Yesterday didn’t start out as such a great day.

Rosemary and I were driving through a small town, minding our own business when I looked in my rear view mirror and saw what every motorist dreads…. the flashing of police car lights.

Surely he wasn’t after me!  So I pulled to the side of the road to let him by, and to my surprise, he pulled up behind me.  CRAP!

To make a long story short, he had stopped me for going through a red light.  I know in my heart that I was NOT guilty, but I wasn’t going to challenge this guy.  He looked MEAN!

With his spiffy uniform, gun belt, and reflective sun glasses so you couldn’t tell what he was looking at, he was the essence of intimidating.  He had AUTHORITY!

At least to me he did.  But why? 

What gives someone authority? 

In this case, it was fairly clear.  He had my attention immediately for what he represents — the Law!   And for the misery he could potentially cause in my life — ticket, points, even a trip downtown to the precinct if I was stupid enough to challenge him.

But what about online? 

What makes someone an authority online?

This is a much cloudier picture than the cop about to write you a ticket. 

I came across this free PDF at one of my favorite sites, Copyblogger.com.  It is aptly titled Authority Rules, and I urge anyone looking to establish online authority to go to the site, print out the PDF, and carry it around with you.  

It is a great resource on how to build authority even when you have none at the moment.

Enjoy, folks…

P.S.  Happy ending — I got off with a warning! 

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