I'm a Bookworm

[image: reputation-book.com]

I usually blog about fiction, but I came across an interesting website and book yesterday, and I wanted to share it with you all. It’s called Personal Reputation Management: Making the Internet Work for You, and it’s written byLouis Halpern and Roy Murphy.

As a blogger, of course I’m quite interested. The Internet is a wonderful place to learn information. As we surf the web, we think of ourselves as inside and in the comfort and privacy of our own homes, but in reality the internet is like a busy street where anyone can look at your status, away message, pictures and innermost thoughts if you grant them access. You wouldn’t go outside and start shouting your deepest secrets would you!??! Well then, it’s important to think about the information that’s available about you online.

I’ll give you some great examples:

1. LinkedIn is a great website for business networking, but do you want it made public to the world where you work, your alma mater and your career aspirations?
2. Facebook is a lot of fun! How many people do you want to have access to the ‘fun’ side of your personality?
3. Having a blog or online outlet for your interests and hobbies is great; it’s even better when you inject some of your personality into what you do, because that makes people come back and maintain interest in what you write. However, just how much of your personal information do you want to reveal, including specific places you go, your relationships with lovers and friends, and your thoughts about your job? Remeber, this is information that the world can read!

A book like Personal Reputation Management is just the thing I need to make sure I’m using the internet wisely and respecting the power of this tool for communication and learning.

The Reader