"Moderation", and truth versus defamation - Page 1

I'm feeling a bit scrappy, I've got my flak-vest. If anyone wants to take a few shots at me for saying this, they can. Freedom of speech and all...

Anyhow, I would like to start off by reitterating something someone else has already said:
 

by luvdemdogs on 05 April 2009 - 03:04

It isn't bashing a breeder to post facts about one's pup. Care would need to be taken, however, to attribute a negative inference from the breeder.

For example:

It is perfectly legitimate to post:

My puppy from xyz breeder has eczema and bad hips.

It is not appropriate to post:

They are a bad breeder for selling me a puppy with eczema and bad hips.
 

Hopefully luvdemdogs doesn't mind me using that because I'd like to build on the above statement:

There is a difference in speaking about a dog's condition, and speaking ill of the breeder who produced it. We all know that even the best breeder can produce a bad dog from time to time. That stuff happens. Not every defect is the result of bad breeding practices, dishonesty, and shady business dealings. Sometimes even a very good repeat breeding can produce a dog that is just, to put it bluntly, a lemon.

Now, that being said, I think for the education of the general public, people should be able to see if a dog from a certain breeding program has faults.

There is a difference between truth, and libel. ("Slander is spoken. In print we call it libel" - Spiderman2).

Saying: "The puppy out of SireX and DamY, and it had these health problems [insert list here] when it grew up."  is not saying that the sire and dam are worthless. Is saying: "this dog from BreederA's program has these problems" defaming BreederA? Some might say yes, but the fact remains that bad dogs happen sometimes. It does show that the combination of those two dogs might produce less than ideal results. 

Pointing out a problem is not inherently an attack on the breeder or the dogs, if done in a neutral and respectful manner.

Launching into a personal attack, saying "BreederA is a worthless [explitive] who sold a piece of [explitive] dog..." -- we've all seen those types of posts -- is not a very adult manner to go about resolving the issue. Personally, I think if someone has a problem with a dog from a certain breeder's kennel, they should seek to resolve the problem with the breeder, rather than go spouting off at the mouth behind the safety of their keyboard. 

The cat-fighting, petty bickering, and pissing matches are a bit dull. Lets face it, everyone can be a tough-guy online. But it generally doesn't resolve anything.



By posting information about a dog from a certain breeding combination -- which I think it a better way to go about it than posting the kennel name -- perspective buyers know to be careful about that breeding combination, and might want to do research to see if there are like problems in any similar line-breedings.


I do not consider it libel when people provide a personal experience online with the intent of informing others. It is libel when they do it with the aim of burying a hatchet in someone's back. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to tell the difference between someone set on a personal vendetta, and someone wishing to forewarn others of potential complications. 

Lets

Lets face it, the new Moderator bit might keep people from being able to talk about it here, but the web's a big place, google is everywhere, and you can't prevent people from talking smack. The best solution is not to try and delete all mention of another kennel / breeding program, but to highlight the fact that there is a right way -- and a wrong way -- to express views over something that had a negative outcome. 

The PDB is not a "rant board" nor should it be.

I think people just need to get their heads out of their arses, tighten up a bit, and ("Moderator" included!) learn that not all less-than-positive statements are a personal attack with intent to defame character.



Yeah, so that's my opinion for the season. Time to put away the trusty soap box, and prepare for the inevitable bullets and flames