Egosurfing

Egosurfing (including Vanity Searching, Searching ego ) is a composite of the words ego and Surfing neologism refers to the widespread practice of using search engines to find websites that contain their own name. Given the popularity of the search engine Google, the term Self- Googling is often used in the English -speaking world.

History

The term Egosurfing in 1995 first used in Wired Magazine. The choice of the word youth of 2010 Egosurfing was elected to the 3rd place, according to the jury because it has a special relevance due to the spread of social networks.

Motivation

Principle there are two motivations for Egosurfing be distinguished:

If it happens out of pure vanity or curiosity, is spoken in English by Vanity Searching. The term comes from the English by vanity ( vanity ), and search ( search). "Vanity " is in this case but rather in the sense of " self-centeredness " is understood (see also Vanity Number). Through this practice, the popularity of self or awareness of his company is trying to estimate. While the absolute number of search results or placement within the search results will be used as a guide. However, these results can be distorted by formulating the query and the search engine 's own sorting algorithm and manipulated by Google bombs, search engine spamming and search engine optimization.

The other reason for Egosurfing is to check which circulate information about themselves on the Internet. Control of own images on the Internet shows what potential partners or employers will be displayed in the search and what impression they then get ( reputation management ). Persons of the same name that are found here due to a Egosurfing research are designated according to the word doppelganger as Google goers. This type of self research is recommended by privacy advocates to protect against breach of the Federal Data Protection Act publications of personal data and protect against identity theft. Special people search engines, such Yasni are to assign search results of a single person is able and can therefore spend the results targeted and based on a specific person. Through this personal search for example images can be found that have been uploaded by others without authorization and in violation of the right to their own image. Other personal information that were not disclosed by the individual person can then be found. This serves Egosurfing the respect of the right to informational self-determination. Be noted potential Violations during the Egosurfings, you can see the existing according to § 6 para 1 BDSG rights perceive (see Federal Data Protection Act # rights of those affected ).