Karen O'Donnell

I used to think that what I posted online wasn't as important as how I presented myself in person. It wouldn't matter to anyone who wasn't active in the particular email list. But ever since "to Google" became a common verb, I've realized that my online persona may travel farther and last longer than my in-person interactions. Every posting I make can contribute positively or negatively. Even this article may contribute to people's perceptions of me.

Does it really matter? Yes, it does, particularly in a professional setting. Most people use their real names on professional lists. If people haven't met you, your reputation can rest on your postings. It may affect present or future employment possibilities or create negative impressions for potential clients.

I belong to several professional (as well as personal) email lists. I see the same mistakes happen over and over again.

Example 1: I've talked to the owner of a tech firm several times. In person, he's an affable and intelligent conversationalist. He recently joined a professional list I belong to. Within a week, he had instigated one flame war and rekindled another that had died down to embers. His recent posts haven't been as inflammatory. but they don't display the qualities I know he has in person.

The problem? His online persona has overwritten his real-life one for me. I remember his posts better than I remember our conversations. I can reread older ones any time I visit the list archives. Potential employees or clients reading his posts may come away with a negative impression of him and his company.

Example 2: On another list, as the list admin, I reminded someone privately of list rules she had violated. Her response on list wouldn't have been printable in a newspaper.

The problem? It's likely her behavior didn't impress other list members. And she reached many more people, who may remember her negatively. Considering she later posted for help with her job hunt, it probably hurt her more than it hurt me.

Example 3: One list member consistently provided incorrect or nonresponsive replies to requests for information.

The problem? Those list archives are public. I know employers who routinely check the archives for past postings by prospective employees. The employers consider it a good test of the applicant's actual skill level. The incorrect information may contradict claims to expertise on her resume. Other people may believe that how you handle yourself online may indicate how you will handle clients and phone queries.

Example 4: A list member harvested email addresses from individual postings. She used the addresses to spam members of the group.

The individual was dropped from the list, and her name became a hissing and a byword. She lost access to the professional information and became locally notorious. Few things are more annoying online these days than spam.

Example 5: A list member used the list to advertise her business and solicit members. It then failed.

The problem? Advertising the business was forbidden by list rules. When her business failed to live up to its promises, the duped list members assisted law enforcement officials with the prosecution. They also provided background information to reporters working on the story of the business' failure.

Example 6: Another list erupted into a flame war. Someone sent a private message to the thread author. The next thing she knew, he had forwarded the private message to the entire list. She was concerned it would affect her relationships with other people on the list and asked what recourse she had.

This isn't illegal, although most lists generally consider it inappropriate behavior. There's no expectation of privacy for email. The writer could try complaining to the list administrator, or check to see if the list rules contain anything against reposting messages sent privately.

In each of the above examples, I remember the real name of the individual I've described. And it isn't just me. I can mention the person's name or the incident, and other list members immediately know who I mean. The online postings have created a persona as real as the person.

Remember, your online persona:

• Travels farther and faster than you do
• Lasts longer than you think
• Is searchable (talk about a lasting impression!)

First , remember that an email is just words on a screen. This cannot be emphasized too often. There are no visual cues or tones of voice. You may know you are joking, but the recipient may not. What's humorous to one person may insult another.

Google and the Internet Archive Wayback Machine will retrieve your list postings and web pages long after you think you've deleted them. Employers do use both resources to research potential hires.

Keep your postings on professional lists accurate and to the point of the list. You'll develop a reputation as a knowledgeable member.

Use a professional-sounding email address for a professional list. Cutesy or suggestive email names can create the wrong impression and even make you a figure of fun. You want to be remembered for your insightful comments, not for the jokes people make about your online identifier.

If you don't want it immortalized, in an archive or someone's inbox, don't post it. You don't know all the members of a mailing list or where an email may be forwarded. You have no control over where someone might forward it. It's better to assume that someone will see it.

Don't flame. The person you flame today may be the person you need help from or ask for a job next month.

Be cautious about the amount of personal information you give online. I'm frequently stunned by the people who post they are going on vacation for two weeks, when their earlier posts have given a good indication of where they live, or in some cases the actual address.

Washingtonienne

One last cautionary tale. You may remember a few months ago when Washingtonienne's tales of life in Washington, D.C., made the front page of the Washington Post. She posted some fairly intimate details of her personal and work life in an online blog. Her real name later came out in the Post. She was of course free to share the details of her private life. But one could reasonably question her discretion in posting details of other people's lives in her blog. I wonder if anyone would ever hire her for a position involving confidential information, given the evidence of past indiscretion.

Conclusion

I do make a distinction between personal and professional list participation. Even then, I keep the previous thoughts in mind. I think the line between one's personal life and professional life can be too easily blurred online. I would suggest keeping blogs under a different email name if you think your personal activities may affect your professional life. At least then, it won't show up in a Google search. And I am always very cautious about the personal information I post online.

Additional resources:

When I googled myself while writing this article, I came across my email recommending this article on resume writing. See item 9 in the specific context of resume writing. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7964-2002Feb26.html Note that my email dates back to 2002 (!).

The Internet Archive Wayback Machine at http://www.archive.org will retrieve web pages even after they've been deleted from Web sites.

A cautionary tale that dates back to 1997 is available at the NASW site at http://www.nasw.org/privacy.htm It's a fascinating example that is still educational today.

"The listowner's lament (and labor of love)" by Kenneth Krattenmaker at http://www.eeicommunications.com/press/pdfs/eye_opener01.pdf describes problems from the list owner's point of view.

Karen O'Donnell is a longtime member of DCWW and a member of the State > Bar of California since 1982. She is currently secretary to the SC and > also writes the LegalEase column. She is active on ten professional and > personal email lists and hopes to share her experiences pro and con > with those lists in this article.