Digital dirt is any information about you on the Internet that does not support your desired personal or professional reputation.
Today there are so many ways that personal information
can end up on the Internet. Social networking sites like MySpace,
Friendster, and Facebook, and personal
web sites and blogs are two of the primary ways people can be found online.
Having your interests, personal experiences, photos or
views on the world online won’t necessarily hurt you. They can actually work to
support a well-rounded, on-brand online identity.
But an extremely
opinionated comment or a less than flattering photo can be quite damaging to a prospective employer’s or client’s view of a
person. As mentioned in a previous post, prospective employers and clients
often consider what information they find online when making their hiring and buying
decisions.
Comments that a person leaves on a blog, as well as
comments other people make on a person’s personal blog, can also be discovered
if someone is doing an Internet search on an individual.
Being aware of digital dirt and taking action to control it are an important part of managing your professional reputation and personal brand.
Do you have digital dirt that needs cleaning up?
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