Online Identity: It is There Forever, So Take Care of It!
Posted by Guillame Foutry @ April 10th, 2009 in Social Marketing
One of the things I liked about Highlander the movie (apart from the Queen soundtrack) was the fact that after everyone assumed they (the immortals) were dead they had the possibility to start a new life with a new identity. It’s a good thing the movie took place in the 80s because today this fact would be simply impossible. Other than your official identity you also have an online identity and, whether you like it or not, this one is going to last, literally, from the cradle to the grave. Sorry, even beyond that.
I agree it’s pretty hard for a toddler to update his status on Facebook , but his social media addicted parents can and will probably put pictures of him online, talk about what he’s doing and share all the possible and imaginable content regarding their offspring. However, to some parents, that’s not enough and will eventually create a profile for their children. Services like Totspot, Odadeo, Lil’grams, Kidmondo and Baveo offer parents the possibility to build an online profile/page for their kids. So before a kid is even aware of his existence, he’s already online!
I can already see parents buying domain names for their kids (ie:namesurname.com). Your online identity is a reflection of your real life identity and as we are all becoming brands, it’s increasingly important. I used the word reflection because the online one depends on what you decide to put online or how you manage it (take a look at this list “25 ways to Manage Your Online Identity”). And if you are unlucky, your online identity may also get stolen.
So after you’ve spent your entire life managing your online identity you would expect it to follow you in the afterlife. Not really. It stays there. Forever (well no one has travelled through time so far but technically that’s what can happen).
Some social networks may delete your profile after your family or friends have requested for it, but Facebook in particular is notorious for not doing so. Some people will find that useful to overcome their pain, others will battle with the online giant and possibly win. But the most interesting fact is that you can actually bring people back from the dead. For example, you could use a family oriented social network like MyHeritage or even Facebook using the private group option. You can put old pictures of your family and then tag deceased people. Up to some extent you may even be able to create a personal profile for them. I know it sounds a bit scary, but the whole concept of Facebook was scary 10 years ago.
Last 5 posts in Social Marketing
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Comments
Sam
April 14th, 2009
Hey Man,
It is a concept that none of us would have thought of before… what is your take on the security systems available for preventing transfer of information on social network sites?? Do you think they are effective or just gimmicks aimed at a relentless fear of internet abuse and identity sealing??
Cheers
Sam
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August 29th, 2009
[...] Online Identity: It is There Forever, So Take Care of It! lab.77agency.com/social-marketing/online-identity-it-is-there-forever-so-take-care-of-it-2043 – view page – cached One of the things I liked about Highlander the movie (apart from the Queen soundtrack) was the fact that after everyone assumed they (the immortals) were — From the page [...]