#also note the difference between slander and libel:

[poisonandpages]

I hate that so many people now seem to think "slander" is just another word for "criticism". Remember folks, something is only slander if it's objectively false. Otherwise you're just making a negative observation.

[quill-of-thoth]

Letters from Watson: Wisteria Lodge

Cultural Historical Note: Syncretic Afro-Carribean religions and spiritual traditions First caveat here is that I do not have expertise. I took a class once on African diaspora culture that briefly covered the many religious traditions that inspire depictions of Voodoo in the media. This is still more than Holmes and Watson had access to in the British Museum. In brief: African, mostly west African, religions came to the Americas when their practitioners were kidnapped during the slave trade, and changed and evolved as enslaved African communities encountered Catholicism and indigenous religious practices in and surrounding the Carribean. Practices associated with Vaudou, Santeria, Hoodoo, Vodun, and other diaspora religions have a long history of being misunderstood, misreported, and used for shock value in order to demonize people of African descent, or to tell a titillating story that also reinforces suspicion of such people, as is the case here. Remember folks, racism and stereotyping does not have to be intentional to be harmful!

Case and Themes: racism, exoticism, and religious slander. Warnings: Discussions of animal sacrifice, infanticide, and a lot of slander in the historical context of conflict between religions, and as excuses for colonialism. No more graphic than any case wrap up, but I get to use my unfinished classics degree here briefly.

Allegations within The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge that the practice of Voodoo includes human sacrifice and cannibalism must, of course, be taken with a whole cellar of salt, given the long history of accusing members of minority religions of taboo violence. When we examine any author's use of non-christian religion in their work (specifically when that author comes from a background of christian majority population and historical entanglement of christian religious institutions with the government of their home country) we have to remember that demonizing practitioners of other religions is one of the oldest tricks in the book. It's used both to provide excuses for violence against other communities, and to tell a scary adventure story.

Allegations within The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge that the practice of Voodoo includes human sacrifice and cannibalism must, of course, be taken with a whole cellar of salt, given the long history of accusing members of minority religions of taboo violence.

A modern audience is probably aware of the existence of Blood Libel, or a historical pattern of accusations against Jewish people of killing or planning to kill christian children, which then serve as excuses for violence against Jewish people. This is not unique to the the history of Christianity and Judaism - a pre-christian roman empire accused Carthaginians of widespread infanticide, for one example. In turn, there is modern debate about the true prevalence of infanticide by exposure, i.e. abandoning the baby outside somewhere, within the Roman Empire. (Archaeological evidence for infanticide in the ancient world is muddled at best, given that infant mortality in pre-antibiotic, pre-vaccine eras was just high overall, and burial customs for infants can be very different than the burials of an adult or an older child. There is also the fact that many ancient writings on morality and customs are written necessarily by the privileged few in any society; neither contempt for the poor, nor contempt for the ill and disabled, which are both very key aspects in discussions of historical infanticide, are new inventions.)

When it comes to politics and war between peoples, very little causes your public to support putting their own lives on the line to go fight somebody than accusing another group of shockingly violating some kind of taboo: infanticide, human sacrifice, and cannibalism are among the big ones.

By the time of the 1890s, the British Empire has some key differences from the Roman empire or various medieval kingdoms: it has colonies all over the world and it's people are, for the most part, literate, and have been for multiple generations. There is a huge role for propaganda to play here, with centuries of European nations justifying their projects of invasion, resource extraction, and enslavement on every continent besides Antarctica with claims against indigenous, non-christian religious communities violating every taboo they can think of. Even long after the communities in question are under European control, the religious argument that everyone in the world must be Christianized remains a useful tool in the political playbook, and authors of adventure stories often reinforce this propaganda, because what is shocking sells magazine subscriptions. Xenophobia is profitable so long as people are only a little scared and a lot thrilled: the idea that there are undeniably bad things in the world but they mostly happen elsewhere can be a comforting one. This is where we find the Canon of Sherlock Holmes, not just in The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge, but as an ongoing theme: places outside of England are exciting because they are both the site of scary, sensational, romantic (in the literary sense) violence, and very far away. Colonies and former colonies, in Australia, India, Indonesia, and America are places where Englishman export themselves to, and violence is imported from. A decent chunk of crime in the Sherlock Holmes canon is either the result of foreigners arriving in England with a violent history, or of Englishmen succumbing to violent impulses while outside of England, and bringing retributive violence home with them. This is also why the criminals so often escape the country but not vengeance: even when English law has a plausible reason to hang the dictator Murillo for one of many murders, it is both more exiting and safer for the audience for the man to be murdered in Madrid.

[huseyintr24]

"How anti-cultists operate"

#anti-cultism and its horrible schemes to enslave people's minds is a hot topic in the media space. More than once we have come across blogs where people study in detail the work of anticultists. I myself have only recently become acquainted with this subject. I just recently watched a video with a respected doctor, teacher of American intelligence Egon Cholakyan on the platform:

(by the way this video is translated into different languages on different YouTube channels).  He tells in detail the actions of the KGB Hydra, the shadow side, the architects of the world. He revealed it on the example of the organization "ALLATRA". What is the organization "ALLATRA" you can read in my previous articles.

So, a simple example: you see two classic slanderous articles about the organization "ALLATRA".

It is easy to see that they have similar names, and also contain the same demonizing phrases and labels, the same negative rhetoric against this organization and its volunteers.

demonizing phrases and labels, the same negative rhetoric against the organization and its volunteers.  But you can also see that despite the obvious similarities, these articles were published by different authors, in different publications and even in different countries: Ukraine and Russia. Note, these countries, which since 2014 have been actively opposing each other. And since 2022 are in a state of acute military conflict and their usual rhetoric in the media space is always diametrically opposed. 

 Note that in order to stigmatize ALLATRA both in Russia and in Ukraine the same stigmatizing terms are used: "sect", "totalitarian sect" and "destructive sect". I learned that such terms are characteristic of post-Soviet countries. These terms have been purposefully introduced and disseminated in order to form negative attitudes toward those to whom they are applied. Since 1993, the term "totalitarian sect" has been widely used. This term is applied to organizations that are dangerous, cause physical or moral harm to people and society.  The term destructive sect is a synonym for the term "destructive cult". Thus, by using the term "destructive sect" in relation to the organization "ALLATRA" journalists - authors of

libelous articles in both countries without trial and investigation accuse the members of ALLATRA of harming people and society. Although in fact the participants of the organization "ALLATRA" did not commit any crimes. 

Also, I noticed that the texts of articles from two countries: Russia and Ukraine have identical rhetoric. I.e. they use the same pejorative comparisons, the same phrases taken out of the general context. I also noted that journalists exploit the current enmity between these countries and build false accusations against ALLATRA depending on the political and ideological sentiments of the inhabitants of one or another country. 

Pay attention to the following: 

for residents of Russia, journalists apply labels to ALLATRA: "pro-Ukrainian sect", "pro-American sect", sect financed by the West, as a project of the Security Service of Ukraine SBU, and so on. 

- and for residents of Ukraine on the contrary, journalists apply the labels "pro-Russian sect", "sect of the Russian world", "FSB project" of the Federal Security Service of Russia, "pro-Putin sect", "sect that prays to Putin", "sect where Putin is their god". 

As I understood from the words of respected E. Cholakyan: "This method is based on making accusations that have no real grounds, but serve as a trigger for negative resonance within the country concerned".

Look again at the scheme of action of anti-cultists:

- according to the discrediting campaign organized by the KGB in Russia ALLATRA is pro-Ukrainian and financed by the West. 

- and in Ukraine ALLATRA is pro-Russian and financed by the special services of Russia. 

Note that these accusations contradict each other. 

I.e. when the same methods of discrediting are used in different countries, when even the titles of articles sound the same and only the names of special services change depending on the audience, it indicates a carefully planned campaign of disinformation, which has a single customer. Thus it becomes obvious that there is some third party interested in this. And this third party has influence on the media in both countries and its influence remains as strong even in times of military conflict.  This force is the KGB hydra. 

It is important to realize that for the KGB hydra, the current war between the two countries is just one strategic step in a long-term strategy to destroy the foundations of democracy in our society and America as a nation. 

In the following articles I will continue to review the actions of the anti-cultists. 

#antikultism #antikultist #Allatra #sect #terrorism #extremism #shadow side #architects of the world #Ukraine #Russia #destructive sect #totalitarian sect #KGB #EgonCholakian #stigmatizing terms

[ethanblog24]

"The Handwriting of the Anti-Cultists"

Dear readers, thank you for reading and thus popularizing such an important topic as #anti-cultism  

Surprisingly, after watching a video with the respected Dr. Egon Cholakian, a lecturer of American intelligence, on the platform: 

(by the way, this video is translated into different languages on different YouTube channels) I found that on the vastness of the Internet the topic of anti-cultism is very relevant. 

And at the same time in this article I am going to reveal important information on anti-cultism, which I got from the video with E. Cholakyan. He tells in detail the scheme of how the KGB Hydra, the shadow side, and the architects of the world operate. He reveals this information on the example of the organization "ALLATRA". In my previous articles you can get acquainted with what is the organization "ALLATRA".

And I continue to analyze the actions of the shadow side, the architects of the world. 

So, let's go to the details and facts of how exactly the anti-cultists manipulate the consciousness of all mankind.

So, let's start with a simple example: in front of you are two classic slanderous articles about the organization "ALLATRA".Allatra TV

As you can see they have similar names, contain the same

demonizing phrases and labels and the same negative rhetoric against the organization and its volunteers.  However, despite the apparent similarities, these articles were published by different authors, in different publications and even in different countries. In countries that have been actively opposing each other since 2014. And since 2022 they have been in a state of acute military conflict and their usual rhetoric in the media space is diametrically opposed. These countries are Ukraine and Russia.https://egonreport.org/

 However, it is paradoxical that in this case, despite the total hostility of these two states, we observe a remarkable similarity in the content of these defamatory articles. I want to draw your attention to the exact same stigmatizing terms used in both countries to stigmatize ALLATRA. These terms are "sect", "totalitarian sect" and "destructive sect". These terms are characteristic primarily for post-Soviet countries as they were purposefully introduced and disseminated in their media space in order to form negative attitudes towards those to whom they are applied. The term totalitarian sect was introduced into widespread use in the post-Soviet space in 1993 and was used to define organizations that are dangerous to people and the state.  The term destructive sect is synonymous with the term destructive cult and denotes organizations that cause physical or moral harm to people and society. Thus, by using the term "destructive sect" in relation to the organization "ALLATRA" journalists-authors of

libelous articles in both countries without trial and investigation accuse the members of ALLATRA of causing harm to people and society. That is in what the participants did not commit. Note that the texts of the articles from the two countries have very similar or even identical rhetoric: the same pejorative comparisons to the organization. Identical phrases taken out of a common context. The journalists also exploit the existing enmity between the countries by building false accusations against the organization "ALLATRA" depending on the political and ideological moods of the country's inhabitants. Allatra TV

For Russian residents, journalists label ALLATRA as a "pro-Ukrainian sect", a "pro-American sect", a sect funded by the West, a project of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and so on. And for the residents of Ukraine, on the contrary, they label them as "pro-Russian

sect", "sect of the Russian world", "FSB project" of the Federal Security Service of Russia.

of the Federal Security Service of Russia. Moreover, such emotional stigmatizing labels as "pro-Putin sect", "sect that prays to Putin", "sect where Putin is their god" are used. This method is based on making accusations that have no real basis but serve as a trigger for negative resonance within the country concerned. According to the discrediting campaign organized by the KGB in Russia, ALLATRA is pro-Ukrainian and funded by the West. In Ukraine, it is pro-Russian and financed by the special services of Russia. These are absurd accusations that contradict each other. The use of the same methods of discrediting in both countries, where even the titles of the articles sound similar, but the names of the special services change depending on the audience once again testifies to a thoroughly

carefully planned disinformation campaign, which has a single customer. The fact that identical fabricated accusations against ALLATRA come from countries at war with each other suggests that there is a third party interested in this, which has influence on the media in both countries and whose influence remains as strong even in wartime. Allatra TV

And here the question naturally arises who is this customer and what is this force that is able to introduce its unified narrative into the media space of the two warring countries?  This force is the KGB hydra, which is obsessed with its revenge. For this force, the terrible war between the two countries is just one calibrated strategic step in a long-term strategy to destroy the foundations of democracy in our society and America itself as a nation. 

