Sue Scheff: Social Media Predictions for 2010 by Michael Fertik
by Sue Scheff on Dec 30, 2009
This week CEO and Founder of Reputation Defender, Michael Fertik gives some fantastic 2010 Social Media Predictions that can help you help your future – technically.Will social media continue to expand in 2010? Most experts agree that social media is more than just a fad, and will continue to be an integral part of our lives in the years to come. Perhaps nowhere will the importance of social media be felt than in the area of personal branding and online reputation management.
Recently, in a guest column for ZDNet, ReptuationDefender CEO Michael Fertik shared his social media predictions for the new year, and why he believes that 2010 will be the year of “Atomic Branding.” Check out Michael’s insights here.
Tags: Branding, Internet Image, Internet Safety, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Reputation Defender, Reputation Management, Social Media, Sue Scheff
Sue Scheff: What Does Your Name Say Online?
by Sue Scheff on Nov 05, 2009
In today’s cyberspace world, the Internet is considered the information highway; however how do you determine what is Internet fact or fiction? Recently in Boca Raton, Florida a new service opened and it couldn’t be at a better time.
Today more and more people will Google you and the statistics are growing in regards to employers and college recruiters using Search Engines to research applicants. It has become imperative that you own your name and maintain your Internet Resume.
•53% of Americans Google each other. – Pew Internet & American Life
•26% of college admissions officers use search engines to research candidates. University of Massachusetts Center for Market Research
•64% of teens say that most teens do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about. -anti-drug.com
*77% of executive recruiters use search engines to research applicants. -CareerBuilder
Here is a recent Press Release to learn more about placing your name online:
BOCA RATON, FL (November 3, 2009) – With an increasing number of Internet users Googling themselves and others on a regular basis, having an established and positive online search profile is a necessity for both individuals and companies.
Whether it’s a job seeker concerned about what potential employers see about them online or a business owner with a new product launch, having a strong Internet presence under one’s own name is an absolute necessity.
With this in mind, a Florida-based Internet marketing company has announced the launch of PlaceYourName.com, a new service that helps users manage and control what is seen about them when their names are searched online.
Using a combination of Internet public relations, Web site development and proprietary techniques, PlaceYourName.com offers its users the ability to place their name, news and biographical content online, creating a positive search engine profile in the process.
For less than $50, PlaceYourName.com helps empower users to take control of their online image, regardless of writing ability, computer knowledge or whether or not they have an existing Web site.
PlaceYourName.com offers registered users a personalized User Control Panel (UCP), where they input their information, news and content. After approving changes made by a PlaceYourName.com editor, the information is then placed online across a wide variety of content portals.
Once distribution takes place, users then have the ability to log back into their UCP and see the new information in the search engines in real-time.
The cost, ease-of-use and emphasis on personalized name promotion are what separate PlaceYourName.com from other traditional online visibility services.
PlaceYourName.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Search Me Group, LLC, an Internet marketing company dedicated to establishing online visibility for individuals, companies and organizations.
For more information, visit http://www.PlaceYourName.com or call 1-561-404-4790. Take a few minutes to watch the video and see how PlaceYourName can help you!
If you doubt that maintaining your virtual image is important, be sure to read my recent book, Google Bomb! The Untold Story of How the $11.3M Verdict Changed the Way We Use the Internet.
Also on Examiner.com
Tags: Cyber Image, Cyber Profile, Internet Image, Online Image, parenting advice, Parenting Teens, Parents Universal Resource Experts, Place Your Name, Sue Scheff
Sue Scheff: Dr. Michele Borba Reviews Google Bomb Book
by Sue Scheff on Sep 08, 2009
When I read Michele Borba’s Blog post yesterday, I was thrilled and also reminded that my story was very difficult to write, since I didn’t share my inner turmoil of the horror of Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy with many of my friends and family.
Since my victory over Internet Defamation, I have discovered I am not alone. Most victims of Internet Slime are private, fearful and feel powerless and alone. My book is giving these people hope again. Don’t forget to order Google Bomb today, not only for my story, but to learn from my ignorance of the power of the Internet and how to protect your online image.
Google Bomb: The Untold Story of Sue Scheff and Her $11.3M Verdict That Changed the Way We Use the Internet
Are you ready to be google bombed? Why you must read Sue Scheff’s story
By Dr. Michele Borba (Parenting Expert and Today Show Contributor)
First off, a little disclosure: a few weeks ago I admit to being absolutely clueless about Sue Scheff’s infamous defamation case. (I know, I know, my head must have been buried in the sand to miss all the news coverage). When I finally did read her story I realized my ignorance was somewhat of an advantage. You see the only Sue Scheff I had known was a parent advocate, a caring friend, and a woman of impeccable integrity. Once I read the cyber nightmare she endured I knew that if this happened to a person such as Sue with such heart and strong character it could happen anyone. It’s also exactly why you must read Google Bomb. So allow me to introduce you to my friend, Sue Scheff and describe what happened to her with hopes it will never happen to you.
