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 ...

Reputation Defender , the leader in protecting your online profile and helping you maintain your honest image, has some great advice on sending and receiving social media Valentine’s gifts. Source: Reputation Defender Blog This Valentine’s Day, keeping things “personal” between you and your significant other may mean not using social media or other online tools to express your genuine feelings. In other words, NOT sending Facebook flowers/hugs/lingerie/other assorted virtual gifts to someone you truly care about; NOT using E-Cards as a replacement for the real thing; and NOT uploading a video of yourself lip syncing (or worse actually singing) Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” in your underwear to YouTube to share with your partner and the rest of the online community. More often than not, the real thing is much more effective. With those thoughts in mind, we here at ReputationDefender have compiled some Valentine’s Day social media tips designed to keep the day special for jus...

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...

I was thrilled to be part of Columnist Elizabeth Bernstein's articlein the Wall Street Journal - The Dark Side of 'Webtribution' . She also listed my tips to help protect yourself online as well as wrote a fantastic column about what keystrokes can do to lives! Click here to read her article dated 12/01/09.

I created my organization, Parents Universal Resource Experts in 2001. Many parents contact us for assistance when they are at their wit’s end with their teenager. Parenting has so many more challenges since 2001, with the ever expanding technology that seems almost impossbile to keep up with. Now bullying has escalated to cyberbullying. Texting has created sexting. For parents, teachers and most adults, we are struggling to keep up. Today I speak a lot about protecting your teens online – what they post today, can haunt them tomorrow. More and more colleges are using Search Engines to research their candidates, do you know what Google is saying about your potential college applicant? ReputationDefender is the original online reputation management services, and since 2006 they have been helping people learn about their virtual presence. I personally have retained them, and find them to be priceless. Their service to protect your children is also priceless – take a moment to read the...

Source: ReputationDefender Blog By Rob Frappier October is the Sixth Annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance , the theme of this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month is “Our Shared Responsibility.” “Our Shared Responsibility” is about individuals taking a pro-active stance in protecting their privacy and security online. Rather than relying on the government or industry groups to regulate how you use the Internet, take it upon yourself to protect yourself online. You should also take some time to teach your children about the Internet and the things that they should and shouldn’t do online. For some great advice on how to protect yourself and your family online, check out these “Top Tips” from the National Cyber Security Alliance. Of course, here at ReputationDefender, we think about cyber security 365 days a year, so we have lots of great resources you can check out as well....

I was so flattered and honored to speak with Columnist and Journalist, Kathleen Parker . She interviewed me yesterday and wrote an amazing column which included my new book book, Google Bomb , that is now available on Amazon and will be officially released on September 1st. The endorsements and reviews have been fantastic! There is a ground swell, and I believe we have the making of a best seller. The topic is timely and sizzling with the recent news on Google being forced to expose an anonymous Blogger. Follow Google Bomb Book on Twitter @GoogleBombBook and @SueScheff Shock Waves From the Google Bombs By Kathleen Parker Wednesday, August 26, 2009 When Oscar Wilde observed that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about, he could not have imagined the Internet. The wild frontier we now know and (mostly) love called the blogosphere is a not-always-okay corral where Free Speech is armed and often dangerous. The latest showdown is between two women — a Vogu...

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...

When a family loses a child, I can’t even imagine the pain they endure. How they wake up the next day, how they feel, what they feel and how they go on with life. When a family loses a child in a tragic accident it seems it could only compound all the feelings of loss. On October 31, 2006 the Catsouras family experienced the nightmare every parent fears - losing a teen in a tragic automobile accident. The accident was the beginning of an emotional roller coaster. If you haven’t heard about this story, it is time to take a moment and help make a difference. Nikki Catsouras , after having a horrific car accident was dead on impact, the scene was described as shocking as Nikki’s head was nearly decapitated . Can you even imagine as a parent, learning of this? Can you imagine living through this? As a parent advocate and a parent of two young adults now, I couldn ’t even begin to imagine what this family has gone through. What follows next is nothing short of evil, in my opinion. Shortly...

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...

2009 will be here, as parents, making a resolution to learn more how to keep your child safe online should be a priority. With the ever expanding cyberworld - social networking - texting etc. the time is now to learn more. Source: http://www.ikeepsafe.org/ You don't have to be a computer expert to keep your child safe online.As parents, we want our children to be safe and responsible while using technology. We will have succeeded when each child can recognize and minimize the three main risks associated with all connected technology (i.e., iPods, instant messaging, chat, computer games, game consoles, cell phones, text messaging, webcams). Read More For more information: Hot Topics Videos & Tutorials Family Fun Lessons DARE Activity Center Online Safety Digest

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...

By http://www.education.com/ Everyone remembers the school bully in their lives. Maybe they stole your bike, or bloodied your nose, or spread a nasty rumor that had you hiding out in the bathroom. Whatever they did, they made life miserable. But as bad as they were, you could identify them, predict their behavior and try to steer clear. Unfortunately for your kids, that may no longer be the case. That’s because bullies can still be on the school grounds, but they can also be in cyberspace, lurking where no one can see them. Cyberbullying is on the rise, and the bad guys are not always who you think. A bully can be a girl spreading rumors about a former friend, or a student trying to get revenge on a teacher who gave them a bad grade, or a group of kids playing a prank on an unsuspecting schoolmate. Cyberbullying is a complex beast. Often it starts with otherwise nice kids from nice families who go online to “have a little fun” at someone else’s expense. But it can get out of hand very ...

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.