You will find lots of advice out there on how to manage your online reputation, however I think the wording itself betrays a certain level of misunderstanding of the role online interactions play.
The phrase “online reputation” implies something separate from your offline reputation. Many people make the mistake, sometimes unconsciously, of assuming their online reputation is not related to their reputation.
Let’s start with a definition of reputation:
1. The general estimation in which a person is held by the public.
2. The state or situation of being held in high esteem.
3. A specific characteristic or trait ascribed to a person or thing: a reputation for courtesy.
What I get from these definitions is that someone’s (individual or organization) reputation is a sum of many parts. You do not do one thing and subsequently have a reputation for it. It is something that suggests a pattern, trait or commitment.
If your reputation is built up over time, and is a sum of all your actions and words, then to say you can have an online reputation divorces it from your overall reputation.
In a nutshell, how you behave online will directly affect your reputation offline. Your reputation is your reputation, whether you are online or off.
I have seen time and time again examples of people behaving online in ways that would horrify those around them if they were done in person.
Sadly, there have been many times when I valued someone’s opinion and felt a great deal of respect towards them, only to lose that regard when I see them lash out online, calling names or oozing anger and nastiness towards others. All too often people forget there are real people behind profiles and text postings.
The only way to protect your “online” reputation is to treat it the same as you would your offline reputation – walk your talk, be true to who you are and realize that people are watching and formulating opinions.
