#reputation defender and other services based on #fear #uncertainty and #doubt

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http://www.reputationdefender.com/myreputation?

What is MyReputation? (according to reputation defender) - A customized search for every reference to you on the Web gives you total awareness of your online presence. We continue to monitor the Deep Web for any new reference to you and provide an alert. Our agents will work with you to identify the good, the bad and the inaccurate.

Personally I struggle with this (type of service) on so many levels, but this simple one is that this is marketing based on Fear and Ignorance.  The question is so what can you do about it when it has been indexed and found.  You only control data that you create about yourself, what others say about you is not in your control and they are entitled to their opinion (called free speech) - yes I know that there are services that promise to clean up your untidy past, but it is actually very hard. 

It is worth thinking about the TV series "you've been framed" or "they do the silliest things"  as they are actually very interesting if you are worried about digital as they are a good bench mark for what is possible.  Digital history is easy to find from any point, but if you do become famous - it is surprising how many people have old content of you which in the old currency could be sold.  These TV services are make up of a lot of 'old' media content,

I am however starting to feel some modest degree of common sense about these services based on the following

1.  At some point the head hunters/ HR department head/ recruiter will have a 'youthful' and 'naive' Facebook profile

2.  A polished profile is like a polished CV - truthful in parts, but which parts is difficult to tell

3.  Awareness of the effect of 'unwelcome' attention due to a some content with you in, it makes great TV/ entertainment

4.  We are teaching some ideas at school about on-line citizenship

I am sure that there was an economic model called the "perfect market" where we all had the best information available and at the point these types of services added no value. So the perfect market is still a hope.