John,

You have every right to defend your company and personal reputation. I'm not a lawyer and so don't fully understand all the implications here. Since you've elected to post publically on this issue maybe you could help me and others understand a few things:

I don't understand how material posted on a world wide website can be regarded as "stolen" when such material is then reposted on a world wide web discussion forum and the resulting "discussion" gets ugly. Anyone who posts material in unrestricted public forums should fully expect that doing so opens you up to comments from uninformed people, people who may have axes to grind with you, or people who are just plain stupid.....shouldn't they?

Also - please correct me if I'm wrong - these so called "public" forums are actually private chat rooms - established, administered and funded by private individuals or organizations, who can run them as they please. There is no 1st amendment in these settings. Anyone visiting has to decide if they like the terms of participation - which a lot of times means being moderated and/or exposed to criticism from the owners or other participants. If you don't like the setting - or the owners don't like you - you can leave, or they can kick you out, or they can make your staying so miserable you regret ever participating.

Sounds to me like you have a clear case against people who wrote letters directly to your clients or potential clients denigrating you or your company. The fact that these same people may or may not also post on internet discussion forums shouldn't have anything to do with it. The forums may have been the vehicle for exposing you to denigration but it was YOU who placed yourself there. How that could directly be the discussion forum's fault is what I don't see. If forum moderators behave poorly or in a manner you don't agree with, or you don't like how other participants behave, that sucks - don't go there anymore - which is what it looks like you've done - so what's the beef? I think we all have a rosy picture of what a discussion forum could or should be: a thoughtful, respectful, knowledgeable collaboration between people with common interests. Unfortunately we all know what they really are - a sometimes wonderful place where we can share opinions, knowledge, and experience - and sometimes a raw exposure of the ugly side of human nature. They come together as a package.

Also seems to me you should even be very careful what you post on your own website - on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Anyone and everyone is going to be able to see it and do whatever they're going to do with it. A website is a very valuable tool for promoting yourself but it is also a tremendous exposure. Anything controversial presented there is going to open you up to criticism. You should expect and be prepared for that - shouldn't you?

As for posting on discussion forums with real names - who's to say anyone is representing themselves as "real"? There is no way to control that. You could be John Rimmasch, or you could just as easily be Joe Schmo saying you're John Rimmasch. I, for one, would never dream of posting under my "real" name. Would it change the content or meaning of what I have to say, or just open me up to attack, not only on the discussion forum but out in the "real" world? WHY would I want to do that?

I truly hope you're successful in defending yourself against the attacks that have directly damaged you or your company. If I'm all wet in my assumptions about websites and discussion forums I'd sure like to be enlightened. Seems like if anything derogatory posted on websites was fodder for legal action the courts wouldn't be able to do anything else.

99 out