Reputation Hawk

It is easy to understand how so many people's reputations are damaged on the Internet.

The Internet can be a tad anarchic at times, especially as it regards libel or slander. This is because although there are laws regulating the Internet, there aren't many.

Some people, or companies, spend years building up a reputation with other individuals or customers. Warren Buffet once quoted as saying, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Warren Buffet has long been called the “Sage of Omaha” for his wisdom in all things financial—but here he imparts a bit of wisdom that is applicable both to everyday life and to a niche industry: Internet Reputation Management.

Internet Reputation Management is the practice of manipulating or reshaping one's search results to reflect a more positive, or accurate, depiction of a particular person or company. This industry got started in 2006, originally to defend children from the dangers of social networking sites. However, it has evolved into something more than that.

The Internet is an area of unregulated free speech on virtually any subject—including those that are controversial—without regard as to whether certain speech is true or not.