Just a few years ago, much of what we did was soon forgotten. But thanks largely to social media, now we do.Misspelled Tweets, Facebook rants after you've had a bad day, and unflattering photos posted by your friends have made it difficult to manage your online reputation, especially when it's archived for posterity. And it's not just about keeping a lid on the past or your online mistakes -- it's also about making yourself look confident, capable, and Internet-savvy. There are plenty of companies that will help you clean up, protect and build a professional online rep for a price, but you don't need that. Here's how to manage your online reputation all by yourself (for free).1. Google yourselfAll good online reputation management begins with a search. And when I say "Google" yourself, I don't mean just use Google -- use every possible search engine, including people searches, social networks and forum searches to find out everything (good and bad) being said about you on the … [Read more...] about How to manage your online reputation for free
How to create a social media strategy for business
How Facebook’s big ambitions for messaging will impact you
Sitting on a grey couch at Facebook's headquarters, Stan Chudnovsky starts talking about what humans can't live without.The head of the social network's Messenger service isn't speaking about food, shelter or water. Instead, he points to what he and I are doing doing at this very moment: communicating."There is no human who can live without talking to other humans for a long period of time," Chudnovsky said, his rich Russian accent filling the conference room. "Six or nine months and you would go crazy if you don't have another human to talk to."Shaping the future of messaging feels sort of like "working on the quintessential element of humanity," he says, fiddling with blue sticky notes as we chat. Chudonvsky's Messenger -- and messaging broadly -- will play a bigger role in Facebook's future as the social network transforms. Long a place for posting baby photos or lunch menus to the world, Facebook is increasingly placing a premium on privacy. More Facebook users are sharing … [Read more...] about How Facebook’s big ambitions for messaging will impact you
Why Couples Share a Facebook Profile — And Why It Bugs The Rest of Us
With a joint Facebook account, readers never know who's doing what. Tetmc/Thinkstock Cheesy sentiments like "JeffnKimmy" are no longer reserved for airbrushed license plates. You sometimes see them on Facebook accounts too — two people who are sharing one profile, rather than having two separate ones. Maybe the couples feel it's a sign of their connection — but the practice generates lots of "dislikes" from their Facebook "friends." "Most people (myself included) hate shared Facebook pages with a fiery passion," says online marketing specialist Rachael Nicol, of Atlanta, in an e-mail. "The reason [is] you never know who you're talking to when you message the 'couple' page." Ashley Procacci, a doula/owner at Orange Blossom Birth Services in Merritt Island, Florida, agrees. "I hate it only because if I need to send that person a message I don't know which one is going to respond. I actually decline people now if they have a joint account. It's annoying." So why do people … [Read more...] about Why Couples Share a Facebook Profile — And Why It Bugs The Rest of Us
How Ordinary Citizens Can Get Congress to Actually Listen
With a country as vast as the United States, and well-funded lobbying groups in the ear of members of Congress, what's an ordinary citizen to do? Philippe Marion/Getty Images Emily Ellsworth, a Utah-based web content creator and marketer who in a previous life worked as a Congressional staffer, created a sensation recently with a tweet storm offering her insider views on the best — and worst — ways to influence legislators. To people who are enthralled with online communication, it probably came as a rude shock. Posting an impassioned comment on a Congressperson's Facebook page, for example, turns out to be a complete waste of time. "I never looked at those comments except to remove the harassing ones," Ellsworth explained. Similarly, emails, no matter how eloquently worded, also tended to get lost in the electronic tsunami that Congressional offices must cope with. "We batched them with computer algorithms and sent out form letters on every topic and position," … [Read more...] about How Ordinary Citizens Can Get Congress to Actually Listen
U.S. Needs to Have an Ongoing Conversation About Suicide
More than 45,000 Americans died by suicide in 2016. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. KatarzynaBialasiewicz Americans have come, grimly, to grudgingly abide — if not necessarily accept — the idea of suicide. We understand that it's a national problem, a dangerous and growing one. We whisper reverentially about it. We shake our heads. But then, sadly, we simply move on. To be sure, there are many who spend their lives trying to help those who struggle with suicide. For the rest of us, though, it may be time — it is, in fact, probably well past time — to recognize that suicide in America is both serious and solvable. It's time to stop moving on and start speaking up, experts say. "I think we need to be having a national conversation," Jennifer Payne, the director of the Women's Mood Disorders Center and an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, says. "Suicide prevention requires a … [Read more...] about U.S. Needs to Have an Ongoing Conversation About Suicide