The Pros and Cons of Social Networks

Social Networking is one of the most popular and remarkable techno-revolutions of our time. And, the dramatic growth continue unabated with visitors and users growing into the hundreds of millions globally.[1] To expose the far reaching effects that this phenomenon transfers to the enthusiastic user, the movement deserves an examination of the more obvious benefits and down-sides.

I Do!

The purpose of Social Networking Sites (SNS), like Facebook and My Space according to one user is to promote “Connectiveness” or to “…keep in touch…” with your network (of friends and family). The tools and applications to connect with friends have grown and evolved to meet the desire of networkers to “play” in each other’s space. In Facebook for example, “Writing on the walls” and “tagging” have become common place activities and permit an open forum for exchanges of relationship capital and personal expressions within the local communities of friends harbored by SNS’s.

In their most Nirvanic state, successful societies collectively practice the best human values. Ones that promote trust, intimacy, mutual respect and honest communication can only contribute to positive self-esteem and an overall positive attitude about life for participating individuals. SNS’s do yield many of these benefits for users, but SNS’s do not really produce such a pure form of Shangri-La and have some noted pitfalls.

Here are some of the ‘Permanent Pen’ realities of SNS’s.

Profiles on SNSs can be downloaded and stored over time and incrementally by third parties, creating a digital dossier of personal data. Information revealed on an SNS can be used for purposes and in contexts different from the ones the profile owner had considered.

Outside the social context of the network, information can become embarrassing or even

damaging, as evidenced by reports of people missing out on employment opportunities due to employer reviews of SNS profiles [2] [3]. While profiles can be changed or even deleted, additional storage elsewhere cannot be prevented– thus personal data takes on a life of its own even when the information itself may no longer be accurate or relevant.

A new SHRM survey looking at social media says negative information on an applicants social networking profile, has a greater impact on hiring decisions than positive information.

The Survey says social networking sites were most effective in recruiting for exempt/non-management and middle management positions. The top reasons for using social networking sites were to recruit passive applicants who might not otherwise apply, followed by the ability to target applicants with specific job levels and skill sets.

Now What?

Remember that SNS’s are still in their infancy: the engines are still immature and the platforms are vulnerable to determined attackers. Reports of faulty SN code appear regularly in the media, and you cannot rely on the integrity and non-disclosure of your personal details due to multiple weaknesses in SN systems. Cross-scripting errors (XSS) enabling attackers to view restricted sections of user data have affected almost every SN site, much like the way spyware targeted Windows systems that had not been patched with SP2 back in 2003.

The 3rd party applications (widgets) that Facebook and Myspace offer as additional downloads are even more problematic. These programs are not tested for compatibility or security defects, so be sure you understand exactly what you are installing when you choose to use one of these applications.

Don’t access your online profile from public computers – such actions are fraught with additional risk because of the potential for theft or malware compromise. Your log-in details might be stored in a local cache and later extracted and used to illegally access your profile, or the computer may be infected with keylogger that will silently capture any piece of information, including log-ins and dialog sessions, and relay this data to unauthorized third parties.

Use the latest browser software and install Windows Updates as soon as they become available. And, use a firewall to protect your system against unknown threats; use up-to-date antivirus to block known threats and intrusion prevention software to alert you to potentially dangerous activities on your computer.

Do not download, open or respond to content published or sent by unknown people. There has recently been a virus outbreak in the Russian portion of an SN that resulted from unwary users clicking on a reference to a fake image file that led to the activation of a virus that then wiped user data from the affected computers. [4]

Charles Fellingham is founder of QAlias, a personal branding tool that provides prominent personal placement optimization on the web. He is also a corporate trainer for the Forum Corporation and a Regional Sales Manager for a Fortune 200 company.

[1] Comscore media metrix, July 2007

www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=15552) A. Fuller. Employers snoop on Facebook, The Stanford Daily, 20 January 2006

http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2006/1/20/employersSnoopOnFacebook

[2] J. Flesher. Wall Street Journal Career Site, How to Clean Up Your Digital Dirt Before It Trashes Your

Job Search, 2006

[3] http://www.securityteacher.com/2008/06/16/the-perils-of-social-networking/

[4] http://www.shrm.org/surveys/

Why NOW For Personal Branding?

