The MN Mail Column - what we think, and what we plan to do next... part 2

[whataboutthisone]

Firstly, I am a regular but have created a new name for this.

My thoughts about what I know so far:

1. In a much earlier post there was a discussion about a change in T&Cs and whether they are valid or not. Several years ago I took a company to court for a breach of their T&Cs. Their argument was that they had changed T&Cs and my complaint was therefore no longer valid. However, the judge said that because I had not specifically been asked to accept the new T&Cs, I was entitled to rely on the ones I had accepted and therefore I won my case.

1. I choose to post on MN in the knowledge that the details I give are probably just obscure enough to anyone I may know in RL who also posts, so that what I say still effectively remains private. However, that doesn't mean that the same could be said of, for instance, my mother, who reads the DM (!) There is probably just enough about my circumstances that would enable her to put 2+2 together. I would like the option to choose whether or not I let my Mum ( or anyone else in RL) in on certain areas of my life, and there is a real possibility that this hack, has taken that choice away from me.

1. I have never ( and now will never) post asking for advice, but I will also be very careful about offering advice in the future. I, along with many others, occasionally use examples from my life to explain where I am coming from. If I continue to do that, as I said earlier, it is possible that some people would be able to work out who I am. Now, I am not so big-headed as to believe that any advice I offer is worth taking, however, there are many fantastic posters on here who do give amazing and insightful advice based on their own experiences. It would be a real shame if that was to stop because they, like me, do not want to share some of those experiences with the folk they are close to in RL. It would also be a real tragedy if others were prevented from asking for help for the same reasons.

I am very disappointed that any MNer would feel it is acceptable to violate the trust we place in each other on this forum. I do not know who she is. I do not want to know who she is. But I hope she is hanging her head in shame for breaching the trust that has been placed in her by everyone whose words she has stolen to make a few bucks!

FC must be a moldie - it must be journo heaven in there.

whilst we are outing people

who is furiousintunbridgewells?

moldies always change their name ( cvos they deregged)

i'd post on the issue itself but - am so over it.

It is easy to delete a poster's history and others have had it done. Why is it different now?

Are posters being harassed in real life?

That's the point. It isn't different now. This is an open forum, with an archive, and in one form or another MN have always had the right to effectively do what they want with it (appreciate there have been changes to the MN copyright rules, and that people may hav ebeen allowed to opt out of being in the books etc) but the underlying fact that by posting here you allow MN to use your post has not changed.

winehouse - why would justine lie?

(there aren't really aliens in area 51)

MP I know for a fact that at least one poster had her entire history deleted not because she was being harrassed but because she was worried someone she knew would recognise her posts. That is also my concern, but I was refused, though some of my posts were deletetd after discussion [though at first when they said they had they hadn't and I had to ask them again months later]

pfap - I like your name. Appeals to my sensibilities.

AngelFC I don't give a toss what you're saying in fcat I don't give a toss about the DM issue and think everyones knickers are in a twist if you look, so probably even agree with you.

It's your pat us on the head, ask no more questions, mysterious persona 'beacuse that is not imporatnet' tone that is nauseating. That's all.

I'm pretty sure fair use/fair dealing is the lifting of copy for use in a wider context in a host piece. In this case there is no wider context or host piece...... it's completely pilfered. And normally you are unable to assert copyright unless there has been some toil or skill involved.

I was nearly sick yesterday when I saw the front page of the DM in the newsagent "My daughter has damaged her children to be a working mum and the saddest thing of all is she agrees with me". I really don't want to be associated with that misogynist rag.

furiousoftunbridgewells - you have made a good point, people are name changing all over the place now because of the dm thing.

FruitCrumble, it is very sweet of you to try and stick up for LH. But I think if you had read the both threads you would have seen that the majority of the debate has been reasonable. Yes there have been cross moments, and people feeling betrayed by LH personally, and expressing that. But on the whole the tone has been pretty ok, and the general concensus is that it would be good if, at some point LH just gave us the low down.

If she doesn't want to, fair enough. What this DM thing has raised is very very interesting and topical points about copyright, ownernship of content, and how to manage this . Everyone, you me, MNHQ, and internet content provider is struggling with this one, so it makes it a very topical issue, well worthy of discussion.

So, well done for supporting your friend. But I don't suggest going for any UN diplomacy jobs anytime soon, because you really haven't done her cause much good by telling all those who are concerned that they are just a)plain mean b) totally ignorant of how the world and the media work and c) and making it all about your mate.

We have moved on. don't drag it back.

Can you really not think of a reason why Justine would not want every decision made known to us? She's running a business. She must think all sorts about posters here that she would be unhappy to make public.

A possible reason for her lying might be that she hoped no-one would notice or mind about a regular Mn column in the DM. And then when she saw that people did, she did not want to be the bad guy.

That is just speculation on my part, obviously, but it is possible.

And why should a poster have to prove current harrassment before requesting deletion? Surely MN is not so desperate to retain posts that it will allow members or ex-members to suffer real distress at the thought that their past issues might now turn up wrapped around stuff at a car boot sale?

theres a difference between her not running her daily ideas past me and lying

And ergo not all name changers are moldies, eh custardo

you are so over it (NOT)

po: I repeatedly begged asked for all my posting history to be deleted back in summer 2007.

Justine slapped me and told me to suck it up like man.

Or something like that. Sensible advice anyway.

lol true!

I don't know how the world of journalism works regarding comissions etc. but, I do know that a freelance journalist is as responsible for their work as the publication it appears in. Several years ago I was a member of a libel jury where the defendants were a well known Sunday Rag and the freelance journalist who had written the story. The judge made it very clear ti us in his summing up, that if we found for the plaintiff, the paper and the journalist were equally responsible and any damages etc would be split equally between them.

Based on this, I would expect that any freelance journalist would be as responsible as the paper, for getting permission to use any information that is copyrighted to another person/organisation.

ooh stinky, what was that in aid of?

pmsl

Having now read the article by LH (yes I know all arse to tit as usual, express ignorant specualtive views then read source)...

has thunderduch deregged? how did she take it? does she feel harmed by it? and any others named?

Thanks for filling in blanks...