This is a new medium in which outrage isn't expressed in a letter. It can really ruin a company's entire reputation. Rogue Web pages, often launched by irate consumers or former employees, have taken on a slew of big-name companies like BMW, Apple Computer and Burger King. The phenomenon is so new, many companies still are grappling with how to defend themselves. Others, however, are begrudgingly tolerant.
People have a right to their beliefs.
If we respond to every negative thing about the company, we wouldn't be able to do our jobs. But others are getting tough. We keep an ear to the ground, although there's no formal program. More than 600 companies over the past three years have hired eWatch, a New York firm that provides monitoring services. There are no editors in cyberspace.