People tend to use their blogs, tweets, instagram posts, Facebook posts to boast about themselves. Not everyone, obviously, but quite a few.

The trouble is, it is usually so unsubtle. I remember a MAD magazine piece many years ago in which they suggested embedding advertisements into movies, in order to save time by not having advertisement breaks. This was in the days before product placement had been thought of.

Thus, a scene from a War movie went something like this:

Sergeant: OK, boys, let's get them dirty reds.

Private: I, I can't, Sarge. I got this terrible stomach ache caused by excess acidity. Guess I'm gonna have to sit this one out.

Sergeant: Hey, soldier. What you need is EasiTum. (Produces packet from pocket.) Scientific tests have shown that 9 out of 10 people who tried EasiTum thought their symptoms had declined instantly. 

<Special rippling fade in/fade out effect.>

Private: Hey, Sarge. I feel much better. That lousy stomach ache has gone, thanks to you.

Sarge: Don't thank me, Private. Thank the uniquely-formulated anti-acidites that make up 98% of the ingredients of EasiTum. Now let's get to work.

Believe it or not, I have read articles which actually read like that, but with the author's self-proclaimed expertise taking the place of the tablets. I think they sound ridiculous and, in a rather sad way, a little pathetic.

I don’t think it’s possible to boast in a way that appears non-boastful. I think it is much better to do one of the following:

• just do your stuff, and trust that people will find out about it;

• advertise;

• encourage word of mouth.

In other words, just be honest. Much as I hate reading self-praise, I appreciate the tweets etc which start: “I know this is bragging but…”. At least then I have the choice as to whether I read it or not (usually the latter), rather than being tempted by a good-sounding title into reading someone’s eulogy to themselves!