On the internet, you create an image of yourself through the information you share in blogs, comments, tweets, snapshots, videos, and links. Others add their own opinions (good or bad), which contribute to your reputation. Anyone can find this information and use it to make judgments about you.
Online reputation can well be managed by:
Finding the appropriate information about you
- Use search engines to maximize the effect in images as well as text
- Put quotation marks around your name
- Specify your credentials or information that apply only to you
- Do not use sensitive data in search results
- Check if you have ever used a different name or nickname or if your name is frequently misspelled
- Include personal domain names (for example, yourname.com) in your search. Review what others have posted about you in comments, pictures, or videos
- Explore blogs, personal pages on social networking sites
Evaluating your online reputation
No one can control the way your online information can be gathered or misused. Does the information about reflect the way you want others to perceive you? If not, what is missing? Is it accurate? If not, what should be deleted or corrected? Your answers to these questions are important because information online is searchable, often permanent, and may be seen by anyone on the Internet. Unlike data stored on paper, online information can be aggregated by Internet search engines and other tools, which makes it easier for others to put together their own idea of who you are. Websites may archive what you have posted and data they have collected about you.
Protecting your online reputation
You should always think before sharing anything online, think about what you are posting, who you are sharing it with and how this will reflect on your reputation. Would you be comfortable if others viewed it? Or even viewed it ten years from now? When you choose photos and videos, think about how others might perceive them. Talk to your friends about what you do and do not want to be shared. Ask them to remove any disclosed information.
Restoring your online reputation
If you find information about yourself that does not fit the reputation you want, act quickly. The longer it stays public, the greater the chance that it will be spread or archived. In a respectful way, ask the person who posted it to remove it or correct an error. If it is a correction, ask him or her to include a notice (CORRECTION or UPDATED) right next to the original (incorrect) material. If the person does not respond or refuses to help, ask the website administrator to remove the digital damage. If you feel a public correction is necessary, present your case simply and politely without attacking the person.
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