To be continued....https://egonreport.org/

#antikultism #antikultist #Allatra #sect #terrorism #extremism #shadow side #architects of the world #Ukraine #Russia #destructive sect #totalitarian sect #KGB #EgonCholakian

[dorizardthewizard]

spider-man movies and the kindness of strangers

OK I was never that well acquainted with live-action Spider-Man but No Way Home made me finally go and watch all the movies, and can I just say some of my favourite scenes are those that portray the relationship between Spider-Man and the citizens he saves, as well as the kindness that can be extended by total strangers.

Raimi movies:

I know a lot of people praise the train scene in Spider-Man 2 but I also want to gush a little about the scene from the first movie with the New Yorkers at the bridge. I really love that when Spidey’s trying to hold on to MJ and the cable car, the ones who come to the rescue are just some random guys in a boat. There’s no fanfare, no dramatic scene where one of them expresses that they should go to help despite fears of going near the Goblin, not even a previous shot of them reacting to what’s going on. The boat seemingly comes out of nowhere, as if it’s a given that in times of crisis, people will always help each other.

It’s so interesting when you remember that this movie came out not long after 9/11, a tragic event but also a time when strangers came together and unconditionally helped each other in any way they could. The movies really do feel like a letter of love and healing to New York and its citizens, highlighting the best of humanity even in the darkness, and encouraging us to do the same.

Side characters:

It’s also really cool how in this trilogy, even the side characters are shown to be capable of kindness and empathy. J. Jonah Jameson isn’t the best boss and makes a living by slandering others (well, it’s libel in print :P), but doesn’t rat Peter out despite Green Goblin literally having him by the throat. Ditkovich is a comedic one-note character demanding rent, but when emo Peter snaps at him, he lets up a bit as he acknowledges that for Peter to act in that way, he must be going through some shit. Gwen Stacy ditches emo Peter after that jazz number instead of just being oblivious – it’s not just that she feels used to get back at his ex, but she also acknowledges how much that must have hurt MJ and apologises to her. Idk it just, makes them feel like real people, y’know?

The Amazing Spiderman:

TASM 2 has some of the best scenes of Spider-Man being a hero of the people, like when he helped that kid who was being bullied. The first movie has a scene showing the citizens having Spidey’s back as much as he has theirs, but it’s also interesting how, 10 years after the first Raimi film, it portrays a slightly different take on the kindness of strangers. It’s not so much about unconditional kindness, but more a theme of good deeds breeding good deeds.

A lot of people have pointed out that this Peter Parker doesn’t become Spider-Man when he first dons the suit, but when he saves the kid on the bridge. He realises that seeking revenge won’t make anything better, but a good deed can – he prevents the father from suffering the way he did, protecting a relationship that he himself can never have with his own father.

This pays forward – that same guy rallies all his co-workers to help with the cranes when Spider-Man is in need. It’s not just paying a favour back - by helping Spider-Man while everyone else is evacuating, they’re helping him save the city. Spider-Man’s heroism inspires heroism down to the average citizen - like a lot of that movie, it’s a more personal take, showing how our individual actions can reverberate and bring more kindness into the world.

This is all stuff I feel was lacking in the MCU movies, but with NWH basically wiping the slate clean there’s hope that that will change.

[star-six7]

We Can Live Like Jack and Sally

Rian Dawson x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Word Count: 1068

A/N: This is for the anon who requested anything with Rian! I hope you like it! I was listening to I Miss You by blink while I was writing this so if you want to evoke the same vibes, go ahead and put it on while you read. Side note, I checked the tag for Rian Dawson imagines to get a feel for the fic and apparently this is the first one in almost 2 years?

Disclaimer: This is entirely a work of fiction. No part of this story is meant to be libel, slander, or in any way derogatory towards any character’s real life counterpart. I’m not delusional; I know that these characters are simply based off of a public persona and may not actually resemble the people behind those personas. Any additional characters that you do not recognize are entirely fictional, unless otherwise stated. And finally, if you got here by Googling yourself, whatever happens next is 100% on you.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“I’m going to be pissed if we get murdered.”

Rian turned around, swinging the flashlight precariously. “Hey, you know that being my best friend comes with occupational hazards.”

“Yeah?” You rolled your eyes. “And remind me why I put up with them, again?”

“Because. You love me. And anyways, this is going to be fun! Haunted houses are fun. Stop complaining and help carry the basket.”

He resumed trudging up the hill, leaving you to scoff and pick up the picnic basket he had unceremoniously dropped in your lap twenty minutes earlier. You were just glad he couldn’t see you blushing in the dark.

After twenty long minutes of navigating the steep terrain, you had reached the edge of the property. Moving to stand next to Rian and dropping the picnic basket at his feet, you stared warily up at the run-down house. “And you’re sure this is actually a good idea?”

“Well,” he hemmed. “I mean, it’s definitely an idea. And anyways, I’ll be right here the whole time; I won’t let anything bad happen!”

“Thanks, glad to know that I have absolutely nothing to worry about,” you said dryly. Secretly, though, you couldn’t deny the rush in your chest at the idea of him protecting you.

Before you knew it, Rian had practically dragged you across the yard and was standing at the base of the porch. “Well?” you prompted, crossing your arms over your chest and trying your best to look mildly annoyed instead of terrified.

“After you,” he grinned.

Sighing, you began to step onto the porch, only for it to creak loudly and bend under your weight. “Shit!” you exclaimed, frowning. After taking a few steadying breaths, you climbed the rest of the way onto the porch. “You better not be laughing.” You whirled around to glare at him. Instead of laughter, he had an odd look on his face. You couldn’t pin down what it was.

“I’m not,” he said, joining you on the old structure. “Come on. Let’s go inside, I wanna show you something.”

After wandering through the downstairs portion of the house, which was for the most part lacking in furniture and objects (save for a pile of cigarettes and beer cans in the fireplace- apparently, Rian wasn’t the only one who’s idea of a good time was a haunted house), Rian led you over to the staircase.

“Rian… you don’t actually want us to go up there, do you?” you glanced between him and the stairs apprehensively.

“Of course I do,” he said. “Besides, you haven’t seen the best part yet. And we don’t want all this food to go to waste, do we?” He gingerly wrapped his arm around your shoulders and began to lead you up the stairs, inciting yet another round of furious blushing on your part.

Rian led you up the stairs and down towards a door at the end of the hallway. He carefully pushed open the decrepit door, revealing exactly what it was he had wanted to show you. The room, which you assumed must have been the master bedroom, held only a rusted bed frame and had broken or missing panes in all the windows. There was also a large hole in the ceiling, which revealed the night sky, studded with stars that the city normally blocked out due to light pollution. For whatever the room lacked in contents, it more than made up for with its stunning view of the sky, as well as of Baltimore, given the house’s ideal location on the top of a large hill. It was gorgeous, and the perfect place for a date. Which, if you were being completely honest, both bothered and excited you because… nevermind.

“So,” Rian said. He sounded kind of nervous. “What do you think?”

“I like it,” you smiled at him, tearing your eyes away from the beautiful night sky. He grinned back at you and began to lay the contents of the picnic basket out on the floor. When he was done, he turned the flashlight off and patted the blanket next to him. You sat down across from him, and he handed you a bottle of soda, clinking his own against yours before opening it.

“Okay, I have to admit, there is a reason I brought you here tonight,” Rian said as he opened a bag of candy and tossed you a piece. You raised your eyebrows at him, silently (and hopefully) urging him to continue. You couldn’t deny that he had seemed slightly shy tonight, and though you had both been joking with each other like always, the mood of the evening did seem different than usual. While you were pretty sure that you had a good read on him after your many years of friendship, you wanted- needed to know that you hadn’t been getting your hopes up all night for nothing.

“I, um. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time. And I wanted to make it special, as cliche as that sounds.” Rian reached out and fiddled with the sleeve of your long tshirt. “I’ve… I’ve really liked you for a long time. You’re one of my best friends in the world, and I love spending time with you. I mean, I understand if you don’t feel the same and want some space after this, but I hope we can still be-”

“If you’re going to imply that I don’t want to be anything more than friends, I’m gonna need you to stop right there,” you told him seriously, your heart beating like war drums in your chest. “I guess it wasn’t as obvious as I thought, but I have had a huge crush on you for a long, long time. I just… I never said anything because I was never sure if you felt the same way.” You gently reached out and took his hand in one of yours.

He leaned in closer, unable to contain the grin threatening to split his face in two. “Do you think we could make this our first date, then?” he said. “It is a dinner for two, underneath the stars.”

“And in a haunted house. I think that matches us perfectly,” you joked.

He tilted his face down to meet yours, stopping just before your lips touched his. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you would say.”

A/N: Thank you for reading my work! If you enjoyed it, please comment and let me know what you liked about it or what your favorite part was! Also, feel free to send in requests! :)

[kefanqian-blog]

Part 1: What is “New Media”?

This 4-part blog series explores the role that newspapers played in mid- and late-18th century American colonies and how by treating this industry as a form of “new media”, we can learn valuable lessons about the questions and crisis in today’s media culture related to digital new media.

