Re: [APD] Legal implications of free speech...

[urville <urville at peoplepc_com>]

i'm surprised consumer reports is around anymore

S. Hieber wrote:

>Excellent points that come from hard experience.
>
>Curiously, epinions.com still allows negative reviews, so
>does, for example, newegg.com and other such computer
>vendors as well as other shopping sites that allow
>users/shoppers to post product reviews. I am, however,
>totally ignorant of what tortious consequences, if any,
>have resulted.
>
>sh
>
>--- Robert H <robertph3 at comcast_net> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>It didn't really need to go all the way since the
>>majority of us settled. 
>>And those that did not have dragged on into legal limbo.
>>What do you think 
>>the price was we paid? It cost us money, people gave up
>>WEB sites and other 
>>things not to mention the anguish and torment. And beyond
>>that PW won in the 
>>long run. He changed forever how this forum and every
>>other aquarium forum 
>>operates. In the last four years every aquarium WEB forum
>>now has a strict 
>>policy of not allowing negative comments of businesses.
>>And whether anyone 
>>admits it or not, although the bravado, over
>>exaggerration, and lies by the 
>>plantiff were dispicable, there was an underlining truth
>>behind it that we 
>>were irresponsible in our comments.  It didn't matter if
>>it was the truth or 
>>not.  People went overboard. And while this may not be a
>>popular thing to 
>>say on this forum, it is a realization that many of us
>>have come to 
>>privately.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>>I think it best to pass on my negative
>>>>        
>>>>
>>experiences with vendors privately wherever possible.<<
>>
>>If your opinion is asked for that is one thing, but when
>>someone takes it 
>>upon themselves to go on a mission to privately contact
>>anyone at any 
>>opportunity for unsolicited feedback, it is just as
>>dangerous and 
>>irresponsible. A year or two ago a vendor in AZ was
>>getting a flood of 
>>negative comments on the internet. At some point a couple
>>people started 
>>giving people this feedback in private email and private
>>forums. But some of 
>>these people who were recieving these comments were
>>actually satisfied 
>>customers of this vendor and forwarded the messages to
>>the vendor. Every 
>>business has to deal with this, particularly on the
>>internet. I have had my 
>>own problems to deal with. What I learned out of the
>>whole legal ordeal was 
>>for myself anyway, that to be responsible I need to
>>determin where the line 
>>is from being informative and being vindictive just
>>because I was "wronged". 
>>It is an easy line to cross.
>>
>>    
>>
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>  
>
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