Your Online Reputation (How To Control What People See About You)

After reading my recent article about how people are using hired guns to write scathing reviews about their competitors (and raves about themselves), an alert reader sent me a news clipping I will share. And I will also provide some How To’s for those concerned about what the Internet is saying about them, or their business.

* Yelp accused of burying good customer reviews Business owner says rating site is unfairly hurting business

(That is an interesting read.. But my fave quote is from the business owner: ““There maybe needs to be some rules on the net that aren’t there now.”

I couldn’t stop laughing. Rules? I know! Lets pass the Dogs And Cats Anti-violence Law, so the neighborhood dogs will leave my poor kitty alone…)

So, yes. You cannot trust reviews (or much else you see online). It’s all a sick game. Wanna learn how to play? Maybe.. remove some unkind things someone posted about you? The odds are stacked against you (after all, he who knows the most about you, wins, in this “Information Age”. [can you say “Google”?]) but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try… or wait for someone to pass a “rule”..

* Five tools to monitor and manage your online reputation

“To make sure your reputation stays clean, you have to keep an eye on what’s being said about you. These tools can help you protect your good name.” Read more..

* Bad Review? What Not To Do

“The response to a bad review can reveal a lot about a vendor. Recent responses at opposite extremes inspired Neil Rubenking to write this post.” Read more..

* How To Remove Your Name From Search Engines and Social Networking Sites Your Private Information Made Public

And.. if you think to yourself, “I don’t do much online.. there’s nothing there about me I need to worry about” well, um, er, that’s about as *naive* as thinking a law will get dogs and cats loving each other. Don’t believe me? Go to Intelius (or, click here) and enter your name.

Go ahead. You might be surprised. And you’ll probably want to join all the others who want to remove and/or hide some of their information from public search before getting hurt by strangers or stalkers (or business rivals).

Wanna see what’s really available? The “for a fee I’ll tell you” info? Run an “online background check” on yourself. The small fee you invest could be a real eye-opener…

For example, on Intelius, $40 will get you:

Full Name Address Age & DOB Phone Number Relatives Address History Property Criminal Check

Bankruptcies Liens Judgments Aliases Lawsuits Neighbors Death Records Marriage & Divorce

If I were an identity thief.. that knowledge could be useful……

Yes, if there’s something you want done on the web, there’s hired guns for that.
Want to be at the top of Google’s results? Hire an SEO expert.
Want your video of your cat dressed as an elf to “go viral” on YouTube – there’s hired guns for that too…
The second and third links I posted won’t point you to hired guns; they are for the Do-It-Yourselfer. (Not quite “there’s an app for that” stage, yet.. but check it out.)

(Maybe now you understand why those in the know liken the Internet to the “Wild, Wild, West”?)

And, let’s remember: a “5 star place” on the Internet may serve 1.5 star food in “real life”. (And visa versa.)

Reminder: June is Internet Safety Awareness Month Stay safe online. Stop. Think. Click.

Bonus reading: Android ICS already offers more than what is coming in iOS 6

“It looks like Apple’s days of blowing people away with new features and functions has cooled now that solid platforms like Ice Cream Sandwich and Windows Phone exist.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “The best book on programming for the layman is “Alice in Wonderland”; but that’s because it’s the best book on anything for the layman.” ~ Alan Perlis

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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