Just returned from a conference where the discussion was all about social networking and building personal brand.

I want to draw a distinction between reputation and personal brand. Most of us digital "immigrants" have built careers on reputation--personal and professional relationships amassed over time. These are real-world connections based on one-on-one experiences. Does she get her copy in on time? Is it clean? Well-written? Can I trust her to fix something that doesn't work? Will she try to behave ethically and with integrity?

I don't always get it right, which is why I'm glad I don't do surgery. But I care deeply about the quality of my work and that's not something that plays on a t-shirt.

Obviously there are places where personal brand and reputation intersect. If you brand yourself as a professional but behave unprofessionally your brand won't hold water. Your reputation undergirds the shiny veneer of your "personal brand," but it may not be the thing that shines itself.

I said this yesterday to an editor as we were discussing the personal brand phenomenon. "I don't want all my interactions to be transactions." In other words, I don't want every conversation to be about my personal advancement.

One of the things I like about social media is that it allows for the free exchange of ideas. We can share tips and information to help each other. What I don't like about the idea of personal branding is that it takes our national narcissism to a new level. Me 2.0.

Shouldn't we be thinking in terms of We 2.0?