Allow Me to Introduce You To My Friend, Sue Scheff
It all started a few months ago when I began using twitter. I loved the ease of connecting and meeting new colleagues, one of whom was a woman named Sue Scheff. It didn’t take much to recognize from her posts that she cared deeply about kids, had a solid pulse on parental concerns and was always willing to offer help to those who asked. She had that “real” quality that you just couldn’t miss. I learned she had authored, Wit’s End: Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-Control Teen, and founded a well-acclaimed organization, Parents’ Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.) which helped parents find ways to protect their children from destructive influences by educating them about the issues their family faces.
Over time our online relationship became an offline friendship. We talked frequently and in one chat Sue told me her next book, Google Bomb: The Untold Story of the $11.3M Verdict That Changed the Way We Use the Internet (with John Dozier), was about to be released. I started reading it the moment it arrived and literally couldn’t put it down. I honestly can’t recall the last time I was so intensely moved by a story. It was also the first time I knew Sue had endured what you might call a cyber-nightmare: she had been google bombed.
Google Bomb: Internet slang for a certain kind of attempt to raise the ranking of a given page in results from a Google search. (Wikipedia)
August 2003: Sue Scheff Is Google Bombed
Sue Scheff’s story began on August 2003 when her integrity was first attacked ironically on the very website she created for at-risk teens. The slam was one vicious post from a parent who Sue had tried to help. But within no time that post turned into a full-blown character assassination that went viral. Educational articles and parent resources she wrote to help parents were suddenly laced with unspeakable descriptions defaming Sue’s character. Slanderous posts were now everywhere on the information highway and were impossible to stop, take down or erase. What’s more, if you googled Sue’s name you were detoured from her website and to dozens of porn sites. And the cyber attacks proved deadly offline as well: Sponsors pulled away from her, clients stopped calling, and friends stepped back.
Sue’s reputation as a parent advocate was smeared, her business ruined and her work for children’s destroyed. One woman’s vicious intent to destroy Sue’s credibility and character succeeded with a mere click of a computer key.
Sue’s Fight for Character and Redemption
Sue fought back to defend herself and restore her damaged reputation but at a huge cost—both physically and emotionally. In the next three years I learned she had racked up over $150,000 in legal fees, watched her organization nearly disintegrate, and developed classical symptoms of agoraphobia where Sue could barely leave her home let alone answer her phone. And then hired an attorney and endured a tough legal battle to try and reclaim her reputation.
On September 19, 2006 a Florida jury declared their own outrage and awarded Sue a landmark $11.3 million verdict. That verdict sent a strong warning that destroying lives online would not be tolerated. And right they were.
Cyber attacks have become a growing trend among adults as well as youth and those attacks are destroying lives. The first step to change is knowledge and that’s exactly why I urge you to read Google Bomb. Please read it carefully and then pass it on to others. If this could happen to Sue it could happen just as easily to anyone—including you or your family.
I was on my own person emotional roller coaster reading this book. From complete disbelief: “Is this really the same Sue Scheff?”; to rage: “How could anyone do something like this to another human being!!!?”; to tears: “How did she live through this?” And when I read the final page I actually stood up and cheered. I cheered Sue’s character, grit, and unwavering determination to right a terrible wrong.
Thank you, Sue for having the courage to fight back to defend your reputation and tell your tale. It’s an example to us all.
Aristotle said years ago that the true measure of a person’s character rests in their actions. Your actions speak volumes, my friend.
Michele Borba is the author of 22 books including Big Book of Parenting Solutions which is now available. Follow her on Twitter @MicheleBorba
Tags: Cyber Safety, Cyber Slander, Cyberbullying, Google Bomb Book, Internet Defamation, Internet Law, Internet Safety, Internet Slander, John Dozier, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Reputation Defender, Sue Scheff
Sue Scheff: Google Bomb Book Landing on YouTube
by Sue Scheff on Jun 14, 2009
My co-author, one of the leading Internet Attorney’s – John Dozier, and his team have been busy getting ready for the launching of Google Bomb! In stores and online on September 1st, 2009, this upcoming best selling book will document my untold story of the $11.3M Landmark Case for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy.
John Dozier will give you the legal landscape as well as insights on what is lurking in cyberspace. Michael Fertik, CEO and Founder of Reputation Defender, lends his expertise in Online Reputation Management with his foreword. Together we have assembled a dream team for Google Bomb – Meet the Authors! Visit http://googlebombbombook.com for more information on this very timely book!
