Search Me?

I was killing time on the Web tonight, snooping on a few old friends to see what might turn up on Google. That led me to search myself.

Well, if I’d known how common my name apparently is around the world, I’d have changed it a long time ago, or at least taken my full, formal name more seriously to improve my future searchability. (I suppose it doesn’t help your Google ranking to modify the form of your name with each job change over the past decade or so…who woulda knew?)

Anyhow, I did turn up some interesting things. Like a link for a now-defunct video titled “William Weber eats small children.” I’m not really sure what to make of that. I’m also an author, a TV newscaster, a deceased actor (remember the 1943 classic “Happy Land”? … me neither), a film editor, the oldest living Cincinnati Reds ball player, a guitarist (whose slogan is “Buy me whiskey now!”), a plastic surgeon, and the fellow responsible for space telecommunications and navigation for the JPL. There are many references to other Dr. William Webers (something my parents would have wished for – but none of them links to anything about my uncle, the best Dr. William Weber in my book.) There’s even a whole Bill Weber directory on Linked In. (See if you can pick me out of the crowd.)

I did find a few links about me, including a reference to a job I had five years ago, found on a Swedish website. By adding my town to my name, I did find a few references to me connected to our local school’s School Improvement Plan (I’m on the advisory council), to my standing on our historic neighborhood board (I’m the V.P., heaven help me), and eventually to me at work.

And finally, there were a couple references to my favorite other William Weber, who lives around the corner. But I don’t need Google to find him. We not only live three blocks apart, we cross paths at the same car dealer, dry cleaner, video store, landscaper, HVAC service, market…

With or without Google, I guess, there’s a lot of me to go around.