Vanity Search 2

Every so often I do search my own name on different web browsers.  I do this because it is a lesson I teach in my own classroom and figure I should practice what I preach.  It usually only happens twice a year but I feel like it is still good to see exactly what the public perspective is of you when searching for a new job especially.   Those that are in my circle of friends and family know what is important.  But what if you are tagged in a post that isn't becoming or flattering?  Would you want to know?  I don't know if you could actually remove it but you could go to that social media site and "untag" yourself at least.  I'd like to clarify that I don't really have a fear of anything, yet I check it every so often much like I do my credit scores and ratings.  Remember Farmville?  If you didn't tend to your crops there was always something that would destroy it if you weren't watching.  Well, I simply like to make sure I tend to all things that could hurt or harm me or my family in any way.  

My newest search has changed my online presence a little.  Mostly, it has updated with my newest posts, tweets and some activities.  Since I have also been to several professional developments, those also show as activity.  

I would venture to say that my footprint does better represent me because it is showing continued growth academically.  I love to learn and believe that my posts express that.  Personally, I feel like I am on hiatus due to academic and professional development for work.   In that respect, my personal feed or footprint is currently non-existent.  

As far as changing my footprint, I will continue to live my life as I normally would.  Of course, like most, I would like to be more successful in my career and would love for that to be a contributing factor to my footprint.  More importantly, I will post or share things that I feel are beneficial or helpful to others.  I won't just "look" for something to post in order to increase or change my digital footprint.  As far as changing anything that is already there, I don't have anything that bothers me or that I feel I should be concerned about.  So no removals or changes are needed. Really, I simply want to be remembered for the relationships that I have with people and with my students.  Not just who I am behind a keyboard and what I can regurgitate to others.  In closing, it is important to me, for people to feel and know that I care.  I will continue to monitor and add to my digital footprint because that is a natural course of life for me.  It will change because I live, not live to change my footprint.