Just recently the Dozier Internet Law Firm marketing team has put together some YouTube introductions – check them out!
Google Bomb: Online Impersonators http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXTSiq3b6fM
Google Bomb: Call to Action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGCrGqtG36g
Google Bomb: Land of a Million Dreams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSSlariie2s
Google Bomb: What is Your Legacy to Be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtopTox7kxo
Tags: Cyber Defamation, Cyber Harassment, Cyber Safety, Cyberbullying, Defamation Lawyer, Dozier Internet Law, Google Bomb Book, Internet Defamation, John Dozier, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Online Slander
Sue Scheff: Google Bomb Book Debuts new Website
by Sue Scheff on Jun 08, 2009
Tags: Cyber Slander, Google Bomb, Google Bomb Book, Internet Law, Internet Profile, John Dozier, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Reputation Defender, Sue Scheff
Social Networking Sites – Careful What You Post – Today’s Facebook Could Be Tomorrow’s Casebook
by Sue Scheff on May 13, 2009
Source: Toronto Sun
More like Casebook
Social networking sites can sometimes make or break a case in court
Last year, for example, an Ottawa court heard that a civil servant had started a clandestine affair with an old friend she reconnected with through Facebook during a messy custody battle involving three kids.
In a Vancouver courtroom last month, defendants in a personal injury case produced photos from the plaintiff’s Facebook profile showing that while Myla Bagasbas was seeking $40,000 in damages for pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment after a car accident, she was still able to kayak, hike and bike post-accident.
“Facebook will be seen as a gold mine for evidence in court cases,” said Ian Kerr, Canada Research Chair in ethics, law and technology at the University of Ottawa.
But it will also challenge the courts to further define the notion of personal privacy. In a precedent-setting case this year, a Toronto judge ordered that a man suing for physical injury in a car accident be cross-examined on the contents of his private Facebook profile. Justice David Brown of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice overturned a previous court decision that called the defendant’s request to look for incriminating evidence a “fishing expedition.”
The very nature of Facebook is to share personal information with others, Brown wrote, and is likely to contain relevant information about how the plaintiff, John Leduc, had led his life since the accident. But if Leduc’s profile is private with restricted access, is that considered an invasion of privacy?
“The courts sometimes don’t get it,” Kerr said. “The tendency in judicial opinion and popular thinking is that once something is out in the public, there’s no such thing as privacy anymore. But that can’t be right because we all have curtains.”
For Facebook users, those curtains are our privacy settings. If our home is our castle, Facebook should also be considered a walled domain, Kerr said.
For example, while a member may post pictures from a beer bash the night before, that doesn’t mean they would take the same pictures to show off to their boss the next day, Kerr explained.
Likewise, in Murphy versus Perger, a judge ordered that the plaintiff, who was suing for claims of personal injury and loss of enjoyment of life after a car accident, produce copies of her Facebook pages showing photos of her engaging in social activities. In her judgment, Ontario Superior Court Justice Helen Rady wrote “The plaintiff could not have a serious expectation of privacy given that 366 people have been granted access to the private site.”
But having 366 Facebook friends doesn’t entitle the rest of the world to view personal information meant only for certain eyes, said Avner Levin, director of the Privacy Institute at Toronto’s Ryerson University.
“It’s not how many people you share it with, it’s who you choose to share the information with,” Levin said. “The judge is missing the point. What’s important is not how many people are your friends, but who you choose to know you.”
While we’re able to compartmentalize and separate people in our lives offline by assigning titles to different spheres — co-workers, neighbours, family — the online world fails to recognize those distinctions, he added.
It’s a habit that spills over in the job hunt as well. Employers admit they rely heavily on information they glean about a candidate from Google searches and networking profile pages. But it’s an unfair screening process, Levin said, and attaches more value to people’s online identities — and sometimes third-party information — than the candidate they meet in real life.
“We need to suppress that tendency to go on Google and look people up. There’s already a process of hiring that works for them and has been working for years,” Levin said.
While we’re more likely to trust a direct source and treat gossip with skepticism in the offline world, the same can’t be said of online information.
Pruning online identities and putting a person’s best cyber-foot forward are services offered by companies such as DefendMyName, a personal PR service which posts positive information about a client and pushes down negative links in Google. ReputationDefender also destroys libelous, private or outdated content.
“A resume is no longer what you send to your employer,” said ReputationDefender CEO Michael Fertik. “More people look at Google as a resume.”
But instead of authenticating information found online, people are trusting secondary material and treating Google like God.
“What happens is in a court of law, you have to prove something beyond a reasonable doubt. On the Internet though, many decisions are based on lower standards,” Fertik said.
But is sanitizing a person’s online reputation of unflattering content an infringement of freedom of speech and freedom of expression?
