Update on the Gina Ford legal situation

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello all,
Some of you may have seen a Gina Ford interview in the Mail on Sunday today, in which she refers to the Mumsnet legal situation, so we thought it was only right to update you as to where we are.

We are due to go to mediation on March 7th. Our position with regard to this hasn't changed - since very early on in the dispute we have suggested mediation as a sensible way forward and so we are pleased to be meeting with Ms Ford and her lawyers on March 7th.

In the meantime GF has issued a claim form, which means that the court clock is now running and we have to put in our defence within 28 days.

Obviously, as Ms Ford has made clear by this action and by her statements in the Mail on Sunday if mediation fails, she intends to sue.

We're sorry that we are still having to ask you not to discuss Gina Ford or her methods but given the potential for something that may be used against Mumsnet to slip through, this probably remains the safest course of action.

We will, of course, keep you fully updated.

Thanks for all your support.
Mumsnet HQ

Its an injustice

Perhaps mediation should be the next step. Of course anyone who reads the DM can make their independent response but is it helpful to encourage anything other than a mediation-friendly response from the MN boards?
In the greater scheme of things?

dh made an interesting point last night.

he said "so if mediation doesn't work, does this mean the end of mn? after all if there's no mn, then there's no-one to sue is there?"

valid point? if mediation fails will mn automatically close?

If we're posting on the DM site guys- i KNOW how angry everyone feels- but valid points rather than comments about silly nnames? Please?

Good luck MN. I've been wondering as well, but also didn't like to ask. Keep us posted.

Well they published my comment so maybe there's just a delay in them getting through?

They've printed one of mine but it's obvious that members of CLB site will also be sending their messages of support.

How long is it taking for them to process?

it only took about five minutes for them to publish mine.

I sent one last night and no show so i reckon it is binned it was very short and balanced too

I have sent another but i guess if they binned the first they might bin th esecond i suppose they pick the most interesting ones

Hmmm... mine has been hours - I said about how people could come on MN and praise her methods, and now they can't do that (oh the shame of it)

They haven't published mine either... Am I allowed to quote something she said in the article on here?

just submitted a comment..will see what happens

if I was the boss of the mail I would have comments recieved 3968, shown 22

I have just added a comment too, wonder if it will get shown

I have posted one too

That illustrates the differences between a bulletin board which vets comments before posting where I'd say there was liability and those that don't like this where it's harder I would hope but I may well be wrong, to hold those who just make the page available to us to scrawl on, liable and then remove it when they know something that shouldn't be there is there.

That's why they only publish 100 comments a day and we have 10,000

I have just posted one to best of luck

So where will we all go if she succeeds in shutting down mumsnet?

IMO if mn has to shut down as a result of this action it will set a huge precedent and internet forums will probably have to change their way of doing things as a result.

I agree wannabe. And where does it end? Will BT then be responsible for prank callers?

hmm think that's different though as bt cannot sensor what people say over the phone, whereas a site can, to an extent, limit what is posted and about whom.

mine aint there ... and i didnt mince words ... suggested a few to be looked up tho