Google A Curse To Those With Common Names
from the time-to-get-some-SEO dept
For people with embarrassing incidents in their past, Google can be a nightmare, as it's become the closest thing there is to an individual's "permanent record". But people whose pasts are fairly clean can have the opposite problem: their Google permanent record gets lost among everyone else who shares their name. This is particularly hard on the John Smiths of the world, who have to compete with thousands of others to receive a prominent listing on the search engine. This also effects people who change their name due to marriage, as a lifetime of electronic references aren't attached to their new name. Parents have even begun using Google before they name their baby, to make sure that the name they choose doesn't have too much online competition. If that practice were to become more widespread, it may force the Freakonomics guys to revisit their theories on baby naming, and the idea that parents intentionally latch onto popular names associated with elite classes. Instead, the moment a name starts to get even remotely popular (or crowded), parents will start searching for something new.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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web-reputation
From someone with a name shared by only two people in the world, one of whom is probably still pre-school age! So if you Google me, it's all me.
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Re:
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I love it personally
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Good for me
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Are you seriously telling me employers will look through my CV, references, and interview me face to face. Decide to give me a job, because they all check out.
But just before they offer the job they google my name and find something belonging to god knows who with the same name as me. Assume it's me then not give me the job?
Huh?
What am I missing, because it seems only a serisouly retarded employer would do this. And then as someone pointed out I'm sure there would be lots of mistaken identities and subsequent lawsuits.
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Go Way Back
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Googling names
My real last name is also a commonly used word that could mean small, so I get vary general search results.
But this is why I use a fake name online, so I can't be tracked by an idiot that thinks "If I saw it on the Internet it must be true."
When I'm asked "Have you been known by any other names?" douse Chronno count?
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In San Antonio
My surname dates way back in American history, and is dated back to the 600's in Scotland.
But, as someone else pointed out, some names are newer and very unique - but this is the exception, not the rule. As a rule, and name is not a unique identifier. But this would require intelligence.
Remember the rule that a cobbler's children have no shoes? Apply that to HR and you get a typical mess.
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No Kidding
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No Kidding
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Re:
I think most employers are not that dumb to think everything on google under "John Smith" is you.
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It could be worse
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What is in a name?
btw, my Google search usually turns up a certain no-talent actor from a particular Aaron Spelling series.
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Googling myself
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You Didn't See Me Here...
So unless you're handing out your handle to people, and aren't using your real name, things shouldn't pop up on google :)
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Googling till you drop.
Does that make me more famous than him? I don't think so. At least I haven't found anything derogatory about any Bryan Prices so far. 8-)
Ask has my Blogger profile as the first hit. Hmmm.
MSN finally lists my blog as the fifth Bryan Price.
And the guy who owns bryanprice.com (which has gone in my experience from his home PC (no website, just using it for dynamic DNS it appeared), forwarding to his Myspace profile, and now currently points to an actual web site that may eventually have real content on it.
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Correction: Google A Curse To Those With UNCOMMON
If your name is John Smith your identity is lost in the masses. But if your name is Barack Obama, Dweezil Zappa, or Joe Weisenthal you can be pretty sure a Google for your name will bring up only things about you and by you.
Maybe I'm misinterpreting the post. Because it starts out worrying about hiding things you've done in the past and ends about making sure your name is unique so nothing is hidden and misidentified. Two different problems with two different solutions.
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Don't be naive Nick
And they are going to tell you why they don't hire you? Yeah right!
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Re: web-reputation
That's why you never post with your real name.
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people look up by only first name and school
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Goolgles name
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