My past is coming back to haunt me via google.
August 16, 2011 6:51 AM   Subscribe

What to do about a mugshot from fifteen years ago coming up as the first result in a google search of my name?

I was convicted of a DUI when I was nineteen (1996) and now the first result in a google search of my name is this mugshot - which is now available through mugshots.com.

I've tried contacting Mugshots.com to no avail, and even tried inserting a robot.txt into the comment fields on my mugshot page. (I didn't think this would work, I know it actually needs to be a file within the directory.)

I don't care that anyone can find my mugshot on the stupid mugshots.com website, I do care that google has indexed it...

I have never hidden this arrest from anyone, but I am in the middle of a job hunt and I suspect this is seriously hurting my chances of landing a better job.

Please hope me! I realize that the arrest and mugshot is part of the public domain, but is there anything I can do to move this particular search result to the third or fourth page of results of google?
posted by anonymous to Technology (19 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
The primary tip seems to be to provide more content associated with your name that will be ranked higher in Google than that. Here's a previous AskMe question on a similar topic.

Do you use social networking like Facebook or LinkedIn? Do you have a blog under your name, or comment on others? Do you use Quora? These might be some tools that would help.

Good luck with your job hunt.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:56 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]


Also, according to a recent Wired article there are sites that specialize in removing mugshots from places like mugshots.org--but this is apparently a distinctly shady business and you risk getting severely ripped off.
posted by col_pogo at 7:03 AM on August 16, 2011


chesty_a_arthur has it - you have to create more google history for yourself. if you're doing so, i'd also stop googling your name and then clicking on the mugshots result...
posted by nadawi at 7:03 AM on August 16, 2011 [5 favorites]


First of all, we're talking about something that happened, what, fifteen years ago? I realize the job market is tough, but a lot of employers aren't terribly interested in that kind of ancient history, especially if your record has been clean since then.

But second... you're probably screwed as far as getting the thing removed. It's out there, a matter of public record, and both Google and this other website are entirely within their rights. Your only real solution is to establish a more robust internet presence in the hope that you'll be able to push the thing down the results a few pages.
posted by valkyryn at 7:11 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]


At this point you really should have an online presence that extends beyond something that happened in 1996. Certainly there are forums and sites that you could participate in that are relevant to your career or your interests, or maybe public-service type things that would show off your good citizenship skills to a casual Googler--participate in organizing a community event like a 5K/walk for charity, for example. I think reviews, like those on Yelp or Amazon, will also show up on results, though I'm not positive.

It depends on the industry, but if I were Googling someone I'd be more alarmed that all I could find for them was a fifteen-year-old DUI charge.

The drop off page for Google results after the first page is pretty significant.

Anyway, I think you should think of this as it as sort of a fun, career-building exercise. You have a blank slate, because there's nothing else out there about you. So you can try to studiously paint a picture of the type of person someone in your industry would want to hire, whether technically savvy, socially conscious, humorous, etc.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:26 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]


The drop off page for Google results after the first page is pretty significant.

Sorry, that wasn't clear -- I meant that people don't really page through search results after the first page or two, and I think that the first page drop-off alone is pretty steep. So you're looking to produce maybe twenty results that are not a fifteen year old mug shot.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:29 AM on August 16, 2011


I realize the job market is tough, but a lot of employers aren't terribly interested in that kind of ancient history, especially if your record has been clean since then.

I wouldn't bet on that. We're talking about a hiring market where employers are now disqualifying applicants if they don't currently have a job. I suspect more than a few employers are going to use a mugshot (no matter how old) as an excuse to pass on an applicant.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:31 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]


Read the Wired article. It talks about ways to remove yourself entirely.
posted by Slinga at 7:44 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]


Either change your name or create a hell of a positive web presence that drives the mugshot to page three on an image search.

For images, one way would be to post (and have friends post) titled, tagged photos of you to Flickr. Joe/Jane Random at the conference/meetup, Joe/jane Random and dog, ad nauseum.
posted by zippy at 7:46 AM on August 16, 2011


What state? If it's Florida, read the Wired article and it will tell you how to get rid of it.
posted by ewiar at 8:18 AM on August 16, 2011


I wouldn't bet on that. We're talking about a hiring market where employers are now disqualifying applicants if they don't currently have a job. I suspect more than a few employers are going to use a mugshot (no matter how old) as an excuse to pass on an applicant.

I totally agree. There are so many applicants that having misspellings will get your file tossed to the side. You're right in thinking it is hurting your chances. Assuming you're in America and you're not white, it most certainly is. And if you are white, you're taking your chances down to the level of black applicants.

I'd both try to remove it via the methods suggested, and also get yourself a Google Plus account and start posting there. They recently (3 or 4 days ago) started including Google Plus content in search results.
posted by cashman at 8:27 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]


Read the wired article, it was pretty clear.
posted by jannw at 8:46 AM on August 16, 2011


I wouldn't think that a recruiter/HR rep would search Google for you. Instead a background check would show this arrest and I wouldn't overly worry about it if you're honest (seeing there is a time lapse with no other arrests/convictions).

Good luck in the search. I took a look and found mugshots.com creepy.
posted by stormpooper at 9:02 AM on August 16, 2011


I wouldn't think that a recruiter/HR rep would search Google for you.
They do. Honest.
Googling job prospects is one of the first things HR people do today.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:41 AM on August 16, 2011 [12 favorites]


Start commenting with your real, full name on professional websites, blogs, and high traffic news sites. And maybe start some professional site/ blog with your current info, and link to that from your comments.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:48 AM on August 16, 2011


The top results for me are dead women from the 19th century, LinkedIn, my Toastmasters district website, my sister-in-law's radio program's Facebook page, and my Flickr account. The incredibly bad poetry and whiny high school complaints from 15 years ago are on, like, page 8.

That's how it works.
posted by SMPA at 10:05 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]


I just saw an ad on TV for reputation.com which apparently specializes in just this sort of thing. Probably a bit shady, but wouldn't hurt to check it out.
posted by catatethebird at 10:37 AM on August 16, 2011


As above, check the Wired article.

But also, you want to be in control of you online identity. Start getting stuff out there. If www.[yourname].com is available, grab it. That helps a lot. If not, get .net or another one.

Like making videos? vimeo.com/[yourname]

Like taking photos? flickr.com/[yourname]

Blogger? wordpress.com/[yourname]

You get the idea. Any big site where you share content will end up getting a decent amount of traffic and jumping up the Google rankings.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:47 AM on August 16, 2011


Build up on online presence as advised. In the meantime since you can't control what comes up when people Google the name associated with your mugshot, you can try to control what people type into Google.

Is you mugshot linked with your full name? What happens if you Google firstname middleinitial lastname? Try variations on your first name (Michael -> Mike, Mick, Mickey; Elizabeth -> Beth, Liz, Lizzie, Ellie, Elle). You might have to be drastic and go with Middlename Lastname. When you find something that works use that for your resume, etc. You should also start creating an online presence for this name.

Also, assuming you are not living in the same town where you were arrested 15 years ago, try to look as unlike the picture as possible so you have a chance of creating reasonable doubt if it does get pushed down to page 2.
posted by mikepop at 5:34 AM on August 17, 2011 [1 favorite]


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