Google Mirror

I was looking for information about Heidi Kyle's Mongolian book structure, mentioned recently on the Book Arts List Serve . I Googled "Heidi Kyle" and in the first ten links found (oh joy of joys) a link to this post here on Bibliophilia from last year! Since Heidi Kyle doesn't seem to have her own webpage, and only one other of the top ten links had any substantial link to her I'm quite excited that searchers for Heidi (a well known and highly respected book artist) might stumble onto my blog.

This inspired me to check what's happening when you Google "Meliors Simms" these days. Last time I looked it was still a depressing two or three pages of links to past lives (bureaucracy and activism) before a committed searcher might come across my website and blog. But sometime in the past few months my book arts activities have moved up the search engine. Now though, my sadly neglected proper website pops up at the top of the google page, and then a link to Bibliophilia is second down. It's a small thrill, but a thrill nonetheless.

Later... an anonymous commenter reminds me that googling one's own name is called 'ego surfing'. I used to think it was a shameful pastime, but after arriving in a new work place where everyone in the office had checked out me out on the internet before I got there, I decided I really needed to know what other people could find out about me, to be at less of a disadvantage.

Because I have a unique first name and because I have been relatively active over many years in ways that have left countless links that I think I am a little easier to track down than Mary Smith. There are no false leads if you google my full name, it's all me. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure there is nothing too shameful to be found, just the archeological remains of politics, philosophies, careers and activites that I am no longer so committed to as I once was. And, at the risk of sounding even more defensive than I feel, I consider ego surfing part of my market research, since my internet profile is currently my most significant marketing tool (underutilised as it is). It's a relief to know that finally google has got up to date with my book arts business.