Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Protecting Your Online Reputation Is No Easy Task



by Matt Kroschel
Grand Junction- Word of mouth has gone high tech, now anyone can say just about anything about you or your business online.

"It slander and its frustrating when people can just say what they want and there is no way to hold them accountable," Kannah Creek owner Eric Ross told NewsChannel Five.

There are hundreds of websites devoted to giving people a virtual soap box to spew anything they like and don't like online, and once it hits the web it is hard to erase.

Ross spends a lot of time at work surfing the web looking at comments, and does what he can to respond to the negative ones, but that is hard because most people post as anonymous.

"This is a huge problem, people can hide behind their key boards and say anything," Online reputation manager Dan O'Connor said.

O'Connor's Grand Junction based business is booming as they fight back against negative and in many cases fabricated lies on the web that can ruin a business's reputation.

"We have a point by point system to help clean up a person's image online and present a more complete picture, it only takes one or two bad comments or reviews to ruin a business," O'Connor said.

For more information about NikeMedia and how you can clean-up your online reputation Click Here

Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Sued, Legal Battle Brewing




Voter Privacy vs. Public Open Records Request at Center of Heated Issue

by Matt Kroschel

Mesa County - The Mesa County Clerk and Recorder is being sued, and some people believe the outcome could have a huge effect on the 2012 general election.

Aspen resident Marilyn Marks is leading a statewide attack on county elections officials, including her lawsuit against the top Mesa County elections official. Her group claims the way things are set up right now is unconstitutional and could give anyone the chance to know how you voted on county elections.

Marks has requested copies of all of Mesa County's paper ballots, but because of the current system in place, clerk and recorder Sheila Reiner denied that request. Reiner told NewsChannel 5 if she does release the ballots under the open records request, there is a chance someone's personal private vote could be seen.

The issue is going to go before a district judge with a court date set for April. Several Mesa County residents have contacted us with concerns about the voter privacy.