Social networking on the web has vastly increased the amount of personal information available for nearly anyone to see. This information, once out of your control, can link details of your personal and work life to neighbors, co-workers, potential business associates, and even dating prospects! While most books give advice about the benefits of social networking and how to use Google, MySpace, and Facebook, this is the first book to address how to understand and manage what people see when they look for you online and how to protect your online “shadow.” The author is a world-renowned digital expert who has worked with clients such as Coca-Cola and Toyota in shaping their online reputation and can help social networkers, business owners, corporate PR specialists, academics, and journalists develop a personal action plan to:
• Set up and manage your online reputation in social networks and the wider web.
• Protect yourself from identity theft, account hijacking, and cyber-bullying.
• Create career and business opportunities by taking part in select social networks and online communities while understanding how associating with these groups can affect your work and personal life
Introduction vii
If you read nothing else… xii
Part I Welcome to the Web Age 1
1 Where the web began 2
2 The fog of revolution 8
3 Our personal webs 12
4 Making sense of the web 15
Part II Managing your web shadow 25
1 Why manage your web shadow? 26
2 Exploring your web shadow (and beyond) 34
3 Making a plan for your web shadow 44
4 Establishing your web presence 54
5 Public and private 61
6 Behaving yourself 70
7 Dealing with bad things online 81
Part III Practical advice for digital lives 89
1 Workflow: Fitting web shadow management into your routine 91
2 About me: Creating and maintaining your web shadow content 101
3 Useful tools for managing your web shadow 109
4 Things you need to know about… Linkedln 127
1 Overview 127
2 Setting up or re-setting your Linkedln profile 128
3 Building your contacts network 133
4 Linkedln features 136
5 Applications 141
5 Things you need to know about… Facebook 143
1 Facebook and your web shadow 143
2 What's Facebook for? 144
3 Basics: Getting set up 144
4 Privacy and Facebook 147
5 Further reading 151
6 Things you need to know about… Twitter 152
1 What is Twitter? 152
2 Setting up your Twitter presence 155
3 Getting your Twitter network started 157
4 Using Twitter 159
5 Building up your Twitter use and presence 162
6 Further reading 164
7 Things you need to know about… blogging 166
1 Why blog? 166
2 Basics: Getting set up 168
3 Anatomy of a blog 171
4 Blog posts 174
5 Blogging workflow 178
6 Promoting and connecting your blog 180
7 Further reading 183
Conclusion: connected lives and serendipity engines 184
Index 186
Overview
Social networking on the web has vastly increased the amount of personal information available for nearly anyone to see. This information, once out of your control, can link details of your personal and work life to neighbors, co-workers, potential business associates, and even dating prospects! While most books give advice about the benefits of social networking and how to use Google, MySpace, and Facebook, this is the first book to address how to understand and manage what people see when they look for you ...