Your Online Presence - Prep

Introduction | Prep | Activity | Further Resources

Perform an EgoSurf (5 minutes)

Choose a search engine, like Google or Bing, and search your name.

• Are you surprised by what you found?
• What are the top results for your name?
• What is your impression of yourself when you review your results?
• Are there any immediate actions you can take to improve your visibility/impression? 
• What was the biggest takeaway from your EgoSurfing results?

Note: if you find information about yourself that you don’t want to be publicly available, explore the tools at the Electronic Frontier Foundation Links to an external site. for ways to remove it.

Perform an AdmireSurf (5 minutes)

Choose a scholar you admire and search their name in the same search engine used during your EgoSurf.

• Did you find a lot or a little about this person?
• Is their online persona professional or personal (or both)?
• Does their persona seem consistent?
• Does their online presence change your perception of your chosen scholar?
  

Reflect on these two searches (5 minutes)

• What are the components of your AdmireSurf person’s online presence?
• How do the pieces of their online presence work together?
• Is there anything you want to adapt for your own presence, or make sure to avoid?

Introduction | Prep | Activity | Further Resources