We got our first C&D letter! Yay!

Apparently someone has a problem with the comments left on this post. Because I do feel sort of badly for the complainant, I'll refrain from repeating his/her name here (perceptive readers can probably figure it out). But a cursory glance at our archives would have revealed to them that my EFF-loving ass probably wouldn't react very well to this kind of thing. To wit, here's what I sent back:

I think there may be some confusion here. The comments to which you refer seem to me to express a personal opinion, which does not constitute libel or slander. Nor were the postings "in your name" -- no one in the thread purported to be you, they simply referred to you.

Even if they *were* libelous, we would not be obligated to police this content, which neither Catherine nor I wrote or endorsed. See here: http://www.chillingeffects.org/defamation/faq.cgi#QID709

Our site is a personal blog written for our and our friends' amusement. Comments are open, unmoderated, and unpoliced except for spam removal. I'm sorry, but we have no interest in mediating a tedious spat between children from New York who we've never heard of.

Finally, please also note that, contrary to what is implied by your email footer, neither Catherine nor I have entered into a contract with you or agreed to keep our correspondence confidential. You are, of course, protected by copyright. But please be aware that we reserve the right to legally protected fair use of that material, including use for purposes of commentary.

Isn't it cute when two jerks on the internet pretend to be lawyers? I think it is, anyway.

The funniest thing about the whole incident is how it started. The letter-writer wasn't mentioned in the entry at all! It appears that someone just googled for "socialite", dropped in and started talking shit. And then — this is the kicker — someone else arriving from Google stopped by to note how shallow Americans are for being obsessed with socialites. Presumably they found the thread by searching for the thing they find so shallow! Too fantastic. The only way it could be better is if they signed their comment with some dumbass name like, say, "dropsofjupiter1". Oh wait! They did!

But although this one mounted a strong challenge, I think my favorite Google-enabled thread on this site is still the one devoted to how dreamy Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington is. Good times.