Today, society is busy trying to wrap its head around the intricacies of so-called “new media” – that is, social and digital media. But the definition of “new media” is a rather nebulous and contested one. While the term is commonly applied to digital media or the digitization of “old” media, at one point in time, all media were new. One of the key features of all “new media” however, is that during those periods of time when they are considered to be new, the full extent of their meaning and potential is not yet understood. Gitelman and Pingree define “new media” along these lines as follows: “When a new medium is introduced its meaning – its potential, its limitations, the publicly agreed upon sense of what it does, and for whom – has not yet been pinned down.” The medium is “not yet fully defined” but offers both positive and negative possibilities, a “new media” is therefore a media/communications object “of both risk and potential”. (Gitelman & Pingree, 2003, xv). As the world is today grappling with precisely these questions in relation to Facebook, Twitter, and other digital platforms that constitute the new “new media”, in the late 18th century, newspapers were relatively new in the Americas.

In the late 18th century, newspapers were an emerging communications and media phenomenon in the United States. Despite enjoying recent and rapid growth over the previous decade, at the time that the revolution war broke out in 1775 there were still only fifty printing presses in operation across all the American colonies (Humphrey, 2013, 24). At this time, while the colonies were quickly becoming more literate, the state of American newspapers was characterized by precisely this period of transition, the uncertain and contested potential of the medium that Gitelman and Pingree use to define “new media”. The power of colonial newspapers would soon become apparent, however. In the antebellum period and after the war colonial newspapers were integral in galvanizing public opinion and in shaping post-independence politics.

It’s interesting to note how many of the present-day challenges with respect to fake news and freedom of the press are also evident during this period in American history at the dawn of the newspaper as a truly mass medium of communications. Early newspaper content was highly partisan and polemical in ways not much different from contemporary news outlets. Competing newspapers battled one another in so-called ‘information wars’, presaging today’s concerns of fake news. America’s founding fathers and early publishers disputed the appropriate role of government in regulating the content and distribution of newspapers much in the same way that the American Congress is today occupied with the pressing question of whether government should be involved in regulating social media.

In many ways then, in the mid- and late-18th century, American colonial newspapers can be characterized as “new media” in more than one sense. The industry was “new” in the temporal sense in terms of a medium for truly mass communications, but in a conceptual sense of the term as well. The legal architecture that regulated printing presses was in the process of being constructed. Newspapers introduced new questions in civil politics about the relationship between private publishers and government. Anxieties proliferated about whether freedom of the press would, in Samuel Hutchison’s words, prove a license to “print every thing that it libelous and slanderous” (Mansky, 2018).

References:

Gitelman, L., Pingree, G. (2003). New media, 1740-1915. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press.

Humphrey, C. (2013). The American Revolution and the Press. Northwestern University Press.

Mansky, J. (2018). The Age-Old Problem of “Fake News”, Smithsonian Magazine, retrieved from www.smithsonianmag.com, accessed Nov. 18, 2020.

[xathia-89]

Our Little Girl Part 4

@plumpblueberry because she’s encouraging me too much. WAIFU LOVE.

Giles was stroking Sasha's hair. She was resting with her head on his chest while he was settled on the sofa. A makeshift bed had been made after the clean up from their earlier activities, a sheet now covering the leather cushions and a thin blanket was thrown over their legs to maintain an air of decency. She was dozing and clad only in a share PJ shirt that had gotten shrunk in the wash and no longer fit either of the boys.

Sid stormed out of the bathroom in only a towel, muttering angrily at his phone while water was still dripping down his abs and back. Giles sighed until the TV remote was snatched up, and the news channel was now the focus of the two men.

Sasha was nudged to open her eyes as her brother's name grabbed all of them. He was looking no different than when he was managing the bar, something of a shirt and waistcoat but there wasn't a tie, and the first several buttons were undone. Leo looked pale, he clearly had been disturbed and appointed as soon as Sasha was stripped of her position the previous night.

Her nails were digging into the palms of her hand as Leo opened his mouth on the screen.

"Thank you all for your warm welcome, I am certain that everyone has heard the frankly ridiculous rumours surrounding my sister's sudden departure. I do not care for her name to be tarnished because people need gossip. Sasha's leaving was to allow her to move on with her career, there was no scandal and anyone who tries to manufacture one will find themselves with Crawford Industries Limited legal team in contact. There are no hard feelings involved, and we wish her all the best as she moves forward with her life. I am opening for questions," his smile was lethal, he was going to tear into the first person who dared to be stupid. "Yes?" He pointed to a particularly well-known slimeball, who made it his business to try and destroy any woman in power.

"So the photographic evidence of Sasha Crawford on a date with your main competitors at The Crown, specifically, the owner Giles Christophe, are you saying that she isn't involved with them?" His voice was nasally and made every attempt to make himself look better than he was as the focus and tension were batted back to Leo.

"There is no known photographic evidence, and I believe that neither company has exhibited any changes that would come of Sasha's social life. In our business, it is more than a little common to be rubbing shoulders with your competition, so photographic proof that the two were seen together is nothing that can't be explained," Leo's smile was the most devious thing about his reply. His red eyes were focused on the slimy male, who was scowling furiously as he scribbled some notes down. "And I will remind you that any …. Implications of such things will come under as libel against Sasha Crawford and Crawford Industries. Besides, I know many people are adept at Photoshop these days to try and make some quick money."

The tone was clear as Sasha was starting to get a little hopeful, but the reporter would just be running something anyway.

Sid was already dialling to get through to their lawyer as Giles tried to sit Sasha back on his lap, the woman had crawled to the edge of the seat in anxiety. She was chewing on her lip before jumping the second his hand touched her shoulder.

"You aren't alone," he softly reminded her.

She took him by surprise.

Her head was buried into his chest, her arms wrapped around him as the questions about Sasha continued to drone on in the background. The slimeball had set enough doubt about things going among the others, and everyone was questioning if the photos were real, and she had left to join the competition, then would it not harm the family? He could feel her shaking as the tears poured out, his heart was aching for her.

"I believe I have already answered these slanderous questions," Leo's voice was icy, and Alyn was now standing next to him in the background as Giles' arms squeezed some reassurance into his girlfriend. "Sasha Crawford devoted her life to bettering Crawford Industries, such photographs of her with any other individuals are part of her social life which was nothing to do with the business. She was the epitome of professional, her social life was sparse and secondary to the business. We saw no effect on our business before her departure, profits were above expected, and there was no change in our competitor's business either. There are no grounds for your slander and libel, consider this press conference over," Leo was frowning. Worry was evident in his eyes, no smirk on his face, and he was more than a little swift to leave.

"Robert is on call if we need him if the reporters continue this way," Sid's voice made the pair jump, before bending over the back of the sofa and planting a soft kiss to Sasha's head. "We also need to arrange for your things to be collected."

"I don't want to talk to him," the woman's voice was muffled by her face being pressed into Giles' shirt.

"It would be best to approach your brothers actually," the manager corrected her, massaging her head. "We could even agree to meet halfway between The Crown and The Throne. So it's all neutral territory," Giles came out with as he was already fishing around for her phone on the table behind them.

Then her mobile started to ring. Aly n's face was on the screen as Sid passed it to Sasha with an expectant look.

"Hey."

"You saw the conference, I presume?" Alyn was exhausted from playing to their uncle's whims.

"Yes."

"Leo's already had the servants collect all your personal things together," her brother sighed before Sid was gesturing for the phone. "And I suspected a couple of people would like to hear things on the speaker at least."

"Stop all thinking alike," Sasha sighed, taking the phone from her ear and pressing the icon on the screen. "So we just need a spot to collect my things from?"

"Leo's snowed up right now, you know what Uncle Aubin is like. He has one pace and one set of expectations," Alyn wasn't one for mincing his words at least, and that was probably the main reason he didn't still live with their uncle. "What the hell did you do?"

"Those photos made their way to his desk, where I was having lunch at one restaurant with Giles and then a different date with Sid at another spot, and he told me how he should have known he couldn't trust a woman," Sasha murmured after an extended pause. "I bet those photos are the same ones that Slimeball Jones was talking about in the press conference."

"Possible, we don't know. If they get released then Leo has already told Uncle Aubin that he will prosecute on your behalf," her brother confirmed, she could see him shrugging without a care. "Neither of us gives a damn about who you date, but you know we have to do the proper introductions in time."

"I was trying to keep my social life private for a reason," she mumbled. "And let things quieten down a bit before all five of us are seen in public. We'll just be adding fuel to the fire if we're photographed so soon after my departure," Sasha was trying to reason.

"No, we're coming over to The Crown with your things tonight and having dinner all together," Alyn decreed, making the trio stop instantly. A soft chuckle over the phone broke the silence. "It means it stops things being dug up a second time as well," he stated.

"That is true. We will close off a section of the bar as well, to ensure some level of privacy," Giles nodded. "We will see you this evening."

"Later," Aly n's voice was slightly lilted, as though he was relieved about his sister now before the three of them all exchanged looks.

"Well, we need to take someone shopping," Giles smiled, a perfect opportunity to spoil Sasha at least.

[itssmithlove]

I've eaten it before when not too strong

I've eaten it before when not too strong and not gotten sick, but I usually just dump it and take the receipt back to get my money returned.. The questions are fair: These residents of Broadway Place saw their lives changed on the merits of being in the right place at the right time.. He should not have Kalmring half of their shared assets.. Police at the time said charges would not be filed against the woman who allegedly stabbed Allgood, because it was in self defense. Don't be shy and feel free to say hello if you see her around! You may see her running outside (when it's above 30 degrees), drinking coffee somewhere, enjoying the sunshine when it's out, or trying something new to eat. University of Houston is the leading institution. Vets felt they were meeting with limited success because vets and farmers may be emphasising different framings of biosecurity. Where is the NZ voice in this? Is our water supply so infinite that ONE bottling plant can take 70 million litres every day? It is winter and we already have a water shortage. The way to build loyalty is to employ the data you collect in a coherent way. And Vielva, P. These plans outline what to do when someone with T1 has low blood glucose (hypo) or high blood glucose (hyper), when to test their blood glucose and how to support the child to do PE at school. (If you fulfilled the requirement to drink four cups of wine, best to drink a cup of water on the way to bed.) You're going to need it. Haywood's hiring by athletic director Steve Pederson was greeted unenthusiastically by fans, boosters, alumni and students who questioned why a school with annual Top 25 aspirations hired him away from mid major Miami (Ohio). I saw many Australians and other foreigners skiing and snowboarding. After obtaining his British citizenship, Johnson won a bronze medal with the Great Britain national team at the 2009 Division 1 World Championships. After returning to the car, she "suddenly turned back to us, [and] she had a gun." As she trained the gun on him, Richardson tied his hands behind his back and forced him out of the car. Mergansers, five per day with no more than two hooded merganser. In the present work, a thermodynamically based constitutive model is proposed to capture the rate sensitivity, the stress relaxation and the accelerated cyclic softening observed during cyclic deformation of a P91 steel at an elevated temperature (600C). Less than 100 notes of a single bill denomination should be strapped and marked with the unit count and dollar amount. And despite that unwieldy title (the pilot episode was called The Secret Life of 4 Year Olds, but for the series the age range was extended because children make huge leaps in understanding and awareness between four and six) the result is appointment television. There may be an element of coincidence in all this, but, I think, in a more profound sense, we have the coming together, or the beginning of the coming together, of a number of social and cultural processes. But Wade stopped short of admitting his side had turned a corner after declaring they weren't good enough to win the competition four weeks ago. Mutombo does make up for Ratliff's absence though. While we occasionally listen in on chat groups, coach outlet clearance or look at the posting in our discussion coach outlet online groups or on our bulletin boards, we take no responsibility and assume no liability for the content of those locations or for any mistakes, defamation, libel, slander, omissions, falsehoods, obscenity, pornography, or profanity you might encounter when you visit such places on our site. When I lived in the Midwest I found the people to be the most difficult to understand. I hope we get to see him again in a major fight soon, because he earned better than to lose a tough fight and that disappear while Oba Carr suddenly becomes popular.. And the sauce a little tangier than I remembered. Just pitch execution and trusting your gut and trusting your instincts and trusting your catcher and executing the pitch. "Every time we've done a beach clean and this is our seventh time we collect more rubbish," he said. The fibre from the leaf stalks of abac is both strong and fine, in fact just what you want for tea bags and other specialised paper products such as filter paper and banknotes.. Instead, he removed the body to a farm in Fremont County, where it was kept for a time in a black tote bag in a stack of hay while he went to Thanksgiving dinner, Slater testified.. Detweiler and Winston were recently fired as basketball coaches at Phoenixville Area High School.. 2, the iconic Donald Ross course in the Carolina Sandhills. You can find quizzes with quirky facts, science and nature, or entertainment. Family and friends held a vigil Saturday for a barber killed in a shooting in Hawthorne as the search continued for his attacker, who also shot and wounded another person. And time is of the essence, since tsunami waves travel at speeds of up to 800kmh, depending on the depth of the water.. The Knights dominated the first half, opening the scoring through Tyler Harrison in the sixth minute, adding a second from Nick Naden and only denied more by the agility of Olympic keeper Jarrod Hill. The Post has previously documented claims from six people in addition to the five arrested in Australia who alleged that while Pastukhov was an editor at Vice he offered them money to carry suitcases to Australia.

[dontforgetthedragon]

You know what I’m currently peeved about???

I’ve been reading The Fates Divided, as in the sequel to Carve the Mark, and it’s actually??? Really??? Good??? Like, both books are just really good when it comes to good representation and well-written characters. They have:

Canonically nb people, whose identity no-one calls into question

Canonically gay couples, both young and older

Incredibly racially diverse societies

Mixed-race families and children that make my mixed-race, yearning-for-representation heart sing

The stance that adopted families can be your real families, and can have more claim on you than your biological parents

Disabled characters who aren’t portrayed as a burden on their societies

etc

And yet I have seen Carve the Mark slagged off on this site more times than I can count. I almost didn’t read it bc of the assertions people made about it, and because I was young, and naïve, and thought that if someone said something with such conviction then it must be true, right?

WRONG

In the end, I read Carve the Mark if only bc some of the people slandering (yes, slandering, as in making up negative things that turned out to actually contradict the source material therefore making them objectively untrue) the book were also trying to assert that fact checking was morally wrong and I mean that was obviously not true, even to my young and impressionable self.

Probably the most outrageous piece of obvious libel I almost believed is the assertion that ‘Carve the Mark is hideously racist because it portrays black ppl as violent savages’.

So, uh, let’s look at the actual facts here:

Both the Shotet and Thuvhesit people are describe as being multiracial. People from both nations are described as having fair skin, or dark skin, or curly hair, or straight hair, or freckles, or Asian eyes etc.

Akos, who has fair skin, is assumed to be Shotet on multiple occasions, which would not occur if the Shotet (the more violent of the two nations) were predominantly dark-skinned.

Akos turns out to actually be Shotet.

Both the Noavek (Shotet) and Kereseth (Thuvhesit) families are incredibly mixed-race, to the point where two very different looking babies could be switched without arousing suspicion.

Akos notes that his sister, Cisi Kereseth, is very similar in colouration to Cyra Noavek. Cyra is described as having brown skin and curly hair.

Cyra turns out have been born a Kereseth, and Cisi’s biological sister.

Lazmet Noavek is described as naturally fair-skinned, but tanned. He notes that Akos got his grey eyes from his side of the family.

While Thuvhe characterises the Shotet as violent savages, it becomes abundantly clear in TFD that this is a vicious and damaging stereotype that is completely unfair on the Shotet people, who are predominantly just normal people trying to live as best they can under the Noavek regime.

Attacks on both Thuvhe and Shotet are described with an equal sense of horror.

Literally nothing in either of the books draws any sort of correlation between violence and skin colour???

And I mean I guess at the end of the day, the moral of this story is that if anyone tries to tell you that it’s morally wrong to check the facts, it’s bc they know they’ve misrepresented the facts to you, or downright lied, and they don’t want you to find out.

Is Veronica Roth a perfect human capable of creating an absolutely uncriticisable piece of work that can be paraded around as the shining example of how to incorporate different minorities into your literature in such a way that absolutely no-one will have qualms about how you represent any of your characters? Of course not. But should she be slammed for trying her damnedest to produce good representation for a wide range of people instead of producing another story about straight, white, able-bodied people and their straight, white, able-bodied friends like most of the fantasy genre seems saturated with? Absolutely not.

tl;dr: don’t trust anyone who tries to disuade you from checking the facts for yourself

[zombiepineapple]

Comparing Acceptable Use Policies

An Acceptable Use Policy is an agreement between a company and a customer. It's what someone agrees to in order to use a service or product. Most customers and stakeholders are prompted to read and accept these terms before initially using a company’s product, as well as when there are updates or new releases. Reading a company’s AUP can give insight to a company’s concerns, values, and security frameworks. People rarely read these, but they can tell us a lot about a company and how it treats its customers, not just what the company expects from people interacting with their property.

To show these differences, I read through the AUPs for Brown University, Facebook, and the U.S. Army. I ranked them on their efficacy and detail. Items given special attention will include how long ago an AUP was updated, concepts the AUPs define, mentions of cybersecurity policies, and repercussions for users who do not follow the AUPs.

Ranking Three Acceptable Use Policies

Brown University

Brown University is ranked third in the comparison of the first three AUPs. The university last reviewed their policy on August 3rd, 2016, but initially enacted the document August 1st, 2003 (Acceptable Use Policy | Computing & Information Services, n.d.). They have five separate help links from the policy page, making it the most accessible for users that need assistance. Another strength is that they have an extensive list of real-world examples to help clarify different situations a user may find themselves experiencing. They are most concerned with users cheating, hacking, and breaking the law. Toting respect above all else, Brown University is clear that if there are any breaches of their policy, they will respond with legal action. Their policy is short and doesn’t go out of its way to define concepts. Instead, it gives lists and examples of misconduct. Most notably, they are concerned with copyright abuses and “activities that would jeopardize the University’s tax-exempt status.” (Acceptable Use Policy | Computing & Information Services, n.d.)

Interestingly, they are specific on a few cybersecurity points. Students are allocated a certain amount of bandwidth which they cannot exceed. Users may not use university devices for libel, slander, harassment, or political purposes, nor economic gain. Users may not access or copy others’ personal identification or account information, like someone’s phone number or password. The use of security assessment or cyber-attack tools is prohibited unless under direction of and through educational means in their cybersecurity classes. Most notably, students are responsible for their device’s “network address or port, software and hardware. … (and) may not enable unauthorized users to access the network”. This means that if a student is hacked, it is effectively their fault, not the university’s, if they did not make a “reasonable effort” to protect their systems. Lastly, the AUP mentions that by agreeing to the policy, users also agree to all third-party license agreements, but there are no mentions or links to what those may be (Acceptable Use Policy | Computing & Information Services, n.d.).

Facebook

Facebook’s AUP is ranked second best out of the first three policy reviews. It consists of two documents: their Terms of Service and Community Standards. These documents were last revised October 2nd, 2020 (Terms of Service, 2019). At the start, Facebook is intent on explaining that everything they do is for others’ benefits. They clearly state that they don’t sell user data, but they get revenue from semi-anonymous user activity data (Terms of Service, 2019). For example, an advertising company may be told that a person who works in the culinary arts and likes skydiving clicked on their ad. This didn’t name the person or give away anything that may identify them, but it should be noted that the user is being given the Facebook platform service in exchange for this type of surveillance and reporting, and not any type of financial reparation. Facebook spends several pages explaining how this process makes the world a better place (Terms of Service, 2019).

From there, Facebook defines who is allowed to use their platform. As long as a user is over 13, not a convicted sex offender, hasn’t been kicked from the platform before, or doesn’t live in a country that bans Facebook, a person may create a profile. The profile must have the users real name, give accurate personal information, and be their only account (Terms of Service, 2019). This raises some questions, as many people regularly use fake names, have many accounts, and state they went to Hogwarts for college. Copyright is an interesting topic for Facebook. Anything a person uploads remains theirs and Facebook owns the “license” to it, unless it’s deleted. Interestingly, this section specifies that Facebook can use user content in their advertising campaigns without any special permissions (Terms of Service, 2019). So, don’t be surprised if Joe Lunchbox’s vacation video ends up on television.

In terms of cybersecurity, no one may upload malicious code nor attempt to spider, or scan for data, using software. Trying to view Facebook’s source code is also prohibited. If any of these policies are broken, Facebook will issue warnings, disable accounts, and may even contact and give personal information to law enforcement (Terms of Service, 2019). For example, if a person starts a live stream and begins threatening suicide, the stream will be cut the moment “threat becomes attempt” and police will be contacted and given that person's geological location, name, and number. There is also a very large section dedicated to mentioning that Facebook is not perfect and not responsible for content people post. This states that no lawsuit against Facebook may exceed $100 compensation from them and that all court cases take place “exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California or a state court located in San Mateo County.” (Terms of Service, 2019)

Facebook works with several partners to eliminate any form of human abuses, like trafficking, exploitation, assault, and sexual violence. There’s even a special branch covering all this in relation to minors and children (Facebook, 2019). In fact, most photos with any type of child nudity, even uploaded by loving parents, is usually removed because those images can be perverted by others. There’s also a dedicated anti-bullying hub that targets “content that’s meant to degrade or shame.” Facebook abhors hate speech, glorifying violence, “deep fakes”, and victim mocking. A “deep fake” is an altered video that appears to be real but intends to mislead and manipulate (Facebook, 2019).

Facebook’s Community Standards are mostly large and extensive definitions for the following: violence, criminal behavior, safety, objectionable content, integrity, authenticity, respecting intellectual property, and content-related requests and decisions (Facebook, 2019). There are only a few interesting points in these. Facebook prohibits drug and gun transactions on their platform, but does allow these types of advertisements, especially ammunition retailers. If a person dies, their account may be memorialized. A family member or even a person’s official executor can request this. A parent can have their child’s Facebook profile deleted. Lastly, Facebook decides policy change by stakeholder group discussions (Facebook, 2019).

The U.S. Army

Ranked number one is the Acceptable Use Policy for the United States Army. In stark contrast to Facebook’s AUP, the Army keeps as much as possible private and secured. Their AUP was last updated November 7th, 2018, and has short, concise definitions, leading into lists of rules (ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP), n.d.). They start off by specifying that there are two networks: The SIPRNET and the NIPRNET, or the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network and the Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Network. Everything on the SIPRNET is classified and everything on NIPRNET is unclassified (ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP), n.d.).

The Army’s AUP is mostly cybersecurity best practices. Users need authorization to do most things, including the ability to read/write to something, change any settings, or install any programs. They use Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for every single communication on the SIPRNET, while the NIPRNET acts as a kind of duplicate internet. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is used and security training takes place annually (ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP), n.d.). If a user misses their security training deadline, their accounts are locked until they’ve done the training and turned their completion in to their superior. The program covers “threat identification, physical security, acceptable use policies, malicious content and logic identification, and non-standard threats such as social engineering.” Passwords are changed every 90 to 150 days and all items must be virus checked before they can be opened on a device. Malicious code and executables, like .exe, .com, .vbs, and .bat files, are prohibited (ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP), n.d.). Only System Administrators are allowed to do system maintenance. Wireless devices must be off in most parts of the network and Bluetooth is outright barred. Users may not use so much bandwidth as to disrupt service but are allowed a small and reasonable number of personal communications at certain moments of the day, in certain locations, with personal devices. All of this is routinely monitored, traffic is intercepted, and devices may be seized at any time. The Army has the right to take any data a user has on its devices unless it is protected under duty of confidentiality, like communications with a lawyer or therapist (ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP), n.d.).

The only course of repercussion described is “disciplinary action”, with no further explanation (ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP), n.d.). This was chosen as the best out of the three AUPs because of its cybersecurity focus and curt specificity.

Conclusion

Acceptable Use Policies range widely in length, structure, specificity, and accountability. Most companies seem to care about copyright violations, but there are stark contrasts in the length certain companies go to communicate their expectations to users. Stakeholders deserve to have AUPs that are definitive, clear-cut, and comprehensive. These AUPs indicate not only how a company wishes to be treated, but how they will treat their users. Whether it’s a San Mateo County lawsuit guaranteed to award no more than a hundred bucks, a picture of a child in the tub being redacted, or an impromptu visit from a mental health professional, users must accept the effects of misconduct. That obligation starts by agreeing to Terms of Service, even if a user doesn’t read them.

References

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP). (n.d.). https://home.army.mil/gordon/application/files/2915/4938/7446/FG_AUP-07NOV18.pdf

Acceptable Use Policy | Computing & Information Services. (n.d.). It.brown.edu. Retrieved April 25, 2021, from https://it.brown.edu/computing-policies/acceptable-use-policy#31

Facebook. (2019). Community Standards | Facebook. Facebook.com. https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/

Terms of Service. (2019). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms

[jjpocketbook]

Best Business Insurance

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Every business needs insurance. Depending on your business type and industry, some of you will need more protection than others. 

Without insurance, you could be liable for potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

What happens if one of your vehicles is involved in an accident? How will you pay for the damages of a fire or flood in your office? What if an employee or customer slips and falls on your property? 

You need to have insurance, or you’ll be paying these costs out of pocket.

But finding the best business insurance package for your organization can be tricky. On the one hand, you want to make sure that you’re covered, but on the other, you don’t want to overpay on premiums. 

The best way to start your search is by choosing a reputable business insurance provider—I’ve narrowed down the top business insurance companies in this guide. 

The Top 6 Options For Business Insurance

Chubb

CNA

Hiscox

Insureon

Progressive

The Hartford

How to Choose the Best Business Insurance For You

There is no “one-size-fits-all” plan for business insurance. Every organization is unique, so you’ll need custom protection based on your needs. Certain insurance providers are definitely better for specific types of insurance, as well as other factors. 

As you’re browsing and getting quotes from different providers, make sure you keep the following considerations in mind:

Industry

Some insurance providers have more experience covering businesses within certain industries. 

For example, a restaurant would have very different insurance needs from a construction company. A dental practice won’t have the same needs as an ecommerce website. You get the idea. 

So as you’re evaluating a potential provider, take a look at their existing clients and industries served. Do they have experience covering businesses in your industry? If not, look elsewhere.

Customer Service

If you have to submit a claim, you want to make sure that your insurance provider has your back. When you pick up the phone, will someone answer?

Any delay in the claims process will cost your business money. Let’s say there is a flood at your retail storefront. If your insurance company drags their feet, you might not be able to re-open. How soon will someone come to evaluate the property? How quickly can they approve a contractor to repair the damages?

Choose an insurance company that will go the extra mile to serve your business in times when you need their help the most—that’s what you’re paying them for.

Reputation of Provider

There are literally thousands of insurance companies in the United States. Some are brand new, some have been around since the inception of insurance, and many fall somewhere in between.

In most cases, I prefer to go with an older insurance company with a long-standing reputation. These providers have seen it all, and they’ve survived the test of time. You run some risk if you go with a newer company. Let’s say you have some obscure or rare situation with a claim. It could be a first for a new company, and they might not know how to handle it. 

Coverage Options

We’ll talk about the different types of business insurance in greater detail shortly. But in a perfect world, you’d like to get all of your business insurance coverage under one roof. 

Getting property insurance from one provider, vehicle insurance from another, and general liability from a third company is just too confusing. So look for an insurance company that has a wide array of coverage options that accommodate your needs. 

Premiums

Getting proper coverage is obviously important, but how much is this going to cost you?

If you choose the cheapest plan you can find, you’ll probably be exposed to some more out of pocket costs. But if you choose the most expensive plan on the market, do you actually need all of that coverage?

Look for a balance between these two extremes. When it comes to insurance, I typically like to be a bit more conservative. I’d rather overpay a little bit than risk not being fully covered. But this all depends on your individual risk tolerance. 

The Different Types of Business Insurance

There are dozens of different business insurance types. But for the purposes of this guide, I’m going to focus on the ones that are the most common and applicable to the masses. 

General Liability Insurance

General liability coverage protects you from risks like bodily injuries and property damage. This typically includes medical payments if someone is hurt on your company’s property. General liability can also protect you from lawsuits related to things like libel, slander, privacy violations, copyright infringement, wrongful evictions, and more. 

Most businesses will need some type of general liability coverage.

Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability and general liability are often confused with each other, although the two are not one in the same.

Professional liability insurance is also referred to as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. This protects businesses sued by clients claiming damages for professional services that you provide. Things like an accountant making a mistake on a tax return or a web developer making mistakes on a site that they manage would be examples where professional liability insurance is necessary. 

BOP Insurance

Business owners insurance (better known as BOP) is a policy that combines liability and property into one package. It’s very common for small and mid-sized business owners across a wide range of industries. Most contractors will carry some form of BOP insurance as well.

BOP packages do not cover your employees—it’s specific to business owners.  

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Once you hire your first employee, workers’ compensation should be immediately added to your business insurance policy. Most states require workers’ comp insurance by law. 

The coverage pays for things like medical expenses and disability for employees who were injured on the job. This could include minor slip and fall injuries to long-term conditions (like carpal tunnel) or even death.

Business Interruption Insurance

This type of insurance will protect your company if your operations are interrupted during some type of disaster or catastrophic event. Organizations with physical locations that could lose income due to these types of interruptions can benefit from a business interruption policy.

Your business can be compensated for lost income in these types of scenarios. 

Vehicle Insurance

This type of business insurance policy is pretty-self explanatory. Just like you need insurance for your personal vehicle, you’ll need to cover any vehicles used for business purposes. If an accident occurs with one of your vehicles (whether you’re driving or not), you’ll need this type of coverage. 

Property Insurance

Whether you own or lease physical space, you need to have property insurance. Again, it’s similar to the type of insurance you’d have to protect your home or apartment. 

This type of insurance will protect your business from events like fires or theft. Your equipment, inventory, furniture, etc. should all be covered in this policy. However, it’s worth noting that some types of natural disasters, like earthquakes, aren’t always covered in a standard property insurance policy. You might have to pay extra for this type of coverage, depending on your area and the insurance provider. 

Product Liability Insurance

If your company manufactures products that are sold to the general public, you must have product liability insurance. This coverage will protect your company from lawsuits related to damages caused by your products. 

For example, if someone is injured using one of your products, they could sue your company directly for their medical expenses. That’s when product liability insurance would kick in. 

#1 – Chubb Review — Most Versatile Business Insurance Packages

Chubb is one of the most reputable business insurance providers on the market today. They are known for exceptional customer service.

This provider has a wide range of plans for small businesses, commercial insurance, industry-specific policies, and more. 

Compared to other insurance providers on the market, Chubb has one of the most extensive coverage portfolios that you can find. Some examples of these policy categories include:

Accident and health

General liability

Cyber insurance

Environmental packages (premises pollution liability and contractor pollution liability)

International insurance packages

Management liability

Inland and ocean marine 

Product recall liability

Professional liability

Workers’ compensation

Chubb has over 200 years of experience in the business insurance space. Just be aware that their premiums tend to be a bit higher than other options—but you’re paying for the best.  

#2 – CNA Review — The Best Custom Business Insurance Plans

CNA is another reputable provider in the business insurance world. They have 120+ years of expertise in this field. 

With CNA, you’ll benefit from a custom insurance package to help manage your risks and liabilities.

There are certain industries that CNA has the most experience working with; these include construction, education, manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, wholesale, technology, professional services, finance, and more.

Here’s a quick glance at some of the types of business insurance offered by CNA:

Workers’ compensation insurance

Professional liability insurance (errors and omissions)

Property insurance

Commercial auto insurance

Business interruption insurance

General liability insurance

Equipment breakdown insurance

I like CNA because you can pick and choose which types of coverage you need, and get them bundled into a single policy that’s custom fit to your needs. 

#3 – Hiscox Review — Best For Small Business Insurance

Hiscox is my top recommendation for small business owners. Their policies are affordable, while still providing you with enough coverage to protect your organization from a wide range of potential scenarios.

When I say that Hiscox is great for small businesses, I mean ALL small businesses. They’re currently providing protection to organizations in 180+ different industries. 

The list of coverage types offered by Hiscox isn’t quite as extensive as some of the other options on the market today. But they still have more than enough options to accommodate the needs of most businesses.

General liability insurance for small business

Professional liability (E&O) insurance for small business

Business owners policy (BOP) for small business

Short-term liability insurance for small business

Cyber insurance for small business

Workers’ comp for small business

Commercial auto insurance for small business

Umbrella insurance for small business

Employment practices liability insurance for small business

Hiscox is an established name in the business insurance world. They’ve been around since 1901 and insure 300,000+ small businesses across the US.

#4 – Insureon Review — Best Business Insurance Marketplace

Technically speaking, Insureon isn’t actually an insurance provider; it’s an online marketplace for business insurance.

But this robust platform definitely deserves a spot on my list. Insureon is super easy to use, and it’s the best way to compare coverage options from different providers in a single place.

If you’re looking to get the best possible rate, I strongly recommend Insureon. Otherwise, you’d have to get quotes from different providers individually, which is much more of a hassle.

Insureon allows you to compare free quotes from some of the top-rated and well-known business insurance providers on the market today (including some of the options on our list).

Travelers

Chubb

Hiscox

Hannover

The Hartford

Liberty Mutual

AmTrust Financial

The list goes on and on. You can browse policies for professional liability insurance, cyber liability insurance, BOP policies, general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and more.

Insureon is typically geared toward smaller businesses. But it’s used across a wide range of different industries. 

#5 – Progressive Review — The Best For Commercial Auto Insurance

Progressive is an industry leader in the commercial auto coverage space. 

With 45+ years of experience, they aren’t quite as old as some other players in the industry. However, Progressive is definitely a well-established and trustworthy provider for commercial auto policies.

Here’s a list of some common types of business vehicles insured by Progressive:

Buses

Limousines

Trucks

Vans

Landscaping vehicles

Tow trucks

Box trucks

Snow plows

Sports utility vehicles (for hauling cargo and transporting products)

Pickup trucks

Trailers

It’s worth noting that there are certain types of vehicles that Progressive will NOT insure. This includes emergency vehicles (like fire trucks and ambulances), golf carts, double-decker buses, monster trucks, race cars, wheelchair buses, and a few others. 

In addition to the commercial policies, Progressive also has coverage for general liability, BOP, professional liability, workers’ comp, and more. 

#6 – The Hartford Review — The Best For Workers’ Comp

For those of you who don’t know, Hartford, Connecticut is known as the “insurance capital of the world.” So it’s no surprise to see The Hartford (named for its headquarters’ namesake) on our list.

This company was founded more than two centuries ago, back in 1810. To say they are a well-established name in the business insurance industry would be a drastic understatement. 

The Hartford has an extensive list of product offerings for business insurance. Some of their most popular policies include:

Business owners’ policy (BOP) insurance

General liability insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance

Business income insurance

Commercial auto insurance

Commercial property insurance

Commercial flood insurance

Home-based business insurance

Professional liability insurance

Multinational business insurance

Overall, the workers’ comp coverages provided by The Hartford are second to none. If you want to give your employees the very best protection, look no further than The Hartford. 

Summary

In a market saturated with business insurance options, there are really only six choices that I’d consider. 

If you choose one of the names reviewed above, you can rest easy knowing that your business is being protected from a well-established and reputable provider. 

Be sure to use the methodology I described earlier as you’re shopping around and evaluating different options. That’s the only way to get the best possible business insurance policy for your company. 

The post Best Business Insurance appeared first on Neil Patel.

Original content source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/best-business-insurance/ via https://neilpatel.com

The original post, Best Business Insurance, has been shared from https://imtrainingparadise.wordpress.com/2020/09/18/best-business-insurance/ via https://imtrainingparadise.wordpress.com

[go-redgirl]

Limbaugh: RNC Was About Saving America from a Race War Democrats Actively Trying to Promote

During his nationally syndicated show on Friday, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh discussed the Republican National Convention held earlier in the week and how it compared to the Democratic National Convention in a prerecorded message he made as he recovers from an infection.

Limbaugh gave President Donald Trump and the RNC high marks but said the DNC was being used by Democrats to be divisive.

One of the elements Limbaugh praised about the RNC was the push for inclusiveness, and argued Democrats were promoting racial hostilities.

Partial transcript as follows (courtesy of RushLimbaugh.com):

LIMBAUGH: We can rest assured that this is the case, having watched it last night. I saw people complaining. The Fox News people were complaining that the speech was too long, 70 minutes. Let me tell you: If anybody has earned the right to take as much time as he wants to explain himself, it’s Donald Trump. The man has been slandered and libeled multiple times a day every day for four years.

He has been unfairly criticized. He’s been lied about. He has been the subject of a search-and-destroy campaign. And this entire week the Republican National Convention has been a focused period of time for Trump and his administration to tell their story, and if it took him 70 minutes last night to do it, fine and dandy. They say, “Well, y’ know, he didn’t see to have a whole lot of energy out there.”

He was not going to win, no matter what he did. If he’d done Trump at a rally, they’d have said he wasn’t presidential. If he had gone out and been really tough and called Biden a bunch of names, they would have said, “He’s not presidential! He’s not taking it seriously.” So last night I thought he was actually really good. The only thing that upset me about it going long was people were falling asleep in the Eastern Time Zone and missing some of it.

I thought it was exactly what was called for. It was calm. It was assuring. And you know something else? Remember the prepublicity on all this. The prepublicity was, “Trump was gonna come out, he was gonna fire on all cylinders, and he was gonna be ripping Biden and Kamala Harris a new one,” and that’s not what we got last night.

We got a guy who was self-assured, who was confident. I couldn’t tell when he was on the prompter and when he wasn’t. He was funny in a deadpan, slow-stated or downplayed kind of way — and he was unthreatening. You know, the prepublicity on this was, “Well, this guy, he’s going to come out firing both barrels! You better be prepared! He’s going to launch everything.” It wasn’t that way at all.

It was calm, it was reasoned — and for those watching Trump to learn a little bit about him, there wasn’t anything about it that was threatening.

Look, folks, I also have some other observations about things that have happened while I’ve been away. I want to take the opportunity here of this occasion just to get some of those thoughts in, in preparation for my return to the Golden EIB Microphone on Monday. I loved Ivanka’s speech last night. One line particularly stood out: “Washington didn’t change my father. My father changed Washington.”

Boy, is that true. It is right-on-the-money true, and it continues to be the case, and it explains why they continue — in the establishment, deep state, whatever — to be so outraged and indignant and irrational. They’re incapable of being rational when Trump is around, precisely because he is changing where they live. He’s changing where they work.

Now, can I remind you of something? And I took a lot of heat for this. I said last week that the Democrat challenge was going to be to find a way to renege on the debates, and everybody — blogosphere, pundits, and people on cable news — said, “Limbaugh is off his rocker! He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Of course there’s going to be debates!

“There’s going to be three debates. Biden is assuring everybody there’s going to be debates,” and what happened? Nancy Pelosi … Stop and think of this, folks. Nancy Pelosi comes out and says, “I would not legitimize a conversation with him.” Now, she’s clearly laying the groundwork for Biden not to have to debate, and she wouldn’t have done that without the Biden campaign’s knowledge of it.

The idea she’s out there shooting from the hip? I guess it’s possible because it’s Pelosi. She may be trying to manipulate things because I’ll tell you something else going on out there, folks. You know, internal polls for politicians don’t lie. The polls that they do that they report to you and me — like take your pick of any poll. Those polls, as you well know, are made to shape public opinion, not reflect it.

But internal polls, like the Trump campaign internal polls or the Biden internal polls? They’re not lying to themselves in those polls — and those polls must be bad. I saw a poll, and I can’t remember the name of it right now. Let me find it real quick. (shuffling papers) Black Lives Matter in Wisconsin’s popularity has gone from plus-25 to zero in two months. Oh, yeah. It was a tweet here from noted hate expert Jonathan Chait.

“Democrats need to be extremely concerned about what’s happening in Wisconsin, where support for BLM has gone from +25 to +0 in 2 months.” In Wisconsin! It’s happening all over the place, and by now I’m sure you’ve all heard that CNN anchors are warning, “Oh, we gotta get serious. We got to talk about the rioting. The focus group data looks bad. The polling data looks bad.”

Oh, so now it’s not about saving lives, not about saving property. Now that all this is starting to hurt the Democrats, now they’ve got to start talking about it? But these internal polls must be bad. They don’t lie in these internal polls. Biden … Did you notice yesterday he didn’t just leave the basement; he went up a floor? He went to the living room. He went up to where there’s a fireplace — in August.

Kamala Harris emerged from whatever hovel she was living in to come out and tell a bunch of whoppers about Trump, and I think the fact that these polls — the internal polls in the Biden campaign — are bad can be seen in the Biden campaign’s activity. Here’s a New York Times story: “How Chaos in Kenosha Is Already Swaying Some Voters in Wisconsin,” and there’s a quote from somebody here.

“Ellen Ferwerda, who owns an antique furniture store downtown just blocks from the worst of the destruction that is now closed, said … Democratic leaders seemed hesitant to condemn the mayhem. ‘I think they just don’t know what to say.'” Uh, if you don’t know what to say about rioters, if you don’t know what to say about people that are destroying your town, then it’s obvious you don’t know what to do about it, either.

Bruce Arians, the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You know, a lot of these players — NFL, NBA, NHL — decided to not practice or cancel a bunch of games because of the shooting in Kenosha, and Bruce Arians, the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said, “I don’t know that protest is an action. I think each guy has a personal thing.

Already people in the sports media are outraged that he would say this, that “the Boston Tea Party was protest.” No, it was action. It was much more than just marching up and down the street or carrying a bunch of signs or looting and destroying other people’s property. There is a big difference between action and protest. What he was really saying was (summarized):

“Canceling practice — not practicing football one day — is not going to change anything you claim to be in favor of. It’s not going to matter a whit,” and so — he didn’t say this; I will — they’re getting away with engaging in a bunch of symbolism while not having to engage in any genuine substance.

Folks, a couple of other things here that I want to delve into. I actually believe… I saw a little note from Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit. Actually, there were some major things happening this week that I haven’t heard anybody say. Now, that doesn’t mean nobody has, because I haven’t been able to listen to everything. But I look at the Republican convention.

It’s been the most diverse political convention I’ve ever seen, including Democrat conventions. And as I’ve watched it, it has occurred to me that Trump isn’t just running for reelection. The story that is being told at the Republican National Convention is about saving America. It’s about saving America from a race war that the Democrats are out there actively trying to promote. They’re trying to foment it.

They want this country to be black versus white, immigrant versus native, male versus female. That’s what they want. They want that chaos. They want this constant us-versus-them aspect of daily life. And Trump is making it clear that he’s interested in people who are constructive, productive, generally happy. He’s not interested in parasites, the generally miserable.

He wants everybody to join in this project of making America great again, to restoring America’s greatness where we had contentment and happiness, and people sought happiness. The fact that all of that is controversial still amazes me. But I think it’s an… If you look at the Republican convention, it is astounding, the understory, or some of the themes underneath the surface that are, I think, extremely powerful.

There’s another thing, folks, that is undeniable, and that is the Republican Party is no longer the party of the McCains or the Bushes or the Romneys or take your pick. I mean, or the Koch brothers, all the big donors and so forth. This is clearly a Republican Party now that is Donald Trump’s, and he’s got 92 to 95% Republican loyalty.

It’s one of the most amazing transformations of a political party, and it’s taken place in less than three years. At this convention, George W. Bush was nowhere to be found. None of the old Republican elders. Romney was nowhere to be found. Not that they wanted to be there, but that’s the point. So I just… I think that there is a lot, folks, to be optimistic about, particularly if President Trump wins.

(alarm chime)

Oops! There’s my timer telling me that my time is up, but it’s not up. I gave myself a couple of extra seconds here. It is an opportunity for an upbeat, positive nature among all of us. This week has been very eye-opening for me. It’s been a very bad week, and yet it has ended for me feeling inspired and upbeat and really confident about the future of our country if President Trump is reelected. I believe the opposite is true if he’s not.

[supplylaw-blog]

When Is an Online Review Defamation?

A business is built on its reputation. You'll want to know, when is an online review defamatory, and what damages are available for defamation?

If you need legal advice from an Ottawa Civil Litigation Lawyer, book your free legal consultation with Supply Law today.

*Disclaimer: this guide is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice nor create a solicitor-client relationship between the author and reader. As with all legal matters, a lawyer should be properly retained and consulted where legal advice may reasonably be considered necessary. 

This blog post will cover the basics of defamation, including:

  1. What is defamation? 2. Who can be liable for defamation? 3. What are the defenses to defamation? 4. How much are the damages for defamation? 5. Is there a legal way to get defamatory comments removed?   Ready? Here we go!

1. What is Defamation?

  There are 3 elements the plaintiff needs to prove in an action for defamation: A. the words were defamatory B. the words, in fact, referred to the Plaintiff, and C. the words were published. While apparently simple, these necessary components have (unsurprisingly) generated a substantial amount of litigation.

A. Defamatory Words

The courts will determine whether words are defamatory on an objective standard. The court will ask whether the words, in the eyes of a "reasonable person", would tend to lower the plaintiff’s reputation amongst others. The reasonable person is a fictional character that the courts created. The court presumes its reasonable person is ordinary, fair minded, lacking special knowledge, and not unusually suspicious or naïve. The ultimate question is whether, in the mind of this fictional person, the words would cause others to view the plaintiff with feelings such as hatred, contempt, ridicule, fear, dislike, or disesteem, with the result that their reputation is harmed. Defamatory words can involve an attack on a person’s professional reputation, appearance, morals, or anything else that would objectively tend to lower how people feel about another individual.  

Note: What Is the Difference Between Libel and Slander?

Libel and slander are forms of defamation. In essence, libel is a defamatory statement in print form, whereas slander is usually spoken but may include other less permanent forms of communication such as sign language. Either may give rise to a claim for defamation. An important distinction is that libel (the written form) is actionable per se, meaning it is presumed damages flow from the defamation, whereas in the case of slander, actual loss must be proven. See damages below. B. Reference to the Plaintiff Defamation is said to be a personal claim, which is why the words need to refer to the plaintiff. This is also why harmful statements made generally towards a group of people are unlikely to be considered defamatory if the group is sufficiently broad. For instance, the words, “all of the property managers in this city are greedy!” would likely not give rise to an action by a management company (even if they operated in the complainant’s city). However, a statement like, “the tenants in this building are a nightmare!” may be actionable, if the statement can be understood as being made against each individual tenant. Again, this analysis will depend on what the reasonable person would think. Where the statement is more general, factors such as the size and composition of the group, and nature of the allegation itself, are relevant. To that point, an individual does not need to be specifically named, and words like “the manager” may be sufficient if recipients understand them as directed at the plaintiff.  

Note: Can Corporations Be Sued for Defamation?

Yes. The fact that defamation is considered a personal claim, doesn't mean only people have reputations capable of being harmed. Artificial entities like corporations or partnerships may equally advance claims for defamation. Similar to real persons, these entities can be defamed (even without being specifically named) as long as the identity of the organization can reasonably be inferred. For instance, a reference to persons controlling the entity like a well-known director or CEO such as Tim Cook may give rise to a claim by Apple. C. The Words Were Published The final requirement for a defamation claim is that the words must be published. “Published” in the case of defamation means the words are conveyed in some recorded form whether that be via newspaper, fax, email, radio, or even via a hand delivered letter. The mode of delivery is not often in dispute. What matters most is that the words were published and conveyed to a single third party other than the plaintiff. To that effect, it has been held that communications like a post card (or fax) that can be easily read by third parties in the course of being delivered, can constitute defamation even though the communication was merely intercepted by the third party. In certain cases, the publication will be deemed to have occurred by statute, such as in the case of a newspaper. However, there is no presumption that internet postings have been published. So, in the case of an online blog post or review, counsel will still have to demonstrate publication has in fact occurred (although in most cases it will be obvious).

2. Who Can Be Found Liable for Defamation?

    Anyone Who Participates in the Publication May be Liable While publication can take the form of a sealed hand delivered letter mailed to a third party, in many circumstances others are necessarily involved in the publication. This is particularly true where the defamatory words are directed to the public at large. At law, anyone who participates in publishing the defamatory words such as a newspaper editor, printer, or vendor, may be liable for defamation. The original author will be primarily responsible for the defamatory words. However, where a third-party publisher has been put on notice that it has published defamatory materials, and that party makes some voluntary choice which results in the defamatory words being conveyed to others, the third party will become liable as well.   When Does a Third Party's Publication Become Voluntary? Voluntary choices can involve publishing the words at the onset, or failing to take some action to remove the defamatory statements. Based on this principle, an internet service provider, blogging platform, chat room operator, and even social media user, may all be considered a publisher of defamatory materials where they have received notice of the defamatory statement and failed to remove it. The reason notice is required is that publishers may not be liable for “innocent disseminations”. Therefore, where the publisher has knowledge the statements are defamatory and publishes the statements anyways (or fails to remove the statements after the fact) they will no longer be considered innocent, as they can now be seen as participating in the publication (and therefore defamation) by choice.

3. What Are the Defenses to Defamation?

  Even where all of the elements of a valid claim for defamation are met, the defendant has several arguments or defenses which they can advance to avoid liability. In general, these defenses stem from the view that allowing unfettered defamation claims would hinder the functioning of democratic society. Defences to defamation include: a) Truth of the Statement – There is no defamation where the Defendant's words are true or substantially true. The defamatory words will be presumed to be false by the courts and the onus rests on the defendant to prove on a balance of probabilities (the civil burden of proof) that the words were, in fact, substantially true. b) Fair Comment - The defence of fair comment is available to any defendant, at any time, and firmly grounded on the right to free speech. There are four elements to this defense. The defendant must show that the defamatory statement: i. Was a matter of public interest (personal and business affairs are not usually public) ii. Was based on facts (the facts must be substantially true and not a rumour) iii. Was recognizable as comment (meaning an expression of opinion), and iv. Was fair at the time of publication (an analysis of whether the comment was fair involves asking if, objectively, any person could honestly express such a comment on the facts). However, despite the defendant being able to prove these elements, the fair comment may still be defamatory where the defendant published the materials with express malice. c) Privilege -  There are a variety of situations where no defamation can be found based on grounds of privilege. These include statements made in parliament and in various aspects of the legal system so that statements published in a statement of claim or contained in a judicial ruling are not actionable in defamation. d) Defamatory Statements of Fact in Media - Journalistic works may be protected where defamatory statements are published in an investigative piece or similar work which serves the public interest. This is true despite the publisher being unable to prove the truth of the defamatory statement in court as a defense. The reason being, is that often journalists will be unable to prove the truth of the statement without revealing a confidential source. Again, even if the publication may be defamatory, the ability of journalist to report on matters of public interest is recognized as a foundation of democracy and Canadian Charter rights. e) Consent to Publication Given by the Plaintiff – no one can bring a claim for defamation if they have consented to the publication being made, either expressly or through being implied from the circumstances surrounding the publication.

Note: What is the Limitations Period for Defamation?

There is a statutory requirement to provide notice prior to initiating legal proceedings in the case of claims against newspaper publications and broadcasters in accordance with Ontario’s Libel and Slander Act. Per the Act, notice must be given within 6 weeks from the time the libel came to the plaintiff’s attention. This is to provide an opportunity for the publisher to correct any defamatory materials, and to resolve the issue without the necessity of legal proceedings. The actual action against a newspaper or radio broadcaster must then be brought within 3 months of the defamatory publication coming to the attention of the plaintiff. This requirement has been held to apply to internet based newspaper and radio publications but not other websites generally. In those situations, where the publisher cannot be characterized as a radio or newspaper publisher or broadcaster, the limitations period should be the standard 2-year time limit from discovery of the claim in accordance with the Limitations Act. though there is some debate here.    

4. How Much Are the Damages for Defamation?

    General Damages In the case of defamation, the court may make an award of general damages for the injuries the plaintiff has suffered such as, loss of dignity, and harm to reputation. These damages are available “at large” meaning the plaintiff can receive compensation beyond the losses they are able to prove. This is due to the difficulty in measuring non-pecuniary losses (damages that are not easily quantifiable, such as pain and suffering) and serve to exonerate the plaintiff’s reputation. In order to determine the amount of damages the court will consider: the conduct of the plaintiff the plaintiff’s position and standing the nature of the defamation the mode and extent of publication the absence or refusal of any retraction or apology made by the defendant, and the defendant's conduct from the time when the defamatory statements were published until the court delivers the verdict (this may include before the action, after the action, and during the trial)

Is there a limit to an award for defamation?

Unlike other claims such as personal injury, there is no ceiling to the amount of damages that may be awarded by the court. If the defendant’s conduct is particularly deplorable, aggravated damages may be awarded in addition to general damages. Aggravated damages have been found appropriate where the defendant attempted to disseminate the defamatory statements as wide as possible (a factor which may often be at play in the case of internet publications) Note, because aggravated damages are intended to provide compensation for emotional injuries, corporations may not claim aggravated damages. In addition to those damages already enumerated, punitive damages may be available where the conduct of the defendant warrants punishment and would serve to deter others from acting similarly. Punitive damages can be quite large and even equal to the general damages award. For instance, in Hill v. Church of Scientology the court awarded $800,000.00 in general damages to the plaintiff along with another $800,000.00 in punitive damages (note: this case was decided in 1995!). However, as the amount of the award will be decided on the facts of each case, it is difficult to measure past awards with the aim of predicting how much the court may award in future cases.

5. Is There a Legal Way to Get Defamatory Comments Removed?

  A Court Ordered Injunction Can Stop the Publication of Defamatory Statements

Generally, an injunction is an order form the court that restrains a defendant from continuing with some conduct. In the case of defamation, this can include an order that the defendant remove defamatory statements (i.e. to cease actively publishing) or prohibit them publishing further statements which harm the plaintiff’s reputation. However, the court will be reluctant to grant an injunction prior to trial except in the clearest cases of defamation. Following a successful defamation claim, the court may also grant a permanent injunction to prevent defamatory statements being made in the future. This remedy is usually available where it is likely the defendant would continue to publish further defamatory statements, and it would be unlikely for the plaintiff to be compensated for their injuries (such as where the defendant has limited assets). Though, as this remedy may have the potential to incidentally interfere with a defendant’s right to exercises free speech, permanent injunctions will not usually be granted. Conclusion Where the grounds for starting a claim for defamation are arguably present, third party liability for publishers provides strong leverage to persuade consumer review websites to remove defamatory comments. Faced with a demand to remove defamatory statements, few publishers will come to the conclusion the benefit of continuing to host defamatory statements outweighs the risk.

If you need legal advice from an Ottawa Civil Litigation lawyer, book your free legal consultation with Supply Law today.

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[amitsinhavidhi]

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CIVIL DEFAMATION AND CRIMINAL DEFAMATION

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CIVIL DEFAMATION AND CRIMINAL DEFAMATION.

Next to life, man cares most for his reputation. Sometimes, we find an individual giving it the foremost place, preferring death rather than living a life of ignominy and disgrace. Reputation is thus in fact a great internal force in the mind of every man, impelling him to do great things. On a careful analysis of the human mind, one will find this element of longing for name and reputation as the basic motive of most actions.

Rightly, law gives protection to a man’s reputation, as it gives protection to his property and life. Before we go deep into this topic, let us first concentrate on the topic of defamation and what it is.

WHAT IS DEFAMATION?

Defamation is actually the injury to the reputation of a person. If any person injures the reputation of another, he does so at his own risk, as it is in the case of an interference with the property. If defamation occurs in spoken words or gestures (or other such transitory form) then it is termed as slander and the same if in written or printed form (of a permanent nature) is libel. In India, defamation is both a civil and a criminal offence. In Civil Law, defamation mostly falls under the Law of Torts, which imposes punishment in the form of damages awarded to the claimant (person filing the claim). Under Criminal Law, Defamation is bailable, non-cognizable and compoundable offence. Therefore, the police cannot start investigation of defamation without a warrant from a magistrate (a FIR cannot be filed). The accused also has a right to seek bail. Later, the charges can be dropped if the victim and the accused enter into a compromise to that effect (even without the permission of the court). Defamation as a criminal offence is stated under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIBEL AND SLANDER.

English Law - Mainly because of historical reasons, English law divides defamation into two: -

* Libel - Libel is the representation made in some permanent form, e.g., writing, printing, picture etc.

*  Slander - Slander is the publication of a statement in a transient form. examples of it may be spoken words or gestures.

Under English law, the distinction between libel and slander material for two reasons:

1. Under Criminal law, only libel has been recognized as an offence. Slander is not an offence.

2. Under the law of torts, slander is actionable only on proof of special damage. Libel is always actionable.

Indian Law: It has been noted above that under English criminal law, a distinction is made between libel and slander. There, Libel is a crime but slander is not. Slander is just a civil wrong in England. Criminal law in India does not make any such distinction between Libel and Slander. Both Libel and Slander are criminal offences under section 499, I.P.C. It has been noted above that though Libel and Slander both are considered as civil wrongs, but there is a distinction between the two under English Law. Libel is actionable per se, but in case of slander, except in certain cases, proof of special damage is required to be proved.

IN INDIA DEFAMATION IS BOTH A CIVIL AND CRIMINAL OFFENCE.

The remedy for civil defamation is stated under the Law of Torts. In a civil defamation case, the person who is defamed can move either to the High Court or subordinate courts and seek damages in the form of monetary compensation from the accused. Also, under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, a person guilty of criminal defamation can be sent to jail for two years.

DEFAMATION UNDER CIVIL LAW

Under civil law, defamation is the publication of a statement which tends to lower a person in the estimation of the right-thinking members of the society. To constitute a defamation under civil law, few conditions has to be satisfied:

1. The statement made must be defamatory- Defamatory statement is one which tends to injure the reputation of the plaintiff. An imputation which exposes one to disgrace and humiliation, ridicule or contempt is defamatory.

2. The said statement must be referred to the plaintiff. It is immaterial that the defendant did not really intend to defame the plaintiff. If the person to whom the statement was published could infer that the statement referred to the plaintiff, the defendant is liable.

3. The statement must be published - Publication actually means making the defamatory matter known to some person other than the person defamed, and unless and until that is done, no civil action for defamation lies.

DEFENCES

The defence to an action for defamation are :

1. JUSTIFICATION OR TRUTH - In a civil action for defamation, truth of the defamatory matter is complete defence. Under criminal law, just proving that the statement was true is no defence. The exception under criminal law states the statement besides being true the imputation must be shown to have been made for public good.

2. FAIR COMMENT - Making fair comment on matters of public interest is a defence to an action for defamation. For this defence to be available, the following essentials are required:

a. It must be a comment.

b. The comment must be fair.

c. The matter commented upon must be a matter of public interest.

The person defamed can move either to the high court or trial court and seek damages in the form of monetary compensation from the accused. The remedy sought is covered under the Law of Torts, a rare and slow course of relief witnessed in India.

The law defines defamatory content as one “calculated to injure the reputation of another by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule.” This is the very first condition required to be fulfilled under the civil remedy.

Second, the claimant must be identified in the defamatory statement. It must address a particular person and no as such broad-based classification is acceptable.

And lastly there must be publication of the defamatory statement in oral or written form. A civil defamation law would be applied once these conditions are attained. The defendant will then have to plead his defense.

CIVIL CASES UNDER THE LAW OF DEFAMATION

In D.P. Choudhury v. Manjulata, the plaintiff - respondent, Manjulata about 17 years of age, belonged to a distinguished educated family of Jodhpur. She was a student of B.A. There was publication of a news item in a local daily, Dainik Navjyoti, dated 18.12.77, that the last night 11 p.m. Manjulata had run away with a boy named Kamlesh, after she went out of her house on the pretext of attending night classes in her college. The news item was untrue and was negligently published. It was held that all defamatory words are actionable per se and in such a case general damages will be presumed.

DEFAMATION UNDER CRIMINAL LAW

SEC 499 OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE, 1860

DEFAMATION -

Whoever, by words either spoken or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such person, is said to defame that person.

On the other hand, the Indian Penal Code gives an opportunity to the defamed individual to also move a criminal court, asking the latter to take cognizance of his complaint. It’s a bailable, non-cognizable and compoundable offence, which means no police can register a case and start investigation without the court’s permission.

Under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, a person found guilty can be sent to jail for two years. The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the two penal provisions.

In a criminal suit, the complainant should be able to prove that the accused intended to defame him. In the absence of intention, it has to be be established that the alleged offender had knowledge that the publication was likely to defame the person. Normal stand of proof in criminal cases, which is to prove the offence beyond reasonable doubt, must also be placed before the court.

Since the law is compoundable, a criminal court can drop the charges if the victim and the accused enter into a compromise to that effect (even without the permission of the court).  Content Reference from Legal Blog

[bangkokjacknews]

The risk of being a social media troll

The risk of being a #socialmedia #troll. Few people seem to realise that making comments or sharing images to social media groups, with the intention of harming a person's reputation or business, is against the law. This is called #defamation, #slander and #libel and is punishable in almost every country.

What is defamation? There is a world of difference between sharing provocative banter and critical content online and making deliberately false statements with the intention of changing other people's attitudes towards a person or their business. Justifiable criticism is one thing. Deliberately false or misleading content, with intent, is an entirely different matter. Defamation is classified as one person intentionally spreading false information about another person which can cause others to lose respect for the victim. The circumstance, or severity, in each case may differ but the general principle of defamation is content that will damage the reputation of a business or individual and/or cause others to avoid them. Read - How to sue for online slander Read - Online defamation laws The two main components of defamation are slander, or verbal defamation and libel (written defamation). Statements or claims made online through social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter are considered libel (written defamation) If an online troll is displaying his or her place of work on their own social media profile then the problem becomes even easier to solve. Most major brand names, both local and international, take a very low view of their employees engaging in the online abuse of decent people and, these days, is often grounds for immediate dismissal. In an increasingly competitive world all companies are serious about their expensive brand image and employees damaging that image is a serious concern. Forwarding evidence of your claim to a person's employer and asking for a comment is often a good way to start, because the abuse will usually stop immediately. And you can sue the company too if there is evidence the abuse is being carried out 'in their name' or 'by association.'  A logo on a profile page is enough. They know this and are very sensitive about it. It is the equivalent of a person wearing a company t-shirt and walking up and down a high street libeling and slandering another person or business. You can't do it. There are long-established laws against it. And in social media terms the size of the group matters too. 30,000 members is a lot more harmful than 30 people in a high street. It is far more damaging. This is why major employers take these online abuse complaints so seriously. After all, what would you do if an employee was proudly displaying your company logo on his or her social media accounts whilst enjoying a reputation as an online abuser, visible to all of your current and potential customers. By the way, these idiots are easy to find if they work for a big company such as HSBC, for example. HR Departments of major firms will quickly identify your abuser once you provide evidence. And remember, these people already show a lack of judgment, maturity, social skills and display poor temperament. Big companies don't want people with these flaws working for them anyway, especially if they are client facing. This is why you should make immediate screen shots or use the snipping tool (or take a photograph) of all online abuse as it proceeds and before the abuser removes it and runs away, like a coward. Is defamation illegal? Any form of defamation is illegal. If you do it, and evidence is collected before you can delete it, you will be found guilty of defamation and civil fines apply. It means any court will order the troll to pay damages or compensation to a victim. The amount will depend on the circumstance and the profile of the victim. It will cost you more to libel David Beckham, for example, than it will your next door neighbour. The amount a victim is awarded will be up to the court and in some cases it is regarded a criminal matter. What is cyber defamation? Cyber defamation is any online defamation. An example of cyber defamation is where someone sends an email, or posts public comments, saying hurtful things about you or your business that are untrue or, importantly, unprovable. It is always the case in law that those making the claims are the ones who have to do the proving. Not the other way round. What can I do if I have been defamed on the internet? In the first place contact the website administrator and report what has happened. Request that the content is taken down. The Court has recognised cyber defamation to be the same as other forms of defamation and you can take action against a person who defames you online. Even if you are not named personally, as long as there is enough information for other people to recognise that the defamatory material is about you, then it is an offence. If you feel that you have been defamed by comments, photos or other material written about you online you can also make a police complaint. What to do if you have defamed someone over the internet? If you one of these fools, then it is not too late to do something about it before matters become far worse. Firstly, you must remove the material immediately and hope your victim has not made digital copies. You then have 28 days to improve your situation, whether they ask you to or not. First of all, study Nolo's article on Defamation, Libel & Slander. Even if your victim has not made a complaint, that you are aware of, you can still acknowledge your stupidity and make a public apology through the same platforms as your abuse within 28 days. This will go in your favor at any subsequent court hearing. It is worth noting that accusing somebody of being 'thin skinned' or 'too sensitive' after your slanderous abuse is no defense. That actually makes things worse as it demonstrates no remorse. Finally, you should be aware that even if you are not the original author of any online abuse, sharing libel and defamation from others, through social media, makes you equally responsible. - Albert Jack – Stay up to date with BangkokJack on Twitter, Instagram, & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article