I know that I’ve been a bit quiet of late, but it’s been a conscious move while I get stuck into my new project. Now, we’re ready to start talking about it, and I’m just a little bit excited.

I’ve mentioned to a few people of late that now more than ever, the online aspect of managing your reputation is vital. Blogs and social media are becoming part of the mainstream, which has resulted in many brands and individuals engaging with this space because they feel like they have to, rather than because it's appropriate.

Many 'social media consultants', agencies and companies have sprung up to try and provide an answer to this problem, but are often as misguided or uninformed as those in need of help. This could be due to a lack of insight, or it could be because they are advising based upon a single viewpoint. They may be experts in some cases, but having tunnel-vision in this environment just doesn't work.

Why is this relevant? Well, I’ve joined Centaur Media to head up a new website called Reputation Online, which is part of the New Media Age family. This new project been created at a time where comparing editorial with user generated opinion is tough, when the experts in this field are only just starting to emerge and from a variety of areas. We're here to bring lots of different resources together in one place, so as well as writing, filming and recording for the site myself, readers will be able to do the same.

We’re due to launch at the end of September, so be patient with us. It’s quite unusual to see a large publisher invest in something fluid like this, which will be free to read, based on WordPress and willing to try out new mediums of content.

If you'd like to know more, please get in touch via vikki.chowney@centaur.co.uk or follow us on Twitter for regular updates (@rep_online).