I don’t do it often, but every now and then I pop my name into Google to see what it turns up.
I did it again this morning after reading Peter’s excellent post on Personal Brand at Whale’s Belly.
Does what’s online about you concern you? Do you hold back from what you put online knowing that anyone in the world can access what you may have published or uploaded? Are there things that others have put online regarding you that you don’t like? Are there others with the same name as you who feature prominently?
At the time I checked this morning, the first eight results for “Rodney Olsen” on Google referred to me in one way or another.
I must admit that while I have an awful lot of stuff about me on the web, I’m still rather cautious and conservative in what I publish. I always keep in mind that I’m not only representing myself, in some way I’m also representing my workplace, my friends and of course my family. How guarded are you when it comes to publishing online?
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when your name is as common as mine…it is a little more difficult to get the top spot on Google!!
My name is not common
But it seems there is a Dr Dean Sandham in the USA who is a leading researcher on cancer… so i don’t fit in there.
But – the 6th on down is a link to my Facebook (I am the only Dean Sandham in Australia it seems) and the 5th one is where it seems some Christian online magazine has copied one of my blog posts from 2006 and included it in their newsletter… i didn’t know about that one!
Interesting to find that people are ripping off your work. I always knew you’re a great blogger. 🙂
Mmmm. I just re-did it. Interesting that no one (including Mark E) would think that “Peter Hotchkin” was a common name – but there are at least two other Peter Hotchkin’s in the world, one of whom is rather good at getting his name high up on Google. I gather he’s a web designer and in his mid-20s now. In the UK and from Portsmouth (where I’m sure there’s a parallel universe because there’s also someone with the same name as my brother there too)!
So I don’t get to be the top result in Google… In fact, Google dares to ask me if I meant to search for Peter Hotchkiss!!!! What cheek!!! but there are paid links to Peter Hotchkiss so they come up first! Maybe Mark, paying might be the way to go…(?)
I don’t google myself very often so when I read this I plugged my name in. I don’t think of either my first or last names as very common but I found 267 “hits”. I’m on facebook – I wish I were that cute!, I play hockey in Halifax! – I didn’t know their were any girls teams, I am saving my tips for a nice wedding – shhh, don’t tell my husband of 25 years. LOL I did find a few links that were actually me. This was a fun way to kill a little time until it warms up outside.
I love your answer, Apple. I think I might have to write another post to get people to discover their “other personalities”.
i don’t google myself often, but i have been made aware of how vulnerable you are to criticism recently as i have been pastoring a church.
there is plenty on my blog that would allow for people to make me a target, but i tend to try and stay away from being too PC (or whatever the Christian version is) as i find it my way of expressing who i am and don’t want to be constricted by people who see the world differently
Hi Rodney. I tend to be conservative in posting specific details about my personal life and family. I don’t use my full name, and I don’t post clear pictures of my children’s faces or their names. I also stay away from giving details about my work. I have heard of people being fired for their blog posts.
Thank you for dropping by my new blog today. My old blog several years ago was lifesprologue.typepad.com. Glad to see that you have still managed to keep up your blog through the years. I am looking forward to keeping in touch.