But back to MY point, you should certainly make an effort to put positive information about yourself on the Internet — there’s no downside, as long as you’re not revealing overly personal details.

If you don’t publish information on yourself, then the only information out there is going to be out of your direct control. Establish a positive “brand presence” — but no, don’t hide any bodies, that’s just asking for more trouble.

You can’t just worry about “massaging perceptions,” because people don’t carry their data in their heads – they GoogleAskYahoo for it. Therefore, you have to have an answer for the allegations that you’ve somehow violated the promises you’re made to the public.

I’ve recommended answering such charges, but on space you control. Answering a critic on their blog or forum gives them the power to delete – or even worse, edit! The trick is to make sure *your* page shows up first. That entails copying verbatim the negative commentary to your site, and answering it there. A comprehensive section that has ALL of your criticism will shoot to the top of the pagerank – only in this case, you have the chance to answer.

Old school Reputation Managers shudder the thought, but it’s the only way to put your truthful answers into the mix. It also says a LOT about your transparency and honesty. Few have taken that leap of faith, because they hold to the notion we’re still playing the old game.

(My post on this is halfway written – but I need to formulate a few more elements…)