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

Recently, Readers Digest posted an excellent article by Michael Fertik, CEO and founder of ReputationDefender . It is a subject I am very much passionate about - and for full disclosure, I am also a long time client and fan of ReputationDefender.  At the Internet is growing and expanding at record speed - keeping up can be almost impossible!  However it is imperative you do your best to be in touch with your virtual reputation - and protect your kids, especially your teens that will be applying to colleges and looking for employment. From Readers Digest: As cyberbullying becomes more and more prevalent in the news and in our children's lives it's important to talk to your kids about their online reputation, especially on social networks, and how it can affect their real lives. Here are 5 basic tips to guide your child as they navigate the Internet: 1. If it’s Online, Consider it Public Information There’s no way to guarantee that what you post online will stay ...

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...

California attorney, Adrianos Facchetti , recently reviewed Google Bomb and his comments are amazing. I am always grateful that others are finally hearing and understanding what is happening in cyberspace. It is a growing and expanding problem as small businesses are suffering, reputations tainted, and lives being ruined by a some vicious keystrokes and clicks of a mouse.Read the outstanding reviews click here .

Amazon has the books ready for delivery and already the demand is high! Online vs Offline - are they equal to who you are? When Revenge turns to E-Venge? Do you know how to protect yourself? Free Speech does not condone Internet Defamation! Rise above Internet Defamation - learn how to take your online image back and how to maintain it!

Many that know me know that I am a supporter of keeping kids and adults safe in cyberspace. Whether you want to protect your business' online reputation or monitor your families privacy, including preventing identity theft, ReputationDefender is one of the pioneer online reputation management services. I not only use them, I recommend them to parents regularly. I am not a spokesperson for them, nor do I receive any referral fees from them - I just know first hand the work they do. Do you know what your child is doing online?? Summer is here, which in many cases, means more online time - be sure you are aware of what is going on in your child's cyber-room. Source: ReputationDefender How to Stop Cyber Bullying Cyber Bullying is an act of aggression exercised online and is typically experienced by web-savvy teens and pre -teens. Cyber bullying, which can take place through social networking sites, forums, emails, instant messaging conversations, and blogs, are aimed at caus...

Source: ReputationDefender Blog MSNBC and other mainstream media outlets have picked up on the Cisco Fatty story that involves a woman getting fired for her twitter post . Quoting from the page: Why waste valuable social networking hours getting yourself “Facebook fired,” when Twitter allows you to humiliate yourself quickly, and in 140 characters or less? A recent tweet by one would-be Cisco employee proves that when it comes to placing a permanent black mark on your resume via the Internet, Twitter is now the tool of choice. To illustrate, here’s the tweet the now Web-infamous “theconnor” shared with the world: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” It wasn’t long before Tim Levad, a “channel partner advocate” for Cisco Alert, shared this open response: “Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web...

Pre-Order Google Bomb on Amazon.com today! Our society has reached an all-time low. Simple keystrokes can now literally ruin lives, reputations, and cause years of suffering, and require exorbitant amounts of time, money, and sanity to rebuild a life and/or career that has been shattered by cyberbullying, Internet defamation, identity theft, privacy invasion, and so much more. There is even a term that has emerged into our lexicon that describes the practice of manipulating the ranking of web pages: Google Bomb. Sue Scheff knows first hand about the devastating effects of Google bombing and Internet defamation. Her reputation was destroyed and she almost lost her business because of false and libelous statements about her and her business that went viral. Falling into a deep depression accompanied by agoraphobia, Sue could not escape the abusive attacks from strangers and the paranoia that accompanies such abuse. However, she fought back, and sued the figure head who launched the attac...

