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Over at the Radically Transparent book site and blog, we’ve uploaded "Your Seven Step Online Reputation Crisis Plan." The book contains an entire chapter on repairing your online reputation, but this article is a good primer–and will tide you over until you get a chance to order the book. 
Here are the first two steps:
1. Check the facts
Quite often there are two sides to any story. Before you start responding to accusations made online, take the time–but no more than an hour or so–to assess the situation, gather the facts, and evaluate the appropriate response.
2. Determine the impact
Decide if the attack on your reputation warrants a response from you. Is the attack coming from someone influential? Is the attack spreading quickly? Are many new voices joining the attack? Answer “yes” to any of these questions, and you’ll likely need to respond.
