Comments on: What would Isabel do?

By: NINA BLAIR

NINA BLAIR — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:40:45 +0000

They wouldn’t have messed with Isabel because she would have eaten them as a before breakfast snack, and used their bones to pick her teeth afterwards.

By: Global Voices Advocacy » Lessons on libel: South African blogger sued for defamation

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:04:12 +0000

[...] the most insightful comment came from Tony Lankester. There’s a warning in his experience that all bloggers, myself included, should heed. If [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Lessons on libel: South African blogger sued for defamation

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:18:09 +0000

[...] the most insightful comment came from Tony Lankester. There’s a warning in his experience that all bloggers, myself included, should heed. If [...]

By: phillygirl

phillygirl — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:56:12 +0000

I think what you have said is very true. And I must say that I often review my experiences on my blog and have had some fabulous constructive commentary from the companies in question aiming to address my criticism and correct things (Standard Bank) or just thank me for a good review (a few restaurants).

I think blogging reviews should be used by companies in the same way that they use Hello Peter to address issues/compliments/complaints. Because, I don’t think there’s a blogger out there who, if they weren’t wholly satisfied with something and blogged about the experience, wouldn’t write up the story when the company-in-question constructively responded. Which can turn a negative experience into good publicity instead of bad (like a court case).

By: pete ess

pete ess — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:44:45 +0000

First, to business: I will never use QUALITY VACATION CLUB (QVC) – EVER! And that’s without knowing much about the case. Suing a blogger, indeed!!
see: http://guymclaren.com/is-calling-people-and-telling-them-they-have-won-a-prize-a-scam/
to see what scumbag methods QVC uses.

Second: Good post! You are right that we need to think, and we must remain good citizens – BUT:

Third, and most important:
Bloggers and internet users MUST push the envelope, and we MUST hold companies to greater account than in the past.

Let’s follow this case and any others and let the corporate world know that we talk, and we talk online. Where bloggers make mistakes, companies could contact the blogger, get right of reply, and a quick correction should suffice.
But bullying should be withstood with great determination.

In the meantime: DOWN WITH QUALITY VACATION CLUB!

By: Donn Edwards

Donn Edwards — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:26:51 +0000

Law suits are nothing like what you see on TV. They are like playing chess by postcard, and it is not much fun. I didn’t go looking for this lawsuit, but now it is no longer about what I blogged.

Stay away from legal hassles if you can. The most difficult part of this process is being ready to spike stories you are proud of, even if you still think you are right.

If you can get someone else to review your articles before you publish them, do so. I have a rule for email: NEVER press the SEND button while you are still angry. There is no UNSEND button. The same is true for blogs: there is no “unpublish” button.

By: Timbo

Timbo — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:40:47 +0000

I agree with you about bloggers being their own gatekeepers. But at the same time the world has changed and corporates must realise that bully-boy tactics no longer cut it. Gone are the days when you could intimidate the small guy with no-one ever hearing about it. Bloggers hold a great deal of power since they have a large number of enthusiastic interactive readers.

Unlike the Woolworths example you gave, it appears QVC gave Donn the runaround, first inviting him to a meeting in Pretoria – expecting him to waste his time and money getting there – and then changing times and venues until finally slapping him with R461000 suit (now upped to R1500000). Whatever happens they’re now the bad guys in the eyes of the public.

Kragdaadigheid is bad business.

By: Richard Catto

Richard Catto — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:42:26 +0000

A lot of bloggers won’t agree with what you wrote here, but I do.

Bloggers have a responsibility when they write and some would flippantly dismiss that.

By: Fatima

Fatima — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:00:49 +0000

Oh my, I actually remember watching Isabel Fletcher when I was a kid.

Too bad we don’t have someone of her quality out there anymore.