Companies would be wise to get a grip on executive communications via the Internet. There have been too many cases where executives, with the best of intentions, get a little carried away with their web posting, and it just may become a regulatory issue. But what happens when posts on the Internet from non-executives--indeed, non-employees--start taking on a life of their own? In many cases, they simply cannot be ignored. What's more, these incidents could be investor relations' worst nightmare. 

Just recently, Financial Week noted bogus posts that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had a heart attack. Bogus. It also noted that an old story about UAL's bankruptcy was posted on the Web, and subsequently linked to by top news vendors. A lot of people will immediately smell short sellers at work, but this may not be fair. Internet vigilance should be part of your policy and action template for dealing with rumors, in general. Some companies now have employees regularly trolling the web looking for rumors and falsehoods. That seems to be a no-brainer right now.  

For more:
- here's the Financial Week article

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