An Illuminating Experience... (a warning)

[len]

One thought:

How is a poster on a site such as this saying "I had one bad experience with vendor X" any different than a site such as http://chicago.metromix.com/restaurants/bar_food/alhambra-palace-restaurant-west-town/147750/content where a great percentage of the posters/reviewers were unhappy with the place? Not trying to start anything, I'm just curious.

BTW, I chose that particular restaurant because I did the design and initial programming in the place. And I always liked the food, although I never went there as a customer, only ate there when I was working.

 

[ship]

My opinon again, different form to the website where personal subjective opinion about such things is a prime mover for it.

Were there a section say of this website that has a time limit for such posts lasting perhaps for six months that would be appropriate next to punching bag as it's also a similar type of posting. Otherwise on blogs perhaps etc.

Personally and this might be what is making my opinion different than that of most it might seem is that I don't see a problem with making such a post without the need to say who exactally it was.

We all buy stuff from time to time, if you get bad service from your local ACE hardware does that mean that all branches of it or sales people there should get a post advising against shopping there in general? Similar debate in an oposing extreme and this lamp conversation is perhaps somewhere in the middle. This of course given ACE Hardware is more a major company similar to ETC thus also in some ways fair game when not localized in opinion of or mention. This much less specific mention of employees.

Back in the military I learned something I try to stick to when possible. Praise in public, discipline in priveate. Problems with a supplier should go to that supplier for best results.

Ok, I have probably written enough responses on this and I'll stop. PM me if wished to debate. Time for others to chime in with their thoughts and or for those that have valid points above to continue the debate. Also perhaps to take the discussion to Dave in asking for his thoughts.

 

[BrentSmith]

I realize that this subject has really been beaten. I am basically ambivalent. On one hand when I have a bad service experience, I tell as many people as I can, (it is a fundamental principle of a free market.) On the other, I certainly have Posted/Emailed things that I wish I could take back. But on NPR today, there was a story that was extremely pertinent to this topic.
Here is the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15671312
This part really caught my ear:
[Currently, dozens of companies are suing Magedson's site for slander. But Ripoff Report isn't accountable in the same that way a newspaper or television station would be — so as long as Magedson isn't publishing his own reporting, he is not liable for the content.

Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, explains the law that was written to protect sites like AOL and Yahoo from being sued for what users said in chat rooms:

"In 1996 [Congress] said that Web sites that are publishing third-party content, such as the content of their users, are not liable the way that a newspaper would be liable for publishing submissions from its readers," Goldman says.]
Food for thought...
Brent

 

[Logos]

I've said it before and I will repeat: The ultimate defence against slander or libel charges is truth. If what you are saying is demonstrably(sp?) true then you cannot be successfully sued. But you have to be able to prove it so keep the paperwork.

 

[JD]

If it's who I think it is, I think I bought from this outfit and had both good and bad results.

As for being sued, it's usually the webmaster that gets whacked, not the poster, that's why public forum sites have to have ridiculously protective policies.

Nowadays, you can be perfectly correct about something and still get sued! They would not win, but its the aggravation and expense of the process that can do you in, even if you know you're right.