This is getting fucking ridiculous.
Surely an opinion is not legally fucking actionable? Calling someone or something stupid is subjective and so not a fact.
When Councillor John Dixon called the Scientologists stupid, that was his opinion. If you put Scientology up against, ooh, I don’t know, any religion I could come up with, then it doesn’t look quite such a stupid thing to be dicking around with. Compare it to atheism and yes, it’s fucking stupid.
The same goes for design. The old addage of beauty being in the eye of the beholder is true. Take a look at this site. It’s Gordon Browns’ place on the web. Y’know, the ex-prime minister.
What do you reckon to it? I think it’s a bit shit and agree with this chap, Luke Bozier…
I apologise if I’m blunt, but this website is not befitting of a former Prime Minister. It has an unprofessional feel to it, and doesn’t portray the image of a statesman and one of Labour’s biggest figures.
Some other people think differently, like Tangent One who make the template for it. In fact they like it so much they are threatening to try and find a judge that likes Gordons’ site and fuck Luke for all he’s worth in a libel suit.
What the fuck has happened to make these people and entities think that a subjective opinion is actionable? Isn’t libel supposed to be about the mis-representation of facts? How can a design be factually good? Like hasn’t tried to present Tangent as trying to con Gordon Brown or any of they’re other customers, he’s just stated his opinion that they’re website template isn’t suitable for an ex-prime minister. Luke even states that Tangent make “some brilliant websites for the likes of Levi’s, Channel Five, Cadillac & Borders…”.
Tangent PLC’s executive director…
I really don’t like the prospect of either a public slanting match or legal action, but if I need to protect my company’s business and reputation, I will.
May humbly suggest two ways of protecting Tangents reputation, and hence business…
- make better websites
- do not threaten spurious legal action over opinion, especially on the internet. It has a habit of er, not going as planned
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This is dark turn of events. Opinion is just that.