Query regarding product/company bashing on boards

savemejebus

Hi,

I was just looking throught the games forums and a question came to mind. After the hassle with M*D does it matter that posters are bashing the proverbial shít out of companies like Sony on boards? I freely admit that i don't know anything about the law in this area so am just really curious as to how this works, for example is it ok if it's true and proven so, or is it never ok?

I'm not saying this as a Sony fanboy or anything like that, I couldn't care less about them, i was just wondering if it could affect boards that posters are calling sony scumbags, as$sholes and shít heads, saying they are going to 'burn in hell' etc .

Just wondering whether this is opening a proverbial can of worms and if so what does that mean for censorship on boards, and the net in generall.

Cheers

hullaballoo

Where have such comments been made?

savemejebus

I'm not going to go linking to threads as that wasn't my intention here but here are quotes from a couple of threads i've seen.

a Bill Hicks themed one

Sony are ****ing evil, soulless, lying suckers of satan's cock, all.

What a bunch of fcuking cnuts!

This could ultimately be a bad move on their part, creating negative press for Sony. I hope other companies don't get targetted for this.

Hope Sony get a big public back lash for this. Would serve the fcuking w@nkers right

****ing Sony ****. They've just shut down probably the best gaming shop on the internet just to protect their own ineptitude.

Despite what their bull****-PR-machine says, Sony are not defending consumers, at all. They're screwing Europe over and could care less, and now they're trying to block anyone in Europe from getting the console before Sony deem us worthy enough. They're scumbags.

The title of one thread included this text

. Fúck you SONY!

These are just people giving their opinions (which most are entitled to have, giving is a different matter ) and sony would have a hard time defending against many points. Nevertheless i'm just wondering does boards have to be careful about stuff like this now, since the whole M*D problem.

hullaballoo

Sorry, you think that people are entitled to say stuff like this? You think Sony would have a hard time disproving some of this stuff? "We are not fúcking cúnts" would be enough for them to win their case there.

Saying, "it was just my opinion" is no defence either and actually has no bearing on whether something is defamatory or not.

To answer your question, I'll delete that sortt of blatant effrontery on sight.

Please link me to the threads in question.

Beruthiel

savemejebus wrote:

I'm not going to go linking to threads as that wasn't my intention.

Please link all related threads asap.

savemejebus

TBH I actually don't think it's my place to say whether people are entitled to say things like that on a public forum. I know i wouldn't say it but I do think that they are entitled to have their opinions. I guess i phrased it wrong by saying "giving their opinions" above. I meant they are entitled to their opinions, not that they are entitled to broadcast them on the forum.

These are the threads i quoted from:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055015423

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055007131

But now what happens with the threads that say companies like DELL are crap, or Pixmania?

I was only using Sony as an example. Plenty of company bashing goes on on boards, much of it in the form of people offering honest help and advice; eg: If a poster says they are thinking of buying a DELL and would like opinions, what happens when someone comes on and says all dells are crap, you're much better off building on your own.

I myself am guilty of it, when the DS launched I had problems with Game and launched a thread calling them A$$clowns, solely to rant at the injustice I felt.

Does this mean we have to be censored self/censor the whole time. I know that boards isn't a democracy or anything and that freedom of speech doesn't exist here as a right (i've no problem with that). I'm just wondering what happens to boards if censorship becomes the only way that it can remain in existence if we all have to be careful of litigeous companies?

hullaballoo

It's not boards.ie's laws that means we have to get rid of this stuff. It's Ireland's laws. If the admins had it their way, we would be able to say what we like!

It's not our censorship, but Ireland's censorship. That's your democracy for you!

I suppose when you think about it, as in when you think about the consequences of having a system of complete free speech, you begin to understand a little why there isn't a system of absolute free speech in existence. Anywhere.

So, in relation to other places where this crops up, we'd encourage users to report instances of flagrant attacks on other people (including companies).

Ta for the links.

savemejebus

Ok thanks for the answers