After a couple of privacy slip ups from Facebook, and with some employers routinely Googling new applicants, many people have been scrambling to lock down their online identities. Having read Daniel Solove’s The Future of Reputation I’m starting to think that this is the wrong approach.

Solove’s book, which I will be covering in more detail later, reminds us that no matter how well you lock down your profile, there is always the chance that someone, be it one of your friends or a complete stranger, will leak something onto the internet which paints you in a negative light. In the echo chamber of the blogosphere such a leak could easily turn you into an internet phenomenon like dog poop girl or Star Wars kid overnight.

With this in mind, I’ve decided to take a different approach. Instead of a futile attempt to hide in the internet’s shadows, I’m going to reclaim my online identity and make this site the top Google search result for my name. I’ve got a juggling sensei, a religious blogger, some dude with a Wordpress journal in Tennessee, and a Canadian figure skater to overcome – wish me luck!

Tags: Blogosphere, Daniel Solove, Dog Poop Girl, Echo Chamber, Facebook, Friends, Futile Attempt, Google, Google Search, Internet Phenomenon, Online Privacy, Paints, Privacy, Reputation, Search Result, Slip Ups, Star Wars, Star Wars Kid, Stranger, Tennessee, Ups, Wordpress

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