Marie Claire Australia – Socialite social media spats

Marie Claire this month has an article on an online brawl between a model/socialite, a snarky blogger and Google. I know that some of you readers out there in bloggy land like to read traditional media from time to time – especially when a social media goddess a la me (heh) is in it – so here’s the link.

When model Liskula Cohen found out she’d been vilified on a vicious blog, she set out to unmask her anonymous attacker – and ended up challenging the way the web works. Lisa Dabscheck investigates.

Liskula Cohen inhaled sharply, glanced at her keyboard and punched her name into Google. She wasn’t indulging idle curiosity that day in August 2008, but investigating an unnerving piece of news. A few hours earlier, the 37-year-old Canadian model had been on a fashion shoot on a Florida beach when her client casually enquired whether she was aware that she was the subject of a blog called skanksinNYC.com on the Google hosted website Blogger.com.

Lisa is a very nice journalist – not a journogger by any means, she doesn’t blog or Twitter or anything. But I liked her anyway 😛 A few quotes from me are in the article:

And if you thought anonymity was sacrosanct, the Cohen v Google case is instructive. “When I was being defended by attorneys for Google, I thought my right to privacy was being protected, but that right fell through the cracks,” said Port in a statement issued by her lawyer, Salvatore Strazzullo. “I would think that a multi-billion dollar conglomerate would protect the rights of all its users.” Port reportedly is planning to counter-sue the internet behemoth for $16 million for not protecting her privacy. The question of Google’s obligation to protect users has prompted debate in the online community, but Papworth is unequivocal: “They’re Australia Post – they’re delivering a message; they’re not the police.”

For the dumdums out there, I just mean social networks are a delivery not a create mechanism. Like suing Australia Post for a naughty postcard you received or a pub for a fight you got into while trashed.

Go and have a read of Marie Claire Australia for February if you want more on the shenanigans.