Reputation Advocate Cites Online Attacks of Iowa Dentist as a Warning

    FRANKLIN, TN, January 19, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to Steven Wyer, Managing Director at Reputation Advocate, Inc., Dr. James H. Knight hails from Fort Dodge, Iowa where he was a popular dentist. His personal integrity is now under scrutiny after terminating an employee for dressing too provocatively. The firing took place at the request of Dr. Knight's wife who felt Melissa Nelson was becoming too attached to the dentist and believed her to be a threat to the marriage. What happened next is a cautionary tale for all professionals.

Dr. Knight's practice was pacing steadily, with Knight no doubt looking forward to retirement. However, after a December 2012 ruling that Nelson's firing was justified and legal, Dr. Knight's online reviews have described him as "a sexual pervert" and misogynist with one Yelp reviewer insinuating Knight as a rapist.

Dr. Knight's online reputation is now riddled with negative reviews from people, mostly in other states, who seem determined to drive him out of practice. A League City, Texas, reviewer on Yelp states, "He deserves to lose his business."

According to Reputation Advocate, a proactive approach to online reputation management is the only way to combat potential negative postings and protect against character damage and personal loss like Dr. Knight is experiencing. False information online can materially affect a business' bottom line, says Wyer, resulting in loss of clients, community respect and trust.

Dr. James H. Knight's situation is not unique. And in another twist to the story, it has adversely affected the reputation of another Iowa dentist with a similar name. Dr. James A. Knight has been mistakenly blasted on several websites. His current Yelp rating is just one star. This further underscores the urgent need for proactive online reputation management, cautions Reputation Advocate. Many professionals believe such situations will never happen to them, but Wyer says the pragmatic realities of online content can create vulnerabilities for anyone.

Steven Wyer is the author of "Violated Online," which ranks in the top 100 books in Science & Technology and Digital Law on Amazon.com.

Reputation Advocate is a provider of online reputation management services with headquarters in greater Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, please contact us at 888-229-0746. http://reputationadvocate.com

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