My Google Alerts alerted me to WebMii, which is evidently yet another one of those sites that culls information about folks from the web and consolidates it into a single space so it’s easier to stalk people (perhaps if stalking becomes too easy, it will lose its appeal). For some reason — I don’t know if it’s just because my name (which, because of its distinctiveness, is always me, and nobody else) has appeared a lot more places than it had the last I looked at one of these things, but this one seems a lot more complete than the others I’ve seen. For instance, there are links to a number of my pieces, and my employer’s name actually appears, though only once, because we Google shitty. I do not know why there’s a picture of Odo.
My favorite part is the bizarro list of “related people,” which although mostly a list of other writers with whom I’ve appeared in publications, at readings, or in blogs, also includes Lady Gaga and the Australian olympian Matt Mitcham.
I feel in order for this post not to be ridiculously self-indulgent, I must broaden the conversation beyond, “Hey, look at how much crap I’ve dropped all over the world wide web.” So — what I was thinking about this morning while looking at this profile was: I made a deliberate decision to use my (very Google-able) real name when commenting on blogs, etc, to build my public identity and develop a presence within a community (or set of communities), and I feel like this has resulted in relationships and possibly also certain types of recognition that have been useful (and also pleasurable, fun, engaging, etc.) But I am well aware this also makes me vulnerable, and there are really valid reasons lots of folks prefer to stay more incognito. …This is perhaps becoming a tiresome or cliche conversation, but I am curious to see what some of Big Other’s contributors and readers have to say about how they manage their “web presence” (I feel a bit uncomfortable with some of these terms that reduce this shit to functionalist self-promotion, when for me, it is primarily — or at least additionally — about helping shape and participate in cool communities supporting one another and discussing stimulating and enriching stuff).