Trials of Search Engines and Advocacy

Becoming a vocal advocate helps shift the openness of discussing your cause, there are plenty of pros in doing so. We want and wish to use our voices to introduce our condition. In doing so, interviews with various resources or speaking engagements help establish us as experts in the algorithm world. Many people are surprised when a Google or Bing search then highlights them to the world, but is this a good thing?

Google me, please

This term is not one of arrogance, but one of pointing interested parties towards a resource that highlights some outlets you may have spoken with through your advocacy. It can be a bit stifling at first as you feel like your whole life is out there for the world to see, and this is a reminder of being cognizant of how much we do share. It doesn’t hurt to scroll through now and again to see what your name is attached to, because sometimes you may find some errors that need to be addressed, or interviews forgotten.

Eyes are watching, now what?

Frankly becoming an advocate comes with a few learning curves, and in the beginning, you may be green to putting everything out there; However, once you become seasoned you may place topics that are more sensitive and private closer to your vest. I recall supplying certain photos of myself hooked up to tubes that honestly, I should have kept that in my crates. Though these experiences help people relate to the struggles of a condition, in the search engine world it can feel a bit intrusive. There can be a few cons to showcasing with the no-rules trial of a search engine:

1. Job Interviews-Employers or even collaborators may refer to simple searches and read or see something you may feel uncomfortable about.
2. Inaccuracies-Many established interviewers/publishers do their best to allow you to read through what they are about to publish. In some cases, some areas are off here and there, However, they do allow for corrections and reprints.

Should you check?

Well, some experts feel it’s not a good thing and believe the experiences of the searches differ for each search. The algorithm constantly changes and the true outcome truly differs with each individual search. As for the Content Creator who is also the Patient Advocate it can be hard to stir away from checking, as you want to make sure what is being printed on the web is accurate, especially for those resources that didn’t work with you directly but rather piggyback from the original source. There are also resources (free and paid plans) that help you monitor your online presence like Mention.com.

So, the consensus should you or shouldn’t you- well I would say it's fair to do so. As advocates, you never want to be blind about your presence in cyberspace. Would you agree?

Carry On!

 The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile…when you feel like it