If misery loves company, then there is solace in knowing that many people bristle at the mere thought of being Googled because of the photographs, news clippings or blog entries that they feel do not reflect who they really are. Such is the plight of the Google-ee.

"With information that's put on the Internet, you pretty much have to assume it will be around forever."

The secret to burying unflattering Web details about yourself is to create a preferred version of the facts on a home page or a blog of your own, then devise a strategy to get high-ranking Web sites to link to you.

From here on out, I will live by a new creed: Google unto others as you would have them Google unto you.