In the latest episode of the ‘Catch22 Podcast‘ Jamie Rumbelow and I have been discussing the idea of a web identity. What it is, and why it’s important.
What is a Web Identity?
Your web identity is essentially you, online. It’s everything you do, who you are, and what you get up to on the wonderful and expansive internet. Parts of your online identity can include:
- Blogs
- Flickr
- Social Networks (Facebook, MySpace, Bebo etc…)
And, whilst everyone probably has some form of web identity; very few people take the time to manage and nurture theirs.
Why is your web identity important?
If you’re involved in web development. Then, your life becomes much, much, much easier if you understand, and are involved in the community around web development.
Your web identity is very much a public image. A display of what you are passionate about, what you love, and what you spend your time doing.
Employers love developers with a strong web identity. Like, really love it.
Because they like to see someone who doesn’t just see web development as a career/job, but as a lifestyle. They know that because of your strong development based web identity, you’re in-touch with the latest technologies, debates, ideas, and principles of web development.
This means that employers will realize that they will spend less time training you, giving you time to get up-to-date. Because by your very nature, and your web identity, they can see that this is something you spend your time doing because it’s a passion.
Employers often also understand that hiring a person with a well-respected web-identity can be a real asset not only to their day-to-day operations, but also to their company image and company identity.
What can you do to build and improve your web identity?
Blog
Blogging is essential to building a web identity, but more importantly, gaining exposure and respect for the topics you’re passionate about.
There are a few tips for blogging that you should always keep in mind though.
Quality not quantity. There are plenty of blogs that I’ve subscribed to in the past and then quickly unsubscribed from. Usually because they may have some excellent articles, but they’re wedged in-between loads of short, pointless rubbish I don’t care about.
Instead, I prefer subscribing to blogs which post good quality content, less often. It saves me time, and I have more respect for those blogs.
Find a specific topic you’re passionate about, and write about that. We all love web development. Great, who doesn’t? – So stand out a bit. If you love everything jQuery, write and live jQuery until you’re blue in the face.
Having a very specific audience is good, because it’s easier to become an authority on a specific topic than just ‘another guy’ writing about a wider topic.
Engage with groups of similar people, discuss interests, and cross-promote. I often mention a specific group of people in my posts, and head my loyal readers off to their sites to read some interesting content.
It’s always related, it’s always useful, and the love is returned. They will link to my content. Etc, etc…
The advantage of this, is that you can form some very strong bonds with others, and help each other through cross-promotion.
Twitter is a very powerful communication tool. But it’s more than just an instant messenger.
Twitter can be used to build a strong web identity, by publishing content that is still useful and relevant, but doesn’t warrant a blog post of its own.
It’s great to talk about what you’re having for tea, and I’m sure some people will be interested in that. But talking about problems you’ve found solutions for in JS, or a cool feature you’ve just found in textmate is much more powerful and can build a stronger web identity.
With twitter, there is the same principle that applies to blogging. Cross-promotion and groups. Follow like-minded people, and reference their good stuff in your tweets. The love will be returned.
Flickr, Lastfm, and the ‘real world stuff’
Your geeky life is great, and when you’re building a strong web-identity as a developer, it’s important to talk about geeky stuff. But it’s just as important to post some of your real life online too.
People like to see that you’re a person too, and not just a robot who hits F5 on Techcrunch all day waiting to process a new article.
This is where flickr comes in.
Flickr is a great way to show people you’re real world. Pictures from parties, road trips, holidays, gigs, nights out, friends, etc… And because it’s such a visual media, flickr can really give you a feel for who someone really is behind their geek talk.
Lastfm is similar. I love to find out what sorts of music people are listening to, because it tells you a bit about who they really are.
Employers still like to see this kind of stuff too. Because for them, a good work/play balance is important. In-fact, they’d probably be a bit scared to see no social life at all.
Wrap-up
Basically, you’re web-identity is probably the only way most people will be able to see who you are and what you love. So make sure it’s a nice picture of you.
Show your tech, and your real side.
The web is becoming more open and social, and if you want to move in the same direction as the web, then you should take this approach with your life and web identity. Open, and Social.
My Web Identity
Here’s some links to my web identities for those who are interested: Blog, Twitter, Flickr, Lastfm
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