Do you remember your first VCR? Thrill of recording things and watching them on your own time!

Do you recollect your first cell phone? Was it hardwired, in a bag or handheld?

How about your first laptop? Wasn’t it nice to move from a large box to something you could carry with you?

Do you remember your first cd player? Leaving cassette tapes behind wasn’t hard for most of us.

Now think about it:

VCR’s gave way to DVD which is giving way to BluRay.

Cell Phones get more sophisticated all the time – now they are virtual small computers, cameras, mp3 players and GPS devices in one package.

Laptops get faster and lighter, and per feature, less expensive.

Cd’s have morphed to digital downloads, i-Pods, mp3’s and more is coming.

So, do you think internet positioning and search is any different?

Actually in some ways it is. Although in the decade Google has existed it went from word-of-mouth search engine to household name to verb to synonymous for “how to find things” – it still isn’t all that crowded on the personal branding space.

What we’re about to tell you is powerful, and important. To your career, to your child’s future and to the world we’re now living in.

As gas prices rise and people turn to both selling and buying online, the time is now to claim your top spot online.

Unlike the items listed above – your won’t be able to wait to establish your personal brand until others do and then you just “jump in and get one, too.” See, there’s always an internet doppelganger out there for you – someone who shares your name. If they make the first move, your work to claim the top spot will be much more difficult, time intensive and expensive.

Be sure to register for QAlias today and gain top position – and then contact us to learn more about how you begin to take that top spot and leverage it to make yourself an expert online. Now is the time. Do it while it’s top of mind. Go to www.qalias.com – and for $9.95 be on top of the search engine world, starting tomorrow.

As Parents, We Want To Give Our Child Every Advantage…

As parents, we all want to give our children the advantages they need to succeed. For the parents of current high school and college students, the need to help extends to the internet. Giving your child top line priority is more important than ever, as we’ll explain.

The internet, and especially the search engines led by Google, have changed the way in which we do business and look for information. There has also been a large change in both what can be found – and how much credence it carries with those who find it. As Money Magazine said “You’re Only As Good As Google Says You Are!”

While many students are aware of the inherent dangers of posting compromising photos or immature comments on their Facebook profiles, many times they aren’t attentive to the converse – being sure they actually make a great impression online. Yes, a picture of your child covered in Sharpie and shaving cream after a party would be a huge detriment and should be avoided. But, the chances of that occurring are actually drastically less than an admissions officer, or a recruiter or HR hiring manager Googling your child for more information.

Think about it. There’s an 87% chance your child will be searched – and not necessarily to find the bad things – but simply to compare and contrast against a similar candidate. Google (and the other major search engines) are being used to distinguish your child from others competing for the same admission, the same job. Don’t you want to be sure they are represented as well as they can be? It can make the difference between them gaining admission to the school they covet or the job the cherish – or not. Being found right away, in the right way – is more important than ever.

Starting early is helpful – say in 9^th grade – to allow them to “build a profile” online – which can later turn into their brand in a professional career. However, thanks to services like QAlias, you can place your child at the top of the list, beginning today. You can help them highlight the things they have done that are positive and set them apart from the crowd.

One good piece of news – once people find what they were looking for – they stop looking. In the case of admissions officers and recruiters, they are searching certain items about your child. QAlias profiles and bios provide a chance for a “one-stop” dispersal of all the information about your child in one place – which is found on page one of Google and Yahoo.

As one parent said to us, “It’s less than $1000 to keep my child on QAlias for the next 8 years, from 9^th grade in High School through the year they graduate college. I can’t see why I would protect my child, my family name and my investment.” Indeed. Go to www.qalias.com and sign up today.

