Opposing Forces: How online reputation management can work for fame or shame

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Do you care what people think about you?

For most people, the answer is probably: "At least some of the time". A whole industry - the reputation management industry - has grown up around meeting the needs of those who care enough about their reputation to pay people to enhance it. And with the information explosion that's come about with the advent of the World Wide Web, it's no surprise that reputation management has made its way online too.

But, as with any new industry, there's plenty of misinformation about it - much of it provided by the reputation managers themselves. This book sets out to cut through the spin and hype to give a clear picture of what online reputation management is all about, how it can affect anyone or any company with an online presence, and why it matters.

Author Theodore Koukouvitis looks at the techniques used by reputation managers to burnish their clients' reputations - and tarnish their competitors' - and explains both the above-board and underhand methods deployed, along with some of the tricks the more unscrupulous ORM companies use to play one client off against another.

All levels of client are explored: from mighty conglomerates like Microsoft and Apple down to the local hairdresser, from celebs like Madge and Rio down to the teenager just setting up a Facebook profile. Likewise, all the key PR battlegrounds are covered, with some startling insights - for instance how search engine results are manipulated, and just how far it's possible to trust supposedly personal product reviews. There's even a look at the legal and business ethical considerations that come into play.

"Opposing Forces: How online reputation management can work for fame or shame" is a helpful, comprehensive and easy-to-understand overview that gives an excellent head-start to any newcomer to the cut-and-thrust of reputation management on the Web. You won't want to venture online without it. If protecting your good name online is even the slightest bit important to you, read it now.