Why? The of 1996 gives almost total immunity to Web sites, says Fertik. Even if you can establish a legal case, the distinctly nonphysical nature of the Web -- where you, your defamer and the company that hosts the offending material can be in different states or countries, or simply be unknown -- means that sorting out jurisdictions can turn into a legal quagmire.

Likewise, Fertik adds, another surprise dead end is the place where many people launch their erasure efforts: Google.

If an item doesn't show up in a Google search, it's as good as being truly gone, right?

Wrong. "Removing content from Google or another search engine would still leave the original content that exists on the Web," says a Google spokesman.

The better route, according to the spokesman: "Users that want content removed from the Internet should contact the webmaster of the page or the Internet hosting companies or ISPs hosting the content to find out their content removal policies."