Every couple of months we get a new survey which illuminates just how under-appreciated the industry of web reputation management is. The numbers are more shocking this time than at any time in the past, amazingly.

according to a recent survey of 1100 hiring managers, 70% of U.S. companies say they have disqualified candidates based on what they find online when they do those searches. That same survey found that only 7% of U.S. consumers think their online footprint affects their job search.

Seventy percent of businesses disqualifying candidates based on online information while only seven percent of candidates think that is important is just atrocious. It speaks to the lack of knowledge on the subject that numbers like this could appear. Lest you think this survey is junk, it involved an unusually high number of participants and was run for Microsoft for research purposes.

http://blogs.sciencemag.org/sciencecareers/2010/03/employers-consi.html

Roseanne Barr has made statements that make even the craziest of people say, “Uhhh, that’s nuts”. Roseanne Barr is in some hot water over her comments regarding Marie Osmond’s son, who recently committed suicide.

“How sickening. I know so many Mormon kids who were gay and committed suicide, and I just cannot and will not stay quiet in order to not offend bigots anymore. It is all so terribly depressing.

“Marie please don’t talk about how your faith in your church has helped you get through this one! Please get some integrity and tell that church of yours that you will leave it and stop giving it ten percent of your money if they don’t stop trying to destroy your kids’ and all gay people’s civil rights and dreams and hopes!!

“G-d is trying to use you for something good and this is your opportunity! Your church is wrong and on the wrong wrong wrong side of things! Get as vocal about that as you are about your diet. G-d bless you too, Marie.

This is going to do damage to Roseanne’s already-ruined reputation online. The blogosphere is taking her to task over her comments, too, so the controversy is not likely to die down anytime soon. A little personal reputation management would go a long way for Ms. Barr, who seems to have a penchant for finding controversies like this.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/03/roseanne-barr-blames-mormon-church-death-marie-osmonds-son

Attorney Dimitrios Biller is a nightmare for Toyota right now. By now, anyone who is following the news has heard that Toyota has had to make a major recall which has damaged their image, as well as their bottom line, badly.So why do they need to fear a lawyer on top of all this?

The automaker could be in for an even worse time if it can’t find a way to shut down attorney Dimitrios Biller. He’s the former national managing counsel who oversaw the company’s National Rollover Program from 2003 to 2007. Now he’s a whistle-blower claiming the Japanese giant has been hiding potentially damning evidence that should have been provided to owners who’ve sued the company over allegedly defective products.

Toyota has enough problems already with Biller out there either finding more or drawing attention to more. They have already attempted to minimize his effect through dismissals of his accusations and controlling his reputation, i.e. calling him a disgruntled former employee. One thing is clear, though. By the end of this debacle, both Toyota and Biller will need a company to clean up, and protect them from, all the internet defamation that is being slung at them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33192916/ns/business-the_drivers_seat/