WEB101 Week 10: Reflection

This week involved us looking at how we create our internet footprint. It also opened up my eyes to what I put up online. From status updates on Facebook, emails, to business website updates on www.oxyblumedia.com. Everything I put my name towards on the internet will forever be linked to my name. A great way to test what your name is linked to is just to Google your name. Granted this would only work if you have a very distinct name, and not a common name like John Smith. But in my case I can do this and find links that are about me. From posts on parenting website www.inparenting.com.au and the most surprising thing was that my LinkedIn account was at the top of the search. Followed by my Facebook account and then my posts on websites. I have joined up with LinkedIn but not really an active user, so that surprised me that it was at the top of my Google list.

General rules that lecturer Tamar Leaver taught us this week were;

• What judgments and conclusions might others form with my information?
• Are there some details about my life I would like to keep personal?
• Who might view or purchase this information about me?
• Will this information reflect well on me a year from now? Five years?
• Would I want my best friend to know this?
• Would I want my boss (or future boss) to know this about me?
• Would I want my mum (family) to know this about me? (Leaver, 2010, Curtin University Blackboard)

Always be aware of what you are adding to the internet. You never know who will be accessing this information in the future. Especially for the youth who are naive and would post anything up thinking that no one will see it.

I try to keep in mind of who would be seeing what I have written and contributed online. I have always keeps my discussions clean, and keep discriminating images off social networking sites. And to keep myself from ending up in compromising images that may end up on social networking sites. As I am starting up my own business you want to make sure that what you have said or posted in the past online wont bite you in the future.

Keep your internet footprint clean. Watch watch your post and watch what you upload.