Google Alerts

When's the last time you Googled yourself (...that phrase sounds a little funny, eh?!)? Do you know what would come up in a Google search with your name as the keyword? If not, you should. Most of us don't even think about this---but, I ran across Google Alerts today on Richard Byrne's blog, Free Technology for Teachers. After checking it out, I signed up to receive Google Alerts for my name.

Essentially, Google searches the interwebs for your designated search term--and when new hits are found, they are sent to you in an email or through an RSS feeder like Google Reader. When signing up you can specify how often you want to receive these messages. I started with once a week. You can also eliminate certain high-traffic sites like Facebook and Twitter from the search if you want.

Not only is this an excellent way to keep track of what's "out there" about you, you can also sign up to receive alerts about topics that strike your fancy. Say I'm interested in banjo picking techniques---I can enter this search term into Google Alerts, set up the frequency (how often I want to be informed of what's new in Google Land regarding this highly interesting topic), and then bam: I'm swimming in a sea of banjo bliss!

It's actually pretty nifty and easy to set up. Check out the Getting Started page for the basics!