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Ash Morgan
Posted by admin in Personal Brands on February 19th, 2010
Is Your Brand Open To Abuse
Google have just launched Google Sidewiki which uses a browser sidebar to allow visitors to post and read comments about the web page they are viewing.
Sounds like a great idea, people can visit your web site and leave comments to let those that follow see what they think about you, your opinions or even comment about the way you look.
Unfortunately comments left on sidewiki cannot be moderated, at least not by you which to my mind leaves the whole system open to abuse.
Let’s be honest the world is full of creepy people, deviats, those with malicious intent and the downright insane but Google is giving those people the freedom to visit your website and leave comments that cannot be moderated by you.
Oh and I didn’t mention the spammers, I would suggest right now spammers who peddle porn, Viagra and the like are licking their lips at the possibilities sidewiki is presenting to them.
So how will sidewiki effect you?
Well if you have worked hard developing your online personal brand, Google have given anyone the ability to attach graffiti to your brand.
Here’s how it works.
1. Download the Google Toolbar (It works with IE and Firefox)
2. Make sure sidewiki is activated.
3. Visit any webpage.
4. Click open sidewiki
5. Post your comment.
Now anyone using the Google Toolbar can see what you have written, good or bad.
To my mind the whole system in it’s current format is open to abuse, web site owners cannot opt in or opt out of the system nor moderate the comments.
Right now I’m saying to myself ”Google what are you thinking of.” I’m sure they have a plan for sidewiki that will leave all parties happy but in it’s current format it’s wide open to abuse and will cause real stress for many business owners.
What Am I Bid For nathanrees.com.au
Posted by admin in Personal Branding on August 21st, 2009
Political parties in NSW have been having a lot of fun with the domain name nathanrees.com.au. Nathan Rees is the Premier of NSW but does not control his domain name. Yes you read that correctly, the Premier of NSW does not own his domain name. Now ownership of the domain name has fallen into the hands of the Premier’s political foes The National Party.
I think the Nationals will be too nervous about doing anything with the domain other than not hiding the fact they now control it. They are also enjoying that the press are suggesting that the Labour Party didn’t register nathanrees.com.au because they are preparing to dump Nathan Rees as Premier.
This is a powerful example of why it is important to own and control your own domain. If your name was to fall into the hands of someone who really wanted to harm your good name (your personal brand) they could easily do it.
Eventually you would uncover them for what they are but the damage would considerable whilst you did so.
The First Step To Personal Branding Is An Easy Step
Posted by admin in Branding Tools, Profile Builders on August 7th, 2009
The technical challenges of establishing a domain hosted personal brand website is a major deterrent for lots of people. The thought of plunging neck deep into HTML code or sending webpage files to a hosting account using FTP sees plenty of people back peddling from the venture.
The video below will demonstrate, that using the First Person Branding profile webpage builder, the most technically challenged can create a professional looking web presence in under three minutes from login to completion.
Are you self reliant or at the mercy of your ISP?
Posted by admin in Branding Tools on August 5th, 2009
Registering your name as a domain name will offer one huge benefit which makes the exercise well worthwhile.
You’ll have the option of using your own personal email address.
For example if your name was John Doe and you owned the domain JohnDoe.com you could have the email address John@JohnDoe.com
This looks more professional than an ISP email address such as johndoe433@myisp.com which is what an ISP may provide you with.
But another benefit of having your own personal email address is it doesn’t matter if you change ISP’s or if your ISP goes broke because such circumstances will not effect your email address as you can quickly host it with a new ISP or web host.
Niether will you need to contact all your friends and associates informing them of your new email because you would have an email address that never changes. If you think that ISP do not go out of business perform a Google search on a search phrase such as “my ISP went broke” and read some of the horror stories such an event creates.
If you currently have an ISP email address or a free email address such as Hotmail or Yahoo you should understand that you are not self reliant as far as control of your online email communications are concerned. It would be especially risky for you to be building and online personal or business brand using such email addresses.
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