Anyone know anything about defamation?

[Rhubarb]

So like, a purely hypothetical situation. What if, on one of these social networking sites, you slagged off another website. Am I right in thinking that there's not a lot they can do about it?

Oh nothing! Just some jumped-up, humourless, anal website who I happen to differ with!

There may have been some name-calling

it depends what names you called them. they can, in theory, sue you personally for any defamatory comments made

Well the comments have gone, but I may have called them (the website) some things that began with "humourless" and ended with "feckers".

Actually I don't think they can, as the comments have been removed and they would have to prove that they are not!

You could say it's fair comment. You can't sue someone for expressing an opinion. And I think (rusty media law) that you can only defame a person - so you would have to name whoever is in charge of the site and then make serious allegations, possibly criminal.

Actually if you did find yourself up against Peter Carter Ruck, you would have to prove that they are humourless.

Thank you, that's what I thought. So long as you don't actually name the person and you are expressing an opinion, that's fair play. However if I were to name the site owner and claim he was unprofessional in some way, then he could sue.

Well obviously if you said the site was poorly run in some way and it affected their business, then they could sue you.

But to be honest I don't think saying they are humourless is likely to get you sued.

(I was a reporter who looked at what the law let me get away with, rather than what you should do, though. And I have been successfully sued for libel )

What about if I said they (the site and yes I did mention it by name) were pathetic, smug, self-satisfied, humourless feckers?

On a public networking site.

That would be ok wouldn't it?

Say what you like - Peter Carter Ruck been dead since 2003 so you'll be fine .

I think I annoyed them a tad. Still, they deserved it!