Is it worth getting your 'firstnamelastname.com'?

I recently asked the question to my network of associates, colleagues and friends on LinkedIn and got some surprising answers. The majority favour 'Yes', indicating that for the relatively low cost, if you can get your domain name, you should. A few however had some other opinions:

Absolutely.I own my name under several popular domain extensions. It's important for me to control and develop my own personal brand identity.It is becoming more prevalent for HR Managers, Recruiters, Clients, Media and many others to look up people on various social networks or seek them out on search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo. With your own firstnamelastname.com you are:- in charge of your own personal brand- able to promote yourself in page ranks- able link to all your social network profiles- able to update your accomplishments, career moves, etc. instantly- able to showcase your portfolio, or relevant work examples and so onThere's no limit to what you can do and what you can achieve with owning your own domain.your firstnamelastname.com page will become your live calling card, your resume, your personal brand, and your reputation guardian.

-Andrei Petrik

Yes. I didn't want to have to "fight" anyone for my personalized, branded .com, so I registered it years ago. At this time, people would see "under construction" on the site as I haven't decided what I want to put on it yet (I can be found on a variety of major social networks already)...but it's there and ready for me when I'm ready to work on it. Right now, my primary website is for my business - which is where my corporate bio is.... and I run both sites through Microsoft Office Live, which although is a template, I find it serves my basic needs just fine.I felt it was important for me to own my personal domain so that someone else wouldn't get it. I'm very protective and controlling of my privacy and "my brand", as any good PR person should be. And my clients and future clients already know where to find me - at my business site.

-Jocelyn Brandeis

For less than $10 a year you can control your personal brand. What if someone with your name pops up as a serial killer, unethical businessman, a competitor or is simply in another line of work? When people think of that name, they should think of you and, if you own the domain, you control their perception.Years ago I bought up mine and most of my immediate families. Not in use currently, but at least they are protected.

-Jay Lohmann

I do not necessarily agree with "radical transparency" but it is very important that individuals have more control over their external reputation. Just like a company would campaign their own brand to customers, individuals must do the same to their own internal customers (i.e. recruiters, employers, clients, etc..)

-Robert Saric

I believe it's worth it. Being in the media, my name is my brand. I'm hoping keeping my brand before the public will create opportunities.

-Ken Robinson

I think everyone should try to own their names. (I own my full name - kathleenmccabe.com and the name most people know me by - kathymccabe.com) If only to prevent others with same names from owning them. Though when I did more freelance writing I actually had an independent site at kathymccabe.com - I need to redirect that to the bio page on the site for my small business. My other URL is already pointng there. I have had both another Kathy McCabe and another Kathleen McCabe try to buy these URLs.I'm thinking about buying my three-year-old godson his own URL as an X-mas present! Just so he has it for the future!

-Kathy McCabe