After I typed my name in the Google search, I discovered that I’m not very Googable. If one were to type my full name in quotes, it would be difficult to find me because of the other people that share my name or a similar name, such as Bryan Freeborn. If one were to type more specific information about me such as my hometown or high school, then only about a few dozen pages show up with only a handful of them relating to me. These webpages have very fairly little information about me. For instance, one search result is a pdf of my high school newsletter where my name is listed for a random award. However, my Facebook profile picture of me shows up in the Google image search; it is a little scary knowing that other people know what I look like. I would not want to be much more Googable. I like my privacy and do not want strangers to be able to get information about me. All my friends who might need information about me can get it via Facebook.
If someone is more Googable, then his or her positive attributes as well as negative information become more available to others. For example, if employers searched me on Google, they would find that I am a member of the Michigan Marching Band, which shows a lot of dedication and that I am fairly well- rounded. On the other hand, if someone had a previous, minor misdemeanor that was available on the internet, then one’s chances of obtaining a job might be restricted if his or her employers searched the internet for such information.
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Brian, you raise a good point about potential bosses googeling ones name, and what might come of that. We always hear not to post controversial pictures and what not on our facebooks because of the potential repercussions. It first began with not posting controversial pictures because college admissions officers will not admit us. Well i can say pretty certainly that a lot of the people I have met in this year's freshman class have "controversial" pictures on their facebook but still got in. So does this have any merit or is it some ploy? My guess is job hirings are more subject to controversial topics than are college, which could really jeopardize someone who is highly googable.
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