Oh yes, it is almost here, my second book! This time around, I am honored to have co-author and Internet Specialist Attorney , John Dozier . As my story of my landmark case of $ 11.3M jury verdict for damages unravels - many questions answers, John Dozier will bring us the legal landscape of today's Cyber World - how to protect your online image and maintain a profile you are proud of! To compound our dynamic and explosive upcoming best seller - Michael Fertik , CEO and Founder of ReputationDefender will be writing the foreword! ReputationDefender is one of the pioneers in managing online reputations and helping keep your kids privacy safe online. This timely book will offer you tools and remedies as well as a very compelling story that will keep you turning those pages! Remember, a 20 year reputation today can be destroyed within 20 minutes of vicious keystrokes. Have you thought about Internet Gossip vs Internet Fact? How do you know the difference? Don’t get caught in ...

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 ...

As a victim and survivor of the wicked web (at times), I was vindicated at a jury trial for damages when I was awarded over $11M for the defamatory comments posted about me. I credit my attorney, David Pollack , for successfully proving to the jury how I was damaged (defamed) online. Remember, free speech does not condone defamation. What happens after the jury goes home and I have my $ 11.3M judgment ? Well, you get a lot of media attention, new stalkers arrive, you become a Limited Public Figure (something I was not prior this major victory), and before you know it - you are the face of Internet Defamation Survivor. However what it doesn’t do is erase the ugliness the perpetrator did to you online. For that, I sought out the services of Reputation Defender . O-kay, so you can’t literally erase all the unflattering online statements - but you can start filling the web with who you really are - and what you believe in. I used ReputationDefender MyEdge - which is a priceless service f...

I read this very interesting Blog today on today's kids and what they can put online about not only themselves, but about their parents! Not excluding other family members. By Eve Tahmincioglu Are your Internet-crazed kids sabotaging your job search/career? Who knows things about you that you’d rather not share with the general public? That you drink two or three martinis every night. Maybe you like to call in sick when you’re really not sick to play basketball with the kids. Or maybe you’re prone to punching in walls when you fight with your spouse. I’ve written a lot about digital dirt lately. You know, the negative information about you on the Internet you don’t want your boss or prospective employers to see. Well, here’s a minefield you better keep an eye on — Your own digitally savvy kids that seem to spend every waking moment of their lives sending weird things to eachother on Facebook, or MySpace. The owner of ReputationDefender.com , Michael Fertick, recently told me of a n...

Keeping Your Profile Clean By Elizabeth Ody Since winning an unprecedented jury verdict of over $11M for Internet Defamation and Invasion of Privacy, more and more people are learning about the valuable services of companies like ReputationDefender . In today's CyberWorld - it only takes a few keystrokes to potentially ruin lives and businesses. I will continue to be a voice to help others and help promote Internet Safety.

Krysten Moore is 2007 Miss Teen International of New Jersey continues to be a voice to help protects kids from cyberbullying . As a once victim of cyberbullying , she fought back and went on to rise above it all. Today Krysten's voice is heard in the many lectures she has given and recently she was on The Cyber Savvy Show with Erika-Marie Geiss . Listen here . I meet Krysten when we were both on The Rachael Ray show and was extremely impressed with her maturity and dedication to help others. This week (May 21st) on The Cyber Savvy Show , Michael Fertik from Reputation Defender will be on.

Since signing up with ReputationDefender after winning my $11.3M jury verdict for damages done to me on the Internet, I have proudly spoken out about this priceless service. Even winning my unprecedented case, it didn't eliminate the horrific, malicious defamatory statements online about me. I retained ReputationDefender and was amazed at how they were able to have my Online image match up with my in person reputation. In a matter of months, my Online Profile was back to normal and I felt like a new person. Now they have launched their latest service ReputationDefender MyEdge which is a personal PR for the web for you! Now everyone is able to maintain their reputations and most importantly promote themselves and regain their reputation online. Lastly, I continue to encourage parents to review/sign up for ReputationDefender / MyChild to help maintain their child's privacy online especially in the growing social networks. I am not a spokesperson for ReputationDefender ...

