Google search result: Can this damage be undone?
January 29, 2012 11:32 PM Subscribe
I have been very careful not to have my full name or my child's name associated with our address on any searchable documents due to privacy/custody concerns. My full name is now showing up on a document attached to my child's school's website. Please help me figure out how to best fix this.
I’ve just realized that my full name is published in a pdf document attached to the school’s website and it comes up as the 5th result in a google search for my name and city. I need this fixed asap, so two questions:
Which would be the best/fastest remedy in terms of google rank?
1) Revise my name on the document to First name, Last initial
2) Remove the document totally
3) Other remedy I haven’t thought of
How soon, if ever, can I expect to have this fall off the front page or disappear into obscurity?
Thanks so much in advance for your help.
I’ve just realized that my full name is published in a pdf document attached to the school’s website and it comes up as the 5th result in a google search for my name and city. I need this fixed asap, so two questions:
Which would be the best/fastest remedy in terms of google rank?
1) Revise my name on the document to First name, Last initial
2) Remove the document totally
3) Other remedy I haven’t thought of
How soon, if ever, can I expect to have this fall off the front page or disappear into obscurity?
Thanks so much in advance for your help.
Best answer: You can fix it at the school level but you're probably not going to be able to fix the Google cache. Google won't delete the cached copy but you can ask Google to re-crawl the page, once you get the document changed.
Also not an easy solution but you can Google bomb some false information about yourself to change the ranking.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:47 PM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Also not an easy solution but you can Google bomb some false information about yourself to change the ranking.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:47 PM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: 1. Save the full http-ey URL of the document for future reference.
2. Have the school remove (or amend) the page.
3. Submit the URL from #1, manually, to Google to index, with this form.
Whatever Google finds at the URL replaces the old one in search results. Presto fix-o.
posted by rokusan at 11:49 PM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
2. Have the school remove (or amend) the page.
3. Submit the URL from #1, manually, to Google to index, with this form.
Whatever Google finds at the URL replaces the old one in search results. Presto fix-o.
posted by rokusan at 11:49 PM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you IndigoRain for the re-crawl link. That looks promising.
Rokusan, when I click your link I get a webmaster tools page but I'm not clear on which form I should use. Can you give me the title?
posted by lunaazul at 12:14 AM on January 30, 2012
Rokusan, when I click your link I get a webmaster tools page but I'm not clear on which form I should use. Can you give me the title?
posted by lunaazul at 12:14 AM on January 30, 2012
Response by poster: Rokusan, I found it I think. Sorry, a combination of the late hour and my being in a flap mean it's taking me a while to process!
I've noted the URLs, will ask the school to amend the documents first thing in the morning, and will go from there. Thank you!
posted by lunaazul at 12:38 AM on January 30, 2012
I've noted the URLs, will ask the school to amend the documents first thing in the morning, and will go from there. Thank you!
posted by lunaazul at 12:38 AM on January 30, 2012
Best answer: If it is of concern to you I would remove it totally. Otherwise, chance your name in the document to
First Name Random Middle Name, Last name with spelling error.
Actually, when I applied for my green card they explicit required me to fill in every field on the application sheet, or write N/A or None. Since I don't have a middle name, I wrote "None". They sent me a green card with "Yoyo N. Dude". When I was stopped by the police and they asked me for my name and then "OK, but what is your middle name?" They found this story very funny.
For future reference: How to be invisible
posted by yoyo_nyc at 2:09 AM on January 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
First Name Random Middle Name, Last name with spelling error.
Actually, when I applied for my green card they explicit required me to fill in every field on the application sheet, or write N/A or None. Since I don't have a middle name, I wrote "None". They sent me a green card with "Yoyo N. Dude". When I was stopped by the police and they asked me for my name and then "OK, but what is your middle name?" They found this story very funny.
For future reference: How to be invisible
posted by yoyo_nyc at 2:09 AM on January 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Best answer: This is Google's guide to urgently removing content from their search results. You'll need the people behind the school's website to take the actions in the first two links (Remove an entire page / Remove the cached version of the page).
posted by Busy Old Fool at 3:39 AM on January 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by Busy Old Fool at 3:39 AM on January 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
Find out the privacy laws applicable in your state and federally to kids and parents personal information. Then call the school district directly and ask to speak with the person in charge of privacy issues.
posted by Ironmouth at 5:05 AM on January 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Ironmouth at 5:05 AM on January 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Ironmouth, the OP is listed as being in Canada.
If the OP were in the U.S., I'd advise the OP that student directory information is FOIA-able by anyone (random perverts included) and special steps have to be taken to refuse the release of (some of) your child's information, but other information is probably going to be released no matter what. A school district will probably be willing to remove or revise a document based on safety concerns, but any U.S. parent with a safety concern regarding an ex-spouse tracking down their children at school (or whatever) is going to need to talk to an attorney about school records.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:34 AM on January 30, 2012
If the OP were in the U.S., I'd advise the OP that student directory information is FOIA-able by anyone (random perverts included) and special steps have to be taken to refuse the release of (some of) your child's information, but other information is probably going to be released no matter what. A school district will probably be willing to remove or revise a document based on safety concerns, but any U.S. parent with a safety concern regarding an ex-spouse tracking down their children at school (or whatever) is going to need to talk to an attorney about school records.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:34 AM on January 30, 2012
I'm a teacher in BC, and am surprised that this info is available online. Our school is very careful about things like this for the very reason you give. We are constantly reminded that we can't post pictures or any student info online without written approval from parents. I think if you contact the school they will be understanding.
posted by sadtomato at 6:49 AM on January 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by sadtomato at 6:49 AM on January 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I've been to the school this morning and they are revising the documents to exclude my full name. It turns out that there are 7 pages out there, ack! I will submit the urls for re-crawl and then have the school ask google to remove the cached results.
I know that if a person was intent on finding us, they probably could, but up until now I've managed to make it pretty hard. This is a big lesson to me not to drop my guard.
posted by lunaazul at 10:40 AM on January 30, 2012
I know that if a person was intent on finding us, they probably could, but up until now I've managed to make it pretty hard. This is a big lesson to me not to drop my guard.
posted by lunaazul at 10:40 AM on January 30, 2012
Response by poster: sadtomato, the offending documents were school newsletters archived on the main school website. They put a blurb in thanking me for my work on a couple of committees. I had filled in the form that asks that my child's name not be published but didn't think to ask the same regarding my name (there's no form for that). It was best of intentions and an innocent mistake but it has potentially bad consequences for us. Wiser now.
posted by lunaazul at 3:19 PM on January 30, 2012
posted by lunaazul at 3:19 PM on January 30, 2012
Response by poster: Following up. They're gone! Phew. Thanks to all for steering me straight in a moment of hyper-ventilation.
The school librarian who oversees the website was in touch with the school board and arranged to have the documents removed. The pages have been re-crawled and the offending search results are no longer there.
I'll be paying much closer attention in the future. Thanks again for getting me out of a jam.
posted by lunaazul at 10:31 AM on February 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
The school librarian who oversees the website was in touch with the school board and arranged to have the documents removed. The pages have been re-crawled and the offending search results are no longer there.
I'll be paying much closer attention in the future. Thanks again for getting me out of a jam.
posted by lunaazul at 10:31 AM on February 27, 2012 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Is it possible to contact the school, explain the problem and ask if there's something they can do? If possible, remove the document, if not get the names removed or abridged.
posted by Trexsock at 11:42 PM on January 29, 2012