The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

National Cyber Safety Awareness Month ( NCSAM ) is here.  October is a month that is highlighted by encouraging people to get in the know about their cyber and virtual safety .  Especially parents with kids and specifically - teens. Why teens ?  Because they are the ones that will most likely be applying to colleges or looking for employment and if their online resume isn't kept updated and appropriate , chances are good that their won't be accepted or they may not get that job. PEW study shows that about 75% of all Americans are using the Internet. More importantly over 53% of people are Googling each other ! Do you know what Google is saying about you ?  Do you know what it says about your teenager? It is time to " get in the know " and learn to maintain your digital profile. Here are some quick tips to start. Remember, the Internet is today’s information highway and your name has a road sign. 1. Sign up for free services and post ...

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. Source: Reputation Defender Blog In many ways, 2009 was a banner year for social media. While pioneering sites like Friendster were forced to finally cut their losses and sell, others, like Facebook, eclipsed 350 million users, setting a new precedent for social networking websites. With its 140 character “tweets,” Twitter brought micro-blogging to the masses, becoming one of the most talked about new companies in the world in the process. 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 CE...

Skip the holiday presents - give the gift of virtual presence! The who: * Help jump-start your potential college applicant/application. * Out of work? Learn to promote your skills online. * Professional or small business owner? Learn to own and manage your virtual image. The why: •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 The how: Tip 1: Check out your social networking sites. If there is information or photo’s on there you wouldn’t share with your grandparents, chances are they shouldn’t be on the Internet. Keep it clean! Tip 2: Sign up for personal branding services. This is free. Services such as Naymz , Ziggs , LinkedIn a...