windemere | (no subject)

I've gone on a purge of my online presence. I'm reading this really interesting book about Digital Natives (people born after 1980 in the First World). It makes a fair few good points about how kids and teens these days don't realize how much of their identity is online and it made me stop and think: how much of mine is?

A scary amount, actually. Since more employers and prospective universities are checking out online identity to make their decisions, I thought it was time to clean up anything I don't want people to see. So, I think I've hit everything. Deleted a few accounts I don't use, made sure the first 5 pages of Google search for each of my aliases don't bring up anything I don't want them too, and shortened my public profiles. Not to mention privatizing a lot of my accounts. There's still a few things, which is the worrying part, that I *can't* get rid of that aren't incriminating, but that I don't want public. But see, that's the thing, you don't get a choice in the matter.

It amuses me what stories show up in Google when I search 'Aromene'. But none when I search Eldanna, which means FF.net is doing what it's supposed to.

My kids will be screwed. But step number one is: be careful about how you share baby photos. In twenty years, your kids will not want those on their online dossier.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

okay, weirdness! For years when I searched Grav_ity, I got nothing. And now I get my stuff. But in the following order:

Nano
AO3
Across the Salt (Helo/Athena chat board)
Livejournal
West Gate (LJ comm)
The Last Ship (which I'd forgotten I was part of)
Command Dynamics (which I think is a Sparky fanlisting)
Then a bunch of people's f-lists mixed with a bunch of links that have nothing to do with me.

(All following the part where they ask if I meant "gravity".)

ETA: And searching my "real name" journals just gets me the journals.

Edited 2010-03-03 15:57 (UTC)

Um...how do I make mine disappear like yours?

Any place you can up your privacy setting so that search engines can't find you, do so. Anywhere you can delete your real name, or at least your last name, do so. Anything you don't use anymore, delete.

I have no idea why Nano comes up. Mine doesn't. If you want other people to be careful about mentioning you, then tell them, or post a disclaimer. First and foremost people will search for your real name. The key is to make sure that something you WANT people to see comes up in the first page of Google. They are less likely to search further, if something is easy for them to see.

You know what's better?

working for a relatively high security place and having them pull you aside during training and say "We found these sites relating to you. Delete them now". That was the first time I actually realized how much info is out there on me (they found almost everything; lj, dA, flickr, an old website that I thought was deleted...but surprisingly enough not my fb)

FB will only come up if your profile is complete open, no privacy settings at all.

It's scary, isn't it? And we've only really been online for 15 years. Imagine what it'll be like in another 15!