Minnesota, USA -July 4, 2011 - Good online reputation is vital to all aspects of life; if you or someone else with the same name does anything to damage a name, it does not put shame on one face but all faces with that name. In the digital age, we cannot distinguish between any individuals; as a result, every person is bound to suffer if they cannot single themselves out from the crowd. Last week we, Korea IT Times, interviewed James Alexander, the founder of a customizable person search engine, in order to gain insight on what can be done to save our reputations without having to change our names; a growing issue which should be on everyone's mind.
Imagine this, your criminal record and credit report are nearly perfect; however, organizations started conducting basic background checks online, so you cannot volunteer at an organization due to there being a record of 'porn star' under your name. Perhaps you knew of this name issue before and it did not affect your life up until this point; this is the moment where you will finally see the 'change' you never imagined. In order to participate in what you want to do, you will need to escape that other person's twisted reality. Hopefully without getting rid of the name that your mom loved so much.
As much as you would like to think that a 'name change' could turn around a desperate situation, it will always affect your work life; basically, you can hide your 'previous name' from new people you meet, but you cannot decide to not disclose it on a work application. With this in mind, there are tips you can follow in order to ensure that your life will not be messed up by the actions of anyone else. In addition, learn how to keep your online activities looking fresh and clean.
Tip #1 Sign-up for Vizibility even if it is only for the free access membership
Even though you may not have cash to sign-up for most services, Vizibility offers basic tools for free to help you manage your online reputation; you do not need to worry about not being able to afford it. It includes: Presearch Wizard, SearchMe Button/Link, QR Code (a mark used on paper documents that can be scanned to access your SearchMe information), Twitter/Facebook Updates, and Unlimited Online/Email Support.
Tip #2 Maintain your online image by updating your SearchMe button (available through Vizibility)
Information pertaining to you is always changing on the web; take advantage of this by updating your SearchMe button to reveal the best data about you. Instead of worrying about negative information, you can be confident with what you purposely want people to see.
Tip #3 Keep the self-incriminating posts off your social networking profiles
Since companies/people are also doing background checks using your social networking activity, it would be best to monitor what you say or show on your pages; do not be your worst enemy by posting anything that would cause a bad outcome for you.
Tip #4 If you want to impress, go above and beyond to ensure the right impression
Vizibility offers additional services at a reasonable price if you want to ensure the best impression. Depending on your needs, the level of membership varies; look closely at the list of tools and the description to determine what best meets your needs. In order to give the best impression, sometimes going beyond what others are doing is the best way to go!
Tip #5 Treat your real life and virtual life as if they are intermingled
Sometimes people forget that what they do online and in real life do not affect one another; now we know that there are consequences for everything even if it is not actually 'you' who is guilty of the act. Overall, create an online appearance that stands up strong against any negative information that may be out there on someone else with the same name.
