Comments on: Your Online Reputation

By: T.W. Anderson

T.W. Anderson — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:39:17 +0000

Absolutely.

By: TC

TC — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:08:44 +0000

I guard my online reputation very, very carefully. I am quite passionate about my business and, back during the real estate “boom” I’d often get into arguments with folks about mortgages and real estate. There were times when I’d respond to some flaming attack on me, type the whole thing, my blood boiling the whole time. Then my better sense would kick in before I hit Captain Picard’s “engage” button.

I hewed to the line of extreme caution about what I say on the internet because, well, it’s out there FOREVER. (or at least until the next ice age)

Unfortunately I think too many folks on the ‘net think what they say is basically private. They don’t consider the consequences of their actions. Then again, you could say the same about the people who get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after drinking a bit too much.

Guard your online reputation by considering the consequences; it’s all about the consequences, whether Good, Bad, or Ugly.

By: T.W. Anderson

T.W. Anderson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:48:51 +0000

Pretty much. Beyond that, I think too many bloggers think they can say what they want and hide behind Internet anonymity, but those days are rapidly going the way of the dinosaur. Anything you say on the Internet can be held against you in a court of law, so it’s best to do like your mother told you…if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

By: Anne Wayman - About Freelance Writing

Anne Wayman - About Freelance Writing — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:42:59 +0000

I started my online life what seems like a hundred years ago on The Well, probably the original online community… all text.

One of the first things they taught us there was not to put anything online we weren’t willing to see on the front page of the NY Times… a good rule even today I think.

By: T.W. Anderson

T.W. Anderson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:57:58 +0000

Yep. I might have worded that first part incorrectly; if you notice later in the article I reference the fact that it’s the defamation lawsuits that are the deterrent.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:08:30 +0000

“For those of you who are not familiar with how slander/libel works, it basically means that no one, regardless of how upset they are with your performance, is allowed to spread information about you which could potentially jeopardize your lifestyle in any way, shape or form, at least not publicly.”

Truth is an absolute defense to libel and slander. HR departments usually decline to elaborate on their history with former employee not because it’s unlawful to say negative things, but because they fear frivolous defamation lawsuits.