Beer
I don’t like beer all that much but that is the subject of another post. On the re-net we talk about on-line reputation management. Managing an online reputation can be a challenge, especially while attending a conference. This year I have attended and spoken at several conferences. I enjoyed them all and attended the after hours parties, so I could get to know the many wonderful people who live in my computer. The parties were fun but I didn’t drink anything alcoholic.
There are several reasons for my odd non-drinking behavior. The number one reason is because if I have a drink someone will take a photo of me drinking in one of those hot dark crowded noisy rooms. The photo will go on the internet with my name on it. The photo will become part of my permanent record and part of my on-line portfolio. What goes on the internet is forever.
Pictures to share
A picture here and there at a party is OK but with the number of conferences I have attended this year it would add up to multiple photos every six or seven weeks taken in different locations around the country. I work very hard, too hard to want to be known as the woman who knows how to party. My clients expect me to spend some of my time working and marketing their homes.
Managing The Message
We all need to manage our on-line presence and watch that business portfolio and permanent record. I for one don’t want to have a reputation as someone who parties hard. I live in Minnesota and we have our own kind of culture here. As a state our residents value hard work, in fact we are known nation wide for having one of the most highly educated, stable and dedicated work forces in the country. We are also known as the “brain state”. Quirky I know but I have lived here forever and it is part of who I am.
If you attend conferences and take pictures at parties please be sensitive to the idea that the picture you took and posted online could end up being part of a colleagues reputation and permanent record.
