Like the old Wild West, the Internet is a bit anarchic–but that doesn’t mean that there is no justice or that there is no way to defend yourself against unfair attacks. Just like the old West, there are tools with which individuals can protect their honor/reputation–and on the Internet it doesn’t require a six-shooter or any risk of getting shot! Wild West 2.0 is a new book on reputation management written by Michael Fertik. In it, he offers suggestions on self-defense against the sometimes-malicious Internet.

Your online identity is made up of all the online content that appears to belong to you. To claim it, you do not need to reveal any information about yourself. You simply need to claim usernames and URLs that mirror or resemble your real name. Create profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook. Visit the most popular user-created content sites—Google Profiles, Twitter, and blogging sites—and register your name, or something close to it, as a username. Finally, register your name as a domain name. It doesn’t require any technical knowledge and, if you use a popular registrar such as GoDaddy.com, costs around $10 per year. By claiming your name across the digital frontier, you will have an established profile in case of a future impersonation attempt or slanderous attack.

This is just one part of a book review on WorkBloom, the rest is well worth reading. One can never be too informed about online reputation management services.

http://workbloom.com/blog/miscellaneous/protecting-your-online-reputation-smart-digital-self-defense-and-insurance-against-damage/