Be sure to check out what information is posted about you and your family online… Have you ever found some information that wasn’t supposed to be there? Here’s a great article from WBTV that will help you determine what information about you and your loved ones can be found online…
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – We all know the old saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” What if the names go global across the internet and now you or your kids have a bad reputation online that carries into your off-line life?
If any of you have used a service like eBay or Amazon, you have seen a rating of the buyers and sellers out there. This gives you an idea of who to stay away from online when you are buying and selling something.
What if someone posted something negative about you or your child and now people stay away from you? You don’t need to be a victim.
There are different ways for you to spot an issue and to deal with it. Former White House cyber security expert Theresa Payton explains how you can deal with negative online postings about you.
Step Number One: Start by searching your own name and the names of everyone in your family. Try to read the results as a complete stranger. Then I ask them, “Would you hire you? Would you date you? Would you marry you? Would you want to do business with you?”
Sometimes the posts seem out of your control because someone else posted them. But you are not completely helpless. You can take control.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
FOR THE DO IT YOURSELF – FREE OPTIONS
There are 4 easy steps you can take to be A.L.E.R.T. about your online reputation:
1) A: Automated Alerts. Go to Google Alerts and set up a daily or weekly alert to let you know every time something hits the web with your name or your kids name.
2) L: Look yourself up in your favorite or multiple search engines. Try www.Google.com, www.Bing.com, www.Yahoo.com .
3) E: Erase & Eliminate. If you see postings you created that are not flattering, erase those. If you see content you do not like posted by your friends, for example a crazy party you attended, ask them nicely to eliminate those.
4) R: Register your FirstNameLastName.com so that you own your name as a website and post information there.
5) T: Type postings that are either on your favorite hobby or your profession and post them on places such as www.Facebook.com, www.Twitter.com, www.LinkedIn.com, or even on your own blog. You own the content, the frequency, and your own network of friends and professionals can give you ratings there that others can view. You can also use the free service, http://claimid.com to set up a profile about you.
PAID SERVICES
For those that prefer to pay a service to manage this for you, there are many options available to you.
First, decide your budget that you are willing to pay.
We are highlighting 4 options that you can research to see if they are a good fit for you.
These can help you, your kids, and your company:
ReputationDefender: www.reputationdefender.com
They have many services, including a monthly service that mines the web to find references about you and advisors who can help you to weed out the bad and the inaccurate. They also have a MyChild service targeted specifically for kids and how they and their friends use the internet.
Safety Net: www.socialmediamanagement.net has several services. They have one to protect your children and one that can focus on you or your company.
Designed for Businesses:
Reputation Hawk: www.reputationhawk.com
DigitalStakeout: www.digitalstakeout.com
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM
If the postings are false and you cannot get the negative postings down, you may have legal rights. Talk to legal counsel about your case to see if laws regarding protections from defamation, cyber stalking, or cyber bullying apply to your case.
Follow our A.L.E.R.T. tips on managing your online reputation. It will take time, but those negative posts will begin to drop off the search results.
RESOURCES:
claimID: ClaimID was created at UNC Chapel Hill in the computer department. They wanted to provide a free way to help people manage their online identity. Go to http://claimid.com
Understanding Social Media: www.Mashable.com
Book That Explains How to Manage Your Reputation Online: http://meandmywebshadow.com
Sue Scheff, Parent Advocate has helpful podcasts and articles about internet defamation. Try: http://suescheffpodcasts.com/ or http://suescheffblog.com/
Google Alert Set Up: http://www.google.com/alerts