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Misc: My reputation is exactly what I've made it. Is yours?
I’m curious. I looked up the definition of “reputation” today and came across these.
From Wikipedia:
Reputation is the opinion (more technically, a social evaluation) of the public toward a person, a group of people, or an organization.
From Merriam-Webster:
overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general
Can someone explain to me how it’s possible to “own” a reputation? Like, literally own it. Not own it in the pejorative sense. And if that is indeed possible, isn’t that also a little scary?
Sure, this is a dumb question that is tackled constantly in meetings about branding. And I suppose it might also be tackled in meetings among lawyers. And if anyone would want to own a reputation, lawyers sound like the perfect group to take that on.
The problem is, it’s utter bullshit. If you want to own your reputation (and, as a result, have only good things said about you), then you might want to act accordingly. For instance, if you don’t want people saying that you punched someone in the face once, then don’t punch someone in the face. Simple, right? Sounds like it to me.
Anytime you have a situation where the collective opinion, feeling, or way of seeing things comes into play, you’ve lost control. Claiming ownership of such a thing is not only ridiculous, it’s a flawed way of thinking that will only backfire as more and more people become aware that you use strongarmed tactics to attempt to control that uncontrollable thing. If using such a way of thinking is how you find yourself, my best advice is to start a blog. You get to say what you want to say, and it only adds to the reputation you so desperately wish to control. It works for me.
Comments
I think starting a blog is the ultimate way for individuals and businesses to gain a reputation online. At a previous consulting job, I highly recommended that small to medium sized web-based businesses begin a blog to add a personal touch to the site.
It’s vital to create a persona for one’s self to help keep web users intrigued and interested in your company / blog.
Exactly. Your example will just bolster my point. I think it’s very important to build your reputation yourself. Whether you’re a business, an individual, or a public figure, you control what people think of you. Your actions lead to reputation, as it was defined here, and when you’re specifically worried about your reputation on the internet, you can help control it by being as open and transparent as possible.
Tom Clark, Mar 11, 11:11 PM #:
Ryan, you make an interesting point but your missing one extremely relevant point. Reputation is as much about perception as it is reality. You can’t stop people from thinking “he’s the kind of guy that would punch you in the face.” even though you had never done so. The written word, such as a blog, can be taken out of context, misinterpreted. For example, I can now say “Ryan is the kind of guy that trys to control his own reputation by writing all that stuff on his blog, however, I think he’s…based on what I’ve read.”
No, you will never “own your reputation” you can only be labeled based on the perception that people have of you. The perception people have of you is based on their opinion. If you figure out a way to alter people’s opinions, go into presidential politics. You’ll be a gajillionaire…
Excellent point, Tom. I’m totally aware that the good comes with the bad, and that my perception of myself is certainly not the same as other people’s perceptions of me. But it’s all from my own doing. Not because I tried to do things one way or another, but just because that’s how they happened.
The underlying point is that if you want people to think you’re a good person, be a good person. Don’t just start a blog and tell people that you’re a good person. But the blog can be your outlet to letting everyone who wants to see who you are actually see who you are. Authenticity, a word I’ve beaten to death here, is key.
Just don’t go around punching people in the face, then threaten people who say you punch people in the face with a punch in the face. But I think you see where I’m going.
I can’t agree more with you Ryan. Authenticity is key. I will care more about one’s blog if I find the writer to be living out his/her ideals and notions.
s thomas, Mar 16, 09:19 PM #:
How about when a reputation is altered based on lies? So a written blog with untruthful statements would affect someone’s reputation unfairly. Jealous people will make false statements to bring people down. That is not a fair reputation. The successful person cannot control a lie by a jealous person. Yes, in a legal sense we all have the proprietary right to our reputation. You would lose in a legal sense every time you falsely write about someone in a public forum.
Education, Mar 16, 09:25 PM #:
Blogging – Emerging legal liabilities
Blogs, lies and the doocing: The next hotbed of litigation?
Director, International Association of IT Lawyers (IAITL)
With more than 22 million blogs online, blogs are becoming a media form of their own. While they offer the benefits of marketing products, discussion of specialised topics, and channel for political activism and social change, they present significant political and legal risks. The emergence of blogging has brought with it a range of legal ramifications. The biggest problems arise when bloggers reveal proprietary or confidential information, and post contents that defame the person. This article examines the potential legal liabilities which could arise from blogging.
Well, “s thomas” I think it’s pretty simple. Lies are just that—lies. Opinion, on the other hand, especially when it is detailed specifically as such, is not a lie. Lies are proven by the facts. Opinion, by definition, is neither fact nor lie. Unless you can prove that the person stating the opinion wasn’t really truthful about their actual opinion. Opinion is completely protected under the US Constitution, which you may or may not have heard of. And it’s especially protected when the person the opinion concerns is a public figure. For instance, if a person thrusts him or herself into the public eye by, let’s say, filing a lawsuit that leads to several newspaper articles about the lawsuit, then it’s pretty cut and dry. That person is not only a public figure, but their own actions have caused them to be a public figure. And when someone expresses an opinion about said public figure, said public figure has no recourse against the person expressing the opinion. Any other questions?
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