Laura Gurak, director of the Internet Studies Center here at the U, is quoted in Duluth News Tribune article on the phenomenon of "cybersmearing." From the article:
Terence Banich had been outed as a bad tipper, and he didn't even know it.at March 23, 2006 10:21 AM | TrackBackHe popped up on the cheapskate list at BitterWaitress.com, berated by a server at a Chicago restaurant for leaving a $3 tip on a $200 bill.
Informed of his tipping infamy, Banich said if he had left such a measly gratuity, it was a mistake, a misplaced decimal point, and he's sorry for it.
But Banich, a Chicago lawyer, also said he was none too pleased that a waitress had lifted information from his credit card -- his name -- and posted it on the Internet.
Banich had effectively been cybersmeared, and he's far from alone.
Very interesting topic, which is playing out in court as we speak with a popular NJ college "gossip" site being investigated for posting unsubstantiated rumors about students...cybersmearing. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Posted by: fuf chairs at March 19, 2008 10:57 PM