How to Make a Positive and Memorable Networking Appearance

Sometimes, when we’re at a networking event, we end up with a large stack of cards – and a blurry memory (even when there aren’t drinks!) We feel as if we wasted our time. We don’t come away with leads or meetings worthy of the time we spent. And often, the people we met feel the same way about us.

While it is very difficult for most people to process the amount of input they receive in a networking atmosphere – especially larger mixers – there are steps you can take to maximize the experience and outcome for you and those you meet.

Here are some tips on how to “stand out in the crowd” (while you are there) and then how to stand out “from the crowd” (in your follow up and your follow through.)

While you’re at the event:

1. Be sure to take a card of theirs before you offer your own. It is common courtesy – and I always take notes while I ask the other person to talk about what they do. That way, I know what they do and how I might be able to help them. Also, when I hand them my card, I write a person I think they should know on the back. I ask them to connect with me (even though I have the same info on the back of their card) so that I know they want the introduction.

2. I use a “rating system” – and keep cards in an order in the meeting. There are (a) people I am glad to have met, (b) people I know I can help, (c) people I want to meet with further, and (d) people who I made a business connection with – they need my product(s) – or I need theirs. This allows me to follow up properly and promptly.

3. Be sure to keep eye contact with those you meet. We’re all been told how this is polite – but I never realized how much it can separate you from the pack. Keeping eye contact also increases your focus on the other person and what they are saying. They feel like you are tuned into them. I have had both new clients and great networking friends comment on how this made me stand out.

4. In every meeting, small or large, I try to use a trick I learned from Jackie Robinson via Jack Petrash. They both speak of how, when a batter goes to the plate, the batter is entitled to 3 good pitches. I keep the same thing in mind – only in networking, it is 3 good minutes. One minute to understand the person in front of me, one to listen harder and ask a good question or two – and then one to share my own insight or value I could bring to them.

5. In larger groups I try to keep in mind the people I met who are in the “spheres of influence” for those I am meeting. That way, I can ask “do you know Sam Jones – he does trash removal – and you’re a landlord with lots of turning properties.” I also can keep this in mind the next time I attend – and bring along people with coinciding interests.

6. Ask distinguishing questions to set yourself apart. Be sure to go deeper than surface level – asking them not just what they do – but what things they need to take next steps for success in their business? or who they get best leads from? or what else they have done or do outside of work? In that minute or so – asking them for this type of information allows you to gain a more intimate understanding of how you can help them and who else you know with similar interests. Again, keep track of these small things for the follow up, on the back of that person’s card.

7. Give them a way to find you that is unique and different. Sure, connecting with them on LinkedIn and for other social and business networking sites can be a way to expand your relations – but being able to say “Google Me” – is a really great tool – it helps with “your ‘bility.”

8. Finally, I try to take note of what type of networker and person I am meeting, using Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping Point” trio to distinguish people as either a maven, connector or salesperson. This helps me know how to introduce them (article on page 20) when I begin networking introductions – one of the five followup rules. If you haven’t read “Tipping Point” – I very highly recommend it.

Be sure to check out our article on “How to Make Positive and Memorable Networking Followup.”

Becoming an “Expert” Online

Do you know what people find when they look for you online? Do you think it matters? Money Magazine said “You’re Only As Good As Google Says You Are!” and there’s a great deal of truth to that statement.

People now use Google, not the White Pages or other sources to find you, to refer you and to show your credibility. It isn’t hard to be seen as an expert online – with some work and some immediate action. However, wait too long and someone else with your name will claim your space a top the search engines. Then, you’ll have your hands full trying to claim equal space.

Grab top page ranking now with QAlias – and then begin to link your profile and bio there to all the important things about you online. Articles, blogs, interviews, e-Books, networking groups, boards you sit on, other activities. Any and all help increase the way people find you – and how much they immediately assume about you. In fact, if you want to know more, email us to find out about classes, seminars and coaching.

What happens when they find another person with your name – or worse – when they find nothing?

Begin building your online expert status today – at QAlias – for only $9.95 a month.

Sign up now and be on top the search engine world by tomorrow and on your way to being seen as an online expert in 6 months.