs, discussion boards, commenting on the web sites of newspapers and etc.

Why? Imagine going to a job interview only to have your prospective employer Google your name and bring up some "comment" you wrote - 5 years ago.

When posting, blogging or writing, never use your "business" identify, unless you are posting or writing about business or want the comments connected to your business.

USA Today writes In other words, it pays to go on the offensive and take some control over what people see about you online.

I recently had a little tiff with my veterinarian and posted my experience to my blog. Within a day, if you searched on the vet's name, my site was in the top five of Google's search results. Since then, thanks in part to the vet's employees posting comments there, my site is in the top three.

We all have personal/private lives and want to be able to express ourselves. However,t his desire to EXPRESS one's self needs to be balanced with other people's rights and ability to read what you write!

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