Vengeance websites are giving angry women the chance to expose their ex-partners as love rats. David Smith on the rising tide of ‘e-venge’ Click here for entire article. As a victim of E-Venge ( Sue Scheff ) I know firsthand how deadly a few keystrokes can be to a person, a business and a life. I fought back - and won an uprecedented jury verdict for damages of over $ 11M for malicious and defamatory online comments. Free speech will not condone defamation - this is not about the first amendment. I will continue to be a voice in promoting Internet Safety without infringing on free speech. My meetings with my Senator and my Congresswoman are the beginning of a long journey towards positive change.

I was contacted by CNN News in regards to this recent story. As a parent advocate , I am proactive in helping parents protect their children in Cyberspace - whether it is monitoring their MySpace account - or using other protective measures such as Reputation Defender/MyChild to monitor your child's privacy - but this story completely shocked me. How can a parent condone a 13 year old writing about a principal in sexual ways? Where is this coming from? The parent is claiming their son has " free speech " - and they are correct about that, but when your 8th grader is calling someone a rapist or child molester without any substantiated evidence, in my opinion, this could be considered defamation - and as my beliefs continue - " Free Speech does not condone defamation ." Furthermore - the writings of "giving students anal" or "jacking off in my office" - is absolutely disgusting that a 13 year old writes this way. This is my personal opinion ....

As both a victim and now a survivor of Online Attacks, Internet Defamation, Cyberstalkers from extremely disturbed people (in my opinion) I have fought back and won! In an unprecedented jury verdict for damages, I was awarded $11.3M for what one woman did to me online. The jury took time to read the hundreds of posts of clear defamation and slander in an attempt to destroy me, my organization and hurt my family. In many interviews I have been asked ”why” do people find the need to hurt others? I simply don’t have that answer. We can speculate, but I believe deep down people are not happy with themselves and feel the need to project their misery on to others. John Dozier of Dozier Internet Law wrote an excellent article the outlines potential persona’s of these type of people. “ The Top Ten Blogger Persona’s: The Mobosphere Unvieled .” Then Jacqui Cheng wrote about the Nutjobs that feel the need to hurt others online. It is obvious this is a growing problem. Read more about Online Repu...

New Zealanders are employing "reputation protection" companies to eliminate inappropriate content about them on internet sites such as Facebook, fearing it could damage their employment or dating prospects. Dubbed "digital housekeeping", the online clean-up is one of the issues trend-spotters say will emerge in 2008 as the public wakes up to the potential dangers of social sites, blogs and online reviews. American company Reputation Defender is spearheading the trend and has five Kiwi customers on its books. Director Michael Fertik says four of them are paying the company US$9.95 a month to undertake detailed internet searches hunting for inappropriate, hurtful or inaccurate information and negotiating its removal if required. Fertik says customers mainly use the service to ensure they impress employers who routinely check social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo and MySpace before going ahead with job interviews. But many clients are also concerned about pote...

Today Sue Scheff and Michael Fertik ( Reputation Defender ) appeared on the Fox News Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. The discussion of Internet Defamation is growing larger and expanding throughout the country. Free Speech will always have its' place on the Internet, however it doesn't condone defamation . Libelous comments can be held accountable as in the Sue Scheff vs Carey Bock case. A jury deliberated for several hours over the slanderous and libelous posts and found damages in the amount of $11.3M . Currently, after Carey Bock Levine was denied to have the judgement set aside, the garnishment of her wages will start shortly. Mike and Juliet are excellent hosts and understand that this issue is a growing concern today.

As a Parent Advocate and a victim of Internet Defamation - I turned to Reputation Defender not only for myself, but for parents that have teens and kids on MySpace and other Internet Forums. Monitoring your child's online profile can help you prevent them from getting hurt on the Internet. Today's society can cause a lot of distress with people online defaming, slandering and harassing - especially kids. Protect your family online - check out the new website of Reputation Defender for "my child." Since I have disclosed I retained Reputation Defender , there will always be people that want to dispute their services - however when you have the truth on your side, and understand that Reputation Defender is not about erasing who you are - but rather about bringing the truth to light. With many businesses and organizations - there will always be people that don't agree with you or simply you can't satisfy all clients and customers. I certainly am not perfect and...