Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
GOOGLING YOUR OWN name used to look like the ultimate vanity step, but really, it’s more important than ever as prospective employers and sometimes random strangers want to find out more about you.
Sometimes, a first impression is based around these searches for whatever reason so when that happens, you want to put the best foot forward.
Look in incognito/private mode
The simple reason for this is when you check up Google normally, it uses your browser cookies and personal info (if signed in to a Google service) to bring up relevant results. Searching from incognito/private mode starts you off with a blank slate and gives you results likely based on what someone else will see.
If you want to take things a step further, you could ask a family member or friend to search for you normally
Try out different combinations
Googling your full name is one thing, but it’s worth considering is variations so your name and location, or usernames for certain accounts are worth checking. While it’s unlikely that usernames will link back to your main profiles, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you’re checking a specific site, then adding tags will help narrow down your search. For example, if you put ‘site:thejournal.ie’ and then your search term, Google will limit its search to that site alone.
Check the links
Just because you’re appearing on search results doesn’t mean that people will be able to access your info. Sites like Facebook allow you to check what your profile looks like to strangers, friends and those who are on the site but not friends with you.
Check Alerts
Google has its own alerts tool which can alert you any time you’re mentioned online. Although this mightn’t apply to many people, it’s useful to have should you believe your name will come up in future.
Even if you don’t, it has set up a feature called Me on the Web, which allows you to check mentions (provided you’re signed in to your Google account).
So you have a decent idea of what the public can see, then it’s time to take some action. More often than not, the majority of information that will come up will relate to your own social media profiles, but if not, here’s what to do.
Change privacy settings for social media accounts
The basic one, assuming you want to keep your profiles, is to limit just how much people can see when they visit your profiles. Some like Facebook allow you to pick and choose what can be seen by whom, while others like Twitter or Instagram go for a all or nothing approach.
If you want to take it a step further, you can delete your account entirely although you should remember that deactivating your account isn’t the same thing.
If it’s a third-party site?
Then you will need to get in touch with the people behind it directly. Depending on the site, this could either be straightforward or a mess, the latter is more apparent for those sites which are no longer active.
The more details you have about it (links to said content, explaining why you would like for it to be removed), the better. It can be hit and miss depending on the site – an inactive site
If it’s particularly serious case (defamation), you could apply to Google to be removed from its search results. Although, the drawback to this is it only removes the link to said page and for a specific search term like your name. It doesn’t actually get rid of the page mind.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Didn’t think we had woodpeckers in ireland
@liam mc meel: shoot
@Philip Murphy: shoot them or se
@liam mc meel: I’ve been listening to them chipping away at the trees for a good few years now. Sounds like a machine gun being shot in the distance
@michael odwyer: Indeed! They can heard rattling away at the metal tops of telegraph poles along the banks of Lough Erne. Some noise to experience!
@liam mc meel: they are pecking up their passports on the way over.
@liam mc meel: only in last 20 years. They flew in from Wales.
@liam mc meel: It’s amazing, I’ve never seen one here. I was going to say they’re very striking :-D
Ha ha ha HA ha, Ha ha ha HA ha, heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!
Can’t comment on Finland taking action on illegal immigration. Why?
@paulinlavally@gmail.com: because the government told them not to let you
How about the so called professionals ESB put the electrical infrastructure underground? No let’s blame the woodpecker. And the top brass are earning €100,000s.
@robbie scanlon: How much do you think it would cost to put all the cables underground, billions? Are you willing to pay this extra on your bill? We allow one off developments and this is some of the cost associated with it.
@The next small thing: The cost, the cost, oh what about the cost.
These people are making hundreds of millions per year, let them upgrade their own infrastructure or get out of the game and let someone in that will think of everyone, including our animals.
You wanna punish the animal for getting in the way of capitalism!
@David: Bless your naivety if you think the end customer won’t pay the cost. I never mentioned animals in my comment so I don’t know why you brought that up however seeing as you have then surely you are against one off developments which destroys their habitat.
@robbie scanlon: why not blame the Donald
These woodpeckers are live wires with no forwarding address or postal code for billing purposes
@Jerry Collins: brilliant!!
They’re Welsh, not Poles. [Insert rant of choice about migrants]
Still not as irritating as the noise Mary Toilet makes when she opens her gob
@Peter Murray: and now your having a conversation with yourself
@Peter Murray: jeez Man are you ok??
Are those woodpeckers migrants from Wales.Shouldnt they be in direct provision and be made to apply for asylum
Wood (oops Would) treating telegraph poles with tar deter woodpeckers from damaging them?
@Garreth Byrne:
Not much fun if you are the worker that has to climb that pole after….
@Garreth Byrne: Or maybe change the material of the pole and stop punishing the wood pecker for being a wood pecker?
Nial “Hatch”…….. born for the job:)
@Edward Hughes: Ya gotta wonder if the name provoked his interest.
Amazing to have so many of them they run out of trees. We need more native trees and less conifer plantations…
Everyone says I’m paranoid for starting these Morse code lessons ,but I’m positive those woodpeckers are talking sh,t .
Seriously though, why have shops stopped stocking strawberries? Usually imported from Spain this time of year.
@Fintan Stack: oh Maaann!! Good point even though it’s such a First World problem… I used to grow my own I’d defo recommend it x
@Fintan Stack: parsnips from Spain too
Pesky woodpeckers, coming over here, taking our poles, messing with our trees! Round them all up and send them back! ;- )
@Mick Hanna: lol love it!!
These woodpeckers are live wires
Are these immigrant woodpeckers ?
Woodpeckers will not eat timber treated with creosote
Would these nests effect the overall structure safety and useable of these poles. I wouldn’t think so why not leave be.
Is this English?
Would these nests effect the overall structure safety and useable of these poles. I wouldn’t think so why not leave be.
@J M: “affect”. Apparently they do, since they are causing power outages.
Would these nests effect the overall structure safety and useable of these poles. I wouldn’t think so why not leave be.
Is this meant to be English?
Would they not set up the old poles they had to replace, so the birds can still nest in them? Or add new ones nearby that are shielded & leave the inhabited ones in place?
have your say