Every second on the Internet, a reputation is being damaged by someone, somewhere!

While the Internet can be a powerful tool, it can also have a dark side.  Although everyone has the right to freedom of speech, that does not give people the right to post unlawful material. Unfortunately, there is no way of stopping the posting of material that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, obscene, libelous, hateful, invasive of another's privacy or otherwise objectionable.

Unfortunately the world is full of people who will stop at nothing to destroy the reputation and success of others and, although there are laws in place to protect against this kind of abuse, the damage is quick and powerful while the legal retribution is slow and painful.  The anonymity of the Internet makes it a perfect venue for spreading negative information, with few or no legal ramifications to the perpetrator. 

Now, consider the fact that almost everyone you deal with or are about to deal with (prospective clients, prospective employers, potential business partners, investors, universities, future employees, even prospective dates) is likely to research your web presence in order to determine who you are as a person and whether or not you are trustworthy.

With negative postings costing companies thousands of dollars and individuals endless frustration and embarrassment, your online reputation has become one of your most important online assets and protecting it is critical. As a matter of fact, monitoring your online reputation is just as critical as monitoring your credit score or your bank account.

Remember, there is no distinction today between your offline reputation and your online reputation except that your online reputation is instantly visible to the whole world.  And yes...the world is paying attention!