“Only if you believe Google is the best and most accurate source of information,” Fertik said. “But I don’t think Google is God. I believe Google is a machine.”
Tags: Cyber Image, Cyber Law, Cyber Resume, Cyber Safety, Facebook, Google Image, Internet Gossip, Internet Law, Internet Safety, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Online Profile, Parenting Teens, Reputation Defender, ReputationDefender, Social Networking Sites, Sue Scheff, Virtual Resume
Sue Scheff: Google Bomb – Expert Solutions to Protect Yourself from Online Attacks and Maintain a Searchable Image
by Sue Scheff on Apr 11, 2009
Pre-Order Google Bomb on Amazon.com today!
Tags: Cyber Safety, Cyber Slander, Google Bomb, Google Bomb Book, Internet books, Internet Defamation, Internet Gossip, Internet Safety, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Reputation Defender, Searchable Image
Sue Scheff: ReputationDefender, CEO – Specializes in Online Defamation
by Sue Scheff on Feb 27, 2009
Shortcomings in the Law Allow Cyberdefamation Campaigns, Legal Expert Says
Read entire article here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/Story?id=6960397&page=1
The Law as an Accomplice
Legal experts, however, emphasized that the law protects Web sites like Topix. Even if the comments are considered defamatory by a court of law, Topix has no legal obligation to take the content down.
Defenders of the legal landscape argue that a change could stifle open discussion and free speech. But others maintain that in stories like this, regardless of who emerges, once the veil of anonymity is lifted, it is the law itself that is a co-conspirator.
“The law as it currently stands is an accomplice because it creates no incentive whatsoever for Web sites to review or police themselves from content that is potentially devastating to real people and real lives,” Michael Fertik, a lawyer who specializes in online defamation, told ABCNews.com.
Part of the problem, Fertik continued, is that laws that made sense at the birth of the Internet age have not matured. It takes years to redress online defamation problems under the present regime. But, in the meantime, libelous comments easily found through search engines can sideline both personal and professional lives.
Although privacy and free speech advocates worry that changes to the law could “chill” online speech, Fertik argued that “the law can easily catch up without destroying speech.”
But until then?
“The law provides the red dye for the scarlet letter,” Fertik said. “It provides the ink for the tattoo that people create on Web sites like this.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/Story?id=6960397&page=1
Tags: Cyber Law, Cyber Slander, Internet Defamation, Internet Law, Michael Fertik, Online Defamation, Online Harassment, Online Image, Online Slander, Reputation Defender, Sue Scheff
Sue Scheff: Don’t Let the Web Kill What you Love by Michael Fertik
by Sue Scheff on Feb 15, 2009
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”
Warren Buffett said that, before the invention of the Internet. Now, in the information age, the statement has never been more truthful. That is why I started a business, ReputationDefender, that is all about protecting reputations.
Your good name, and the reputations of your family, business, and everything you love, is valuable. So, when your neighbor, a customer, or a love interest plugs your name into a search engine, what will they find?
Anyone can come along and slam you online and if that happens, search results for your name might be dominated by negative, incomplete, or even false information. A hostile online comment might represent the uncommon experience of a dissatisfied customer or disgruntled neighbor, but due to the structure of search engines, that single opinion can be greatly amplified and made to look like a universal point of view. You might fall victim to the sniping of an anonymous blogger or even a competitor posing as an angry customer.
It’s not only easy to publish half-truths, innuendo, and falsehoods on the Internet, it’s also easy to make them stick. Many people who publish negative web content know how to make it maximally destructive. Lies, rumors, or memes take flight easily, getting repeated, added to, and generally magnified. Even though some of these narratives are discovered to be false, very few of them get debunked as loudly as they are broadcasted in the first place. As a result, false content often becomes more visible on the web than, say, well-researched articles from reputable news sources. It might seem illogical that bogus speculation can end up dominating searches for you, but that’s how a rumor mill works.
A great strength of the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice. That’s also one of its dangers: it can endow fraudsters and idle speculators with the appearance of authority.
The danger is real. This does not mean you should stop using the Internet. It means that you must proactively establish your accurate and positive presence on the web before there is a problem. You need to maximize your control over what people find about you, before someone else does it for you.
There are options. Companies have developed software solutions for online reputation protection. ReputationDefender, which is now a partner with TheStreet.com network, is my company, and we do just that.
Michael Fertik is the Founder and CEO of ReputationDefender, the online reputation management and privacy company.
Tags: Cyber Image, Cyber Slander, David Pollack, Google Image, Internet Defamation, Internet Gossip, Internet Law, Internet Slander, Michael Fertik, Online Image, Reputation Defender, Reputation Defender/MyEdge, Sue Scheff
