About The Book
Wild West 2.0 covers many issues about what can and cannot be said or done about your reputation and your privacy on the internet including First Amendment rights, free speech, libel, slander, “Google truth”, the internet as tattoo parlor, scarlet content on the internet, trashy websites, cyber-gossip and people believing only the gossip even when presented with proof of the truth, google insurance, electronic warfare, google is not God, online stalker + lurking = sturking, bolstering or cleaning up the dirt about your online life, google as machine and indeed, that machine is US, you and me. Among much innovative thinking about the internet and savvy techno charm, authors Michael Fertik and David Thompson tell you why it is important and how to protect and defend your reputation on the internet, including not only you, but your children’s reputation and your company’s reputation and much more. This is new material and a very important book. Check out the voluminous press and video interviews with Michael Fertik on his website: www.reputationdefender.com.

In less than two years Michael Fertik has become the go-to guy for any comments in the press regarding problems with your REPUTATION or your PRIVACY (or your child’s or your company’s) on the Internet…or anywhere in this precarious digital age. Michael has appeared on various media spots – mostly National - including ABC News, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, Fox News and in numerous newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and many more. One of Michael’s clients was quoted in the Wall Street Journal calling Michael’s company - Reputation Defender - a “lifesaver.” And in the paperback edition of his bestselling book The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman quotes Michael Fertik: “…For many people the Internet has become a scarlet letter, an albatross…”

Press and Quotes for Wild West 2.0:

Publishers Weekly (April 5, 2010):

Wild West 2.0: How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation on the Untamed Social Frontier. Michael Fertik and David Thompson. Amacom, $24.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-814*41509*2

Fertik and Thompson, respectively CEO and chief privacy officer at ReputationDefender, tackle online defamation, which can cause a company significant damage with only a few mouse clicks. The good news is that if you are prepared, you can defend your company and make sure that its online image is a true reflection of reality. Likening the Internet to the new frontier of the American Wild West, the authors explore the challenges of being in a world that is instant, permanent, and anonymous. They provide valuable insight into the quandary of “Google Truth,” why people attack each other online, and the different types of Internet attacks. Of particular usefulness are the chapters on how to measure this type of damage, including how to do an online reputation audit. They stress the benefits of a proactive defense and show how to recover after the damage has been done. Full of invaluable information that readers will be very grateful to have when they need it, this book explains the rules and provides the tools for overcoming online attacks and regaining a positive reputation.

Praise for Wild West 2.0:

“An excellent guide to safeguarding reputation from the perils of the open, wild, and often rough-and-tumble Internet, Fertik and Thompson offer sage advice for how people can protect themselves against gossip, falsehoods, bullying, and other online threats.”
---Daniel J. Solove, author of The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet

“The Internet does not forget. In an age of comprehensive digital memory, Wild West 2.0, offers not only first-rate analysis, but real-world practical tips on how to defend your reputation and survive the digital memory storm.” ---Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, author of Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting

“Wild West 2.0 should be mandatory reading for businesses---especially in these wild days of social media playing the role of Billy the Kid. Conducting business online without this book is like facing a gang of desperados with nothing but a cap gun. I recommend it highly to guerrilla marketers everywhere.” ---Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of guerrilla marketing and author of the Guerrilla Marketing series of books

“The Internet is a fast, convenient source of false information. Read Wild West 2.0 to find out how to protect yourself.” ---Gregg Easterbrook, author of Sonic Boom

“Wild West 2.0 is a wake up call to parents everywhere. The Internet is our children’s new playground, fraught with online bullies and attackers. Fertik and Thompson remind us that we need to supervise them on this new frontier, and provide tips on how to take action if our loved ones are harmed online. A must-read for anyone with a computer, an internet connection, or a family to protect.” ---Dr. Michele Borba, Ed.D., author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries

“Your business reputation and personal privacy are at risk in ways you never thought possible. Wild West 2.0 compellingly explains the risks and blind spots created by the ‘social Internet,’ and teaches individuals and businesses how to succeed in the new cyberworld.”
---Drew Bartkiewicz, author of Unseen Liability; and vice president of Cyber, Technology, and New Media Risks at The Hartford

“Do you know what Google Truth or the Streisand Effect are? You will and you should. Read this book and prepare yourself for the trench warfare that is Wild West 2.0.”
---Timothy Ferriss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek

“Michael Fertik and David Thompson have produced an invaluable guide for anyone who is concerned about their reputation in the brave new world of the Internet.’
---Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia