This topic is bound to be modified and expanded over the years. Online reputation management cannot be improvised, it seems important to keep in mind certain concepts that led to the actual Internet and remind us what a wonderful tool it can be on condition that you are enough wary and know how to use it, especially that there is nothing anodyne in it ...

1984

The great novel of George Orwell is too rich to do a summary here. History has shown us how sadly and relevant was his vision of totalitarianism. In any Internet approach, keep in mind Orwell description of propaganda, the principle of rewriting the past « those who control the past, control the future", the doublethink that destroys the critical mind, Newspeak effect that prevents complex thinking and reduces its area, etc.

Cluetrain Manifesto (The)

Definition: The Manifesto of evidences is an American bestseller of 1999 which describes, through ‘95 "theses”, how the Internet enables human beings and markets to organize themselves faster than the companies that provide it. Better informed and therefore more intelligent and more demanding, men turn out to be transformed by the Internet revolution, new bonds are formed between individuals, between individuals and businesses, and require a new relationship with the brand.
"We are waking up and linking to each other”. We are watching. But we are not waiting."

Deep Web (The)

Definition: Darknet or, that is to say, the deep web. Black Internet, dark, invisible, the dark side of the Internet is accessible by anonymous search engines parallel to Google, Bing or Yahoo (like Tor, the best known) and opens the unindexed doors, voluntarily or not, websites that would be three times more numerous than the indexed...

Dunbar’s number

Definition: Dunbar's number is the maximum number of people with whom we can have a meaningful relationship, within the limits of our neocortex (area of the brain). It was estimated in 1993 by the British anthropologist Robin Dunbar to 148, and then rounded in use to 150 people.

Netiquette Guidelines

Definition: Netiquette is an attempt from 1995 to formalize a code of conduct on the Internet. Only floats of rules turned out obsolete with the arrival of new media the following maxim translated into French: "Don’t use the Internet as a shield to do something you wouldn’t do during a real face-to-face conversation with your correspondent."

Netizen

Definition: The term dates back to the Netizen Internet beginnings. Michael Hauben, a student at the American University of Colombia, allegedly invented it in the early 90s, before Google and Facebook. By contracting the words "Internet" and "Citizen ", he meant a person who is actively contributing to the development of the Internet, investing in discussions of general interest and believes in the community "online" to advance social issues. A citizen, geographically and ethnically freed, using the Internet in order to share, enhance, develop performance ideas and spread universal values.
Michael Hauben announced a jumble of different projects as diverse as Netiquette (guide of good manners on the Net), Anonymous (famous online community activists) HumanKindWall (virtual work of participatory art), Wikipedia, the alterconsommation ( or "consom'action ") , or the Tunisian revolution ...
However , today's Netizen cannot be restricted to cybercitizen, its literal French equivalent. It is changing over the course of new technologies. He was born, grew up in the web and social networks where he is constantly building up his identity and which is controlled by interactions with the real life. He likes to share with others, has a good self-opinion, is sensitive to mutual respect, he doesn’t accept to be misled or cheated.
The Netizen is a man of goodwill who presents a part of an unanimous life pet to Jules Romains. He assumes his individual power connected to the community, his "unique conscience illuminates the infinity” and his isolation makes him "unlimited", he can also be violent in his decision-taking.
Rebellious, the Netizen is the strong man of the XXI century. He is the consumer to be seduced, a voter to be convinced, he is the promoter or a detractor.

Rules of Internet on 4chan (The)

Definition: The rules appeared in 2006 in English anonymous 4chan forum, inspired by Japanese sites devoted to manga, which was quickly becoming overwhelmed including the territory of Anonymous. Originally, these 17 unofficial rules vary from version to version sometimes whimsical counts 47, 50, 100, 9038, etc. Mixture of slogans and axioms, they give a different vision of the Internet, an overview of the Deep Web.
" This will set a Guideline how the Internet can be structured. Politicians cannot set rules thesis, the internet is for the people by the people. It needs to be the people that set the rules. "

Six degrees of separation

Definition: the theory of Hungarian Frigyes Karinthy six degrees of separation (or six handshakes) dates from 1929 developing the idea that anyone can be connected in the world at any time, based on a chain of individual relationships involving up to five other links. The LinkedIn and other social networks functioning, gave us a perfect illustration of it.

Small-world experiment

Definition: studies carried out by the American social psychologist Stanley Milgram around the "small world phenomenon” put into practice in 1967, with more or less success, the concept of " six degrees of separation " hypothesis is that we are all connected to each other through a limited personal chain. It appears that the world is made up of small different worlds, ethnic, religious, professional ... In 1994, a play about the actor Kevin Bacon was a great success in Hollywood, its goal is to connect Kevin Bacon to another actor, selected randomly, as quickly as possible and in as few links as possible.

Tipping Point (The)

Definition: the Tipping Point of the American Sociological Malcolm Gladwell is a book that describes how, by sharing daily unimportant events, we may trigger social phenomena.

Wikileaks

Definition: Wikileaks association, founded in 2006, is dedicated, in the name of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to bring audience to information leaks, while protecting its sources. Criticized because of the complex personality of its main founder, Australian Julian Assange, it is causing significant disclosures and has uninhibited use (Edward Snowden ...).

Wikipedia

Definition: Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia a collaborative website, founded in 2001, everyone uses it. It is based on five good to know basic principles:
Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia
Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view
Wikipedia is free content that anyone can edit, use, modify and distribute
Editors should treat each other with respect and civility
Wikipedia does not have firm rules

World Wide Web

Definition: better known by its acronym WWW, the famous "spider World” made by hyperlinks or hypertexts that link together the web pages.