Media Spotlight: Personal Reputation Management

8 March 2010 | By Robert Thickett

The rise of the internet has been nigh on unstoppable. With the exception of a few bloody-minded Luddites our work and social lives are now pretty much governed by email and social networking.

But there is a darker aspect to this. The likes of Facebook tap into our voyeuristic side with live updates that allow us to peer into the lives of friends, family and anyone we may have a passing acquaintance with.

While posting a picture of yourself vomiting outside your local curry house on Saturday night may be of interest and amusement to family and friends, would-be employers may well take a different view.

And that is the main thrust of Louis Halpern and Roy Murphy’s new book Personal Reputation Management: Making the Internet Work For You. People are trying to find out information about you online, so managing what they find is important.

The authors argue that while most of us are able to choose a smart tie or ensure our shirts are ironed, we’re considerably less clever when it comes to managing the way we are presented online.

Finding out what information is available about us online, and where possible ensuring this is correct and presents us in the best light, is now vital.

So the bulk of the book reads like a how-to guide on creating an online reputation, with tips on creating blogs and maintaining a consistent message.

There’s obviously plenty of material around to illustrate what happens when it all goes wrong.

The pair cite examples such as the leaking of the British National Party’s membership list in 2008, a headhunter sharing the same name as an adult film star, and rock legend Pete Townsend downloading child porn. These revelations all affected reputations.

But the above examples also highlight a flaw in the book. While practical ideas for creating a positive online reputation are great, the negative examples given are mainly instances of where individuals have no control over the information broadcast about them.

Yes, creating a stream of information with your picture attached should ensure that if you have the same name as a renowned porn star would-be employers will know you aren’t looking to provide any extras on the job.

But if, say, you are a police officer who seven years ago decided to join the BNP, no amount of blogging could ever compensate for the damage to your reputation when the membership was published - your position would be untenable.

The most interesting point is Halpern and Murphy’s observation about the disconnect between individuals’ virtual selves and the real world.

Surfing online is no different from walking round your own town - how you interact with people and what you do has consequences.

So while it might seem like you’re having a private conversation on Facebook, it’s actually public and you can have no idea who is looking at it.
And if you’re up to no good and thinking of joining a socially unacceptable site or group, you have two options - walk away or get yourself a bloody good lawyer.

Not that the latter course of action was particularly useful for John Terry or Tiger Woods.

Book review by Robert thickett