Thursday, October 9, 2008

Google and Your Reputation

Anyone who's ever been involved with unpopular causes or who's gotten into a little trouble now and then might learn the hard way one of the perils of the information age: getting Googled.

These days, a common practice by those doing background checks on prospective employees is to type the name of the person into Google to see what comes back. Many people are surprised at how long potentially awkward information stays online.

Type your own name in some time and take a look: did you, in a fit of outrage, declare some years ago in an online petition that America's drug laws were unjust? Did you ever post a comment on a website that you might have trouble explaining to a boss doing an interview? Declaring your love of lingerie football after a beer or two might not have been the smartest thing to sign your real name to, huh?

Well, there are strategies for managing your online reputation, even if you have made some mistakes.

This blog entry clues you in on what you might do to keep the picture people have of you accurate and fair.

But one piece of advice: what you type today might still be there ten years hence. And mind who your friends are.

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