Comments on: When Does Reputation Management Become Unethical? The Case for a Code of Ethics!

By: Kimberly Bock

Kimberly Bock — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:17:36 +0000

I known for being overly emotional. I know it is said to have no place in business. I’d like to think that social media, is considered a business platform, that allows that notion to change. Because it’s one platform, where people share, communicate, and interact. It involves emotion for many of us.

I know it was just a visual wake up call, but it’s difficult to see, for example, without getting emotional.

Thinking of all the babies who are already breathing in second hand smoke, and the companies that make them who just don’t care.

Yes, Jeff, sometimes, as hard as it may be, it would be nice to think that what’s ‘right’ will win out. Becaue, as what’s wrong keeps winning, it simply continues to flourish, grow, expand, and devour.

Ultimately, when this happens, much good that could have come of it, is crushed. And we are left at home behind our morning coffee cups, reading the newspaper, wondering how the world became so riddled with lack of humanity.

It is painful to watch it as it is happening, even in our personal affairs, and not be able to do a thing about it.

Good post Jeff. Thanks.

By: Jason Kuiper

Jason Kuiper — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:08:58 +0000

Code of ethics and business are like oil and water. There is soo much greed, and no one cares about the guy next to them!

By: SEO Tips South Africa

SEO Tips South Africa — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:52:55 +0000

Hats off to you for for not aiding and abetting! Personal integrity has to play a role in ones business dealings, and some wrongs just can’t be covered up.

By: Milind Mody

Milind Mody — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:54:25 +0000

I would think ORM is similar to Crisis management (a service many PR firms offer)?

Do PR firms have code of ethics? I don’t know. But it really depends on an individual/ company whether to take an account or not. As others here, we have also declined some projects because we were not comfortable with what we were asked to do.

But do we really need a code of ethics? I really don’t know 🙂

By: Singapore SEO

Singapore SEO — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:19:32 +0000

It is difficult to input moral values when running a business. Unless the nature of the client’s business will bring harm to many in terms of health, money or relations, we normally do not reject our clients.
Rif Chia

By: Singapore Internet Marketing

Singapore Internet Marketing — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:35:03 +0000

Online reputation management services are part of our core services and i got to admit that at times, we find ourselves dealing with clients that are really disappointing in their services and resulted in negatives results every now and then. What can we say. This is business.
Anna Nguyen

By: SEO Consultant

SEO Consultant — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:14:54 +0000

Jordan, you need the pacifier with a bottle of beer attached to the other end of it. And not that watered down Utah beer. 🙂

I agree with SEO Diva in that it will always have to be a personal decision. There are always two sides to every story and i have yet to talk to a ORM prospect that was not completely innocent of course. I have turned people away because of ethics and will not hesitate to again. I think that it becomes pretty obvious when there are tons of complaints in the first few pages of Google.

By: Utah SEO

Utah SEO — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:01:39 +0000

So where do I get one of those cigarette pacifier?

By: SEO Diva

SEO Diva — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:30:23 +0000

Kudos for turning the potential client down!

It may be hard to put together a code of ethics, since the reason a business needs reputation management can depend upon a lot of different factors. I think it’s an individual decision on what you’re comfortable with.

I had to do reputation management for a client of a company I used to work for, and I felt like the sleaze had rubbed off on me by the end of the campaign. No more of that!