New web app aggregates your entire web presence

A new online service called Gist enables you to explore the far reaches of the internet and aggregate everything a person has published under their name, be it a social network profile, a Twitter feed, a blog, or a rant on a message board, into one place.

Gist has placed the increased importance on the need for ‘impression management’ in an era where any amount of personal information is available to anyone with Google at their fingertips, and essentially the web application follows a subject’s entire net personality trail and maps it out for you.

Although the programme may sound a little too Big Brother, and could attract the unsavoury types, the lesson to individuals and brands is clear: what goes online – a place once considered far removed from reality – is increasingly being used to make or break brands and their reputations. Ultimately, in today’s world, a professional online presence is just as important as a real-life one.

Social and Business Networking – Are the lines beginning to blur?

Are social and business networking going to become one and the same thing? I’m not sure. Yes brands are flocking to Facebook, and the likes of LinkedIn has started to loosen up the business focus, while business directories are starting to allow interaction and comment.

Social networking has a certain stigma. Fun, frolics and photos you really would rather your boss never saw. Business networking is a rather dry, soulless experience. You connect with friends, you expand, but it still feels like a job search facility. But networking has to be the most important activity of any business, right?.

So dies linking all networking activity, business and pleasure, make more sense? When we all get tired of being a number and start being ourselves, will things get much more interesting?

Linking yourself to the company you work for, and making it more than just about an individual has its risks, but this is the new world we live in. Companies will have to learn to manage their PR online, and the individuals will have to learn that there are limits.

Not bad lessons either way, and in my opinion, this is where we are all going. The next phase of the online revolution will be about longevity, trust, openness and confidence.