- Don't put everything on one web site. Web sites come and go, and even the "big" sites may not last forever.
- Check a sites policy on how long they will retain data. Some sites, such as yahoo mail, will remove anyone who hasn't used the site for 4 months. In some cases use may be a visit to the site, in other cases it may be a login.
- Maximise the strengths of a site. Some sites are great for video, others for text, others for photos.
- Check that an easy URL (which will allow access without a log on) is available. Some sites have a link, but it can be quite cumbersome.
- Check privacy settings. If you allow the entire world to see your photos, then in theory the entire world will be able to see them!
- Check how your presence is progressing by searching for your name in a search engine. The more hits, the more your presence is developing.
Guidelines for developing a virtual presence in the cloud
Some of the guidelines I am following as I work on developing a virtual presence are: