Crowdsourcing Advice- How to Deal with a Hostile Web Commentor?
Last month I commented on an article on Mother Jones. It was a good point, so good that the comment thread erupted in the usual mudslide of lies, hoping to discredit reasonable criticisms and the person that levied them.
One commentor was especially vicious. She continually made claims about me, my funding and other personal statements. For instance, she claimed that my science is funded by Monsanto, Jon Entine and the Genetic Literacy Project and that it says so right on my website. It isn't true, and my website doesn't mention Entine or GLP.
The most hurtful words were that I harass her children. As a guy that volunteers in schools and teaches karate to kids at night (for no pay), this is a serious problem.
Thanks to the help of others and some of my own sleuthing we were able to dissect her anonymity and figure out who she is. She's a graduate student at a university in New York and is studying aspects of social science. She is funded by a rather prestigious and highly competitive NSF fellowship.
I've asked her nicely several times to take it down, she says she will, but doesn't do anything.
What should I do?
Sue Her for Libel? She crossed a line and her statements have been evaluated by an attorney. It is actionable. But I would feel really bad to have to go after her legally. It is expensive, takes forever, and isn't going to end reasonably for anyone.
Contact her program? As a former graduate coordinator I'd really like to know if one of our students acted in such a manner. I'd force them into ethics training, notify their committee and advisor. I'd also put them on probation in the program, pending that they made appropriate apologies and corrections.
Contact her funding agency? Does NSF need to know about who they are investing in? Do they need to know that this is the kind of person they are supporting?
Keep asking nicely? It is getting old.
Assemble the true story on a website? I could build a website with the screencaps of her comments and the information of who she is and how we figured it out. This approach is an honest, factual and permanent statement into the public domain about who she is, how she operates and displays her ethics. I think this would be valuable information for any employer or other institution considering her for a position.
Do nothing? I have better things to do than to waste my time on some unethical grad student who appears to be marginally unhinged.
***
I never wanted this to be punitive. I wanted this to blossom into an ethics lesson for her and get the content corrected and receive a correction and an apology. It would be horrible if her actions led to losing professional or personal opportunities.
But that is exactly what she's doing to me by lying about me and posting false information.
What should I do?
One commentor was especially vicious. She continually made claims about me, my funding and other personal statements. For instance, she claimed that my science is funded by Monsanto, Jon Entine and the Genetic Literacy Project and that it says so right on my website. It isn't true, and my website doesn't mention Entine or GLP.
The woman graduate student posting false and harmful information about me refuses to correct it after gentle requests. What is the correct next step?
The most hurtful words were that I harass her children. As a guy that volunteers in schools and teaches karate to kids at night (for no pay), this is a serious problem.
Thanks to the help of others and some of my own sleuthing we were able to dissect her anonymity and figure out who she is. She's a graduate student at a university in New York and is studying aspects of social science. She is funded by a rather prestigious and highly competitive NSF fellowship.
I've asked her nicely several times to take it down, she says she will, but doesn't do anything.
What should I do?
Sue Her for Libel? She crossed a line and her statements have been evaluated by an attorney. It is actionable. But I would feel really bad to have to go after her legally. It is expensive, takes forever, and isn't going to end reasonably for anyone.
Contact her program? As a former graduate coordinator I'd really like to know if one of our students acted in such a manner. I'd force them into ethics training, notify their committee and advisor. I'd also put them on probation in the program, pending that they made appropriate apologies and corrections.
Contact her funding agency? Does NSF need to know about who they are investing in? Do they need to know that this is the kind of person they are supporting?
Keep asking nicely? It is getting old.
Assemble the true story on a website? I could build a website with the screencaps of her comments and the information of who she is and how we figured it out. This approach is an honest, factual and permanent statement into the public domain about who she is, how she operates and displays her ethics. I think this would be valuable information for any employer or other institution considering her for a position.
Do nothing? I have better things to do than to waste my time on some unethical grad student who appears to be marginally unhinged.
***
I never wanted this to be punitive. I wanted this to blossom into an ethics lesson for her and get the content corrected and receive a correction and an apology. It would be horrible if her actions led to losing professional or personal opportunities.
But that is exactly what she's doing to me by lying about me and posting false information.
What should I do?
