Truth & Advocacy By Calvin-Lee Hardie – Inverness

By Calvin-Lee Hardie

Inverness-based content creator, rights advocate, and digital survivor

When the internet came for me, I didn’t have a legal team.

I didn’t have PR.

I didn’t even have a clear plan.

What I had was a name — Calvin-Lee Hardie — being thrown around like it belonged to someone else. And I had to learn, painfully and publicly, how to protect myself in a digital world that rewards chaos, clicks, and cruelty.

If you’re dealing with online smears, misinformation, or platform failure, here are five brutally honest lessons I learned — that I wish someone had told me sooner.

1. 

Silence is mistaken for guilt. Document everything.

Whether you’re being defamed, misrepresented, or harassed — assume every moment matters.

📌 Save screenshots.

📌 Archive pages.

📌 Record timestamps and URLs.

Even if you think it won’t matter later — it might.

The digital world moves fast, but evidence moves slower through legal systems. You need to be one step ahead.

2. 

Narrative beats outrage. Own your story before they do.

If you don’t define yourself, the internet will.

Start a blog. Build a Google Site. Publish your truth. Don’t rely on social media — own your platform.

That’s what I did with:

• The Long Return
• Playback
• Not Just a Name

Each one isn’t just a blog.

It’s a shield.

A receipt.

A version of me that they can’t rewrite.

3. 

You don’t need permission to fight back.

They’ll tell you “let it go.”

They’ll warn you about backlash.

They’ll act like staying silent is noble.

But there’s nothing noble about letting lies spread.

You are legally entitled to submit takedown requests, file complaints, and protect your digital footprint.

You don’t need to be famous.

You don’t need a blue tick.

You just need proof — and persistence.

4. 

Platforms aren’t your ally. Use their systems — then go public.

I filed complaints.

I reported violations.

I got templated rejections.

I escalated anyway.

When that didn’t work?

I published the process.

Word for word.

Screenshot by screenshot.

Because sometimes, transparency is the only pressure that works.

5. 

Reputation isn’t just restored — it’s rebuilt.

There’s no undo button.

No magic takedown form that gives you peace.

But what you can do is out-index, out-publish, and outlast the damage.

SEO became my armour.

Structure became my weapon.

And the blogs they mocked became the pages that now show up first.

I didn’t get my name back.

I reclaimed it.

🧭 Final Advice: Be loud. Be lawful. Be relentless.

Digital self-defense isn’t just about fixing what they did — it’s about leaving a trail they can’t ignore.

• File every complaint
• Publish every rebuttal
• Own your name across every search page

If someone Googles you, make sure they find your truth before they find the lies.