1. Module XLVII - Investigating
Defamation over Websites and Blog
Postings

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News: Model Sues Google Over
‘Skanky’ Blog Post
Liskula Cohen filed a defamation suit to reveal blogger’s identity
AccessAtlanta.com Staff
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Model Liskula Cohen, a Vogue cover girl, is suing Google over a blogger who named her the “#1 skanky
superstar” on a blog hosted by the search engine’s subsidiary, according to a report in the New York
Daily News.
Cohen, who was in the news last year when she was hit in the face with a vodka bottle by a doorman at a
Manhattan hot spot, filed the defamation suit to determine the identity of the blogger.
“It’s petty, it’s stupid and it’s pathetic,” Cohen told the Daily News of the sniping. “And when I do find
out who did this, at least I’ll know who my enemies are.”
Her lawyer, Steven Wagner, admitted that it’s not easy to identify anonymous bloggers.
“We think we have a case,” he said. “This is libelous, it’s defamatory and you shouldn’t just get away with
this.”
“I’m tall, I’m blond, I’ve been modeling for many years, and people get jealous,” Cohen said in the report.
“If I had to deal with everyone who is jealous, I wouldn’t have time to do anything else.”
Google declined to comment on the specifics in Cohen’s complaint.
Source: http://www.accessatlanta.com/

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News: Woman Sues Over
Facebook Photos
Todd Cardy, court reporter
January 10, 2009 06:00pm
A WA woman has launched a defamation lawsuit over humiliating photos that
were allegedly posted on Facebook and adult match-making websites.
Court papers lodged with the WA Supreme Court reveal the woman, Nyree Howlett, has
made the claim against a number of WA people linked to the popular websites, where users
create profiles to post photos and information.
She is seeking damages against four defendants for accessing and publishing private
confidential material without her knowledge - believed to be revealing personal
photographs of Ms Howlett.
Written posts and photos were uploaded by the defendants on to social-networking site
Facebook and adult online services adultfriendfinder.com and redhotpie.com.au and
remained online for at least two weeks in January last year, the writ claims.
Ms Howlett alleges the material was defamatory and she wants unspecified damages for
defamation, equitable compensation, legal costs and an apology from the defendants.
Source: http://www.news.com.au/

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Module Objective
• What is a Blog?
• Types of Blogs
• Blogging
• Who is Blogging?
• Blogosphere Growth
• Defamation Over Websites and Blog Postings
• Steps for Investigating Defamation Over Websites and Blog Postings
This module will familiarize you with:

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Module Flow
What is a Blog?
Types of Blogs
Blogging
Who is Blogging?
Defamation
Defamation Over
Websites and Blog Postings
Steps for Investigating Defamation
Over Websites and Blog Postings

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What is a Blog
"Blog" is an abbreviated version of "weblog”
It is a term which is used to describe web sites that maintain
an ongoing chronicle of information
Blog is a frequently updated, personal website which features
diary-type commentary and links to articles on other Web sites

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Types of Blogs
By media types:
• Vlog: Comprising videos
• Linklog: Comprising links
• Sketchlog: Comprising portfolio of sketches
• Photolog: Comprising photos
By device:
• Mobile blogs (moblog): Blogs composed on any mobile phones

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Types of Blogs (cont’d)
Genre
• Blogs focusing on particular point or subject is a genre blog, for
example:
• Corporate blogs
• Political blogs
• Fashion blogs
• News blogs

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Blogging
Blogging is nothing but writing and maintaining a blog
• Information and Knowledge sharing
• Providing knowledge to others about any subject
• Exchanging information between customers and the ones who are blogging
• Relationships making
• Building relationships with readers of your blog
• Making customers evangelists through PR
Blogging is all about:

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Who is Blogging?
Blogging can be done by
anybody who can access
the web
One who wants to share
his/her views, and
comment upon the
articles, can use
blogging
Companies promote
their products and
services through
blogging

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Blogosphere Growth

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Defamation over Websites and
Blog Postings
Defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact
that is harmful to someone’s reputation
It is published with fault meaning as a result of negligence
or malice
It frames a negative image of an individual, business,
product, group, government or nation
Defamation is also called as calumny, libel, slander, and
vilification

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Steps for Investigating Defamation
Over Websites and Blog Postings
1. • Search the content of blog in search engines
2. • Check the URL of the blog and webpage
4. • Check the copyright policy and disclaimers of blog and webpage
5. • Check the profile of author of the blog or webpage
6. • Check the comment for the blog posting and webpage
7. • Search in archive.org
8. • Check in Whois database for owner of the blog and webpage
9. • Search the email address and telephone numbers
10. • Check the physical location
11. • Determine jurisdictional area
12. • File a formal complaint with law enforcement agencies

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Search the Content of Blog in
Google
Search the content of the blog and webpage in the search engines
such as Google, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves to find out if same the
stuff is present in other blogs and webpages
Select sentences from the content and search it in the search
engines

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Check the URL of the
Blog/Webpage
Check whether it is the renowned website
Check the link popularity using the following websites:
• http://www.alexa.com/
• http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/default.htm

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Check the Copyright and Privacy
Policy
Check the copyright policy of the website to know about the copyright owner of
the content
Check the privacy policy which describes the method of content collection

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Check the Profile of Author of
the Blog/Web Post
Check name, address, photo, email address, telephone number if author has provided to
the website
• www.people.yahoo.com
• www.intelius.com
• www.bestpeoplesearch.com
• www.people-search-america.com
Check the name in the online people search tools
such as :

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Intelius Search
www.intelius.com

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Yahoo! People Search

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Satellite Picture of a Residence

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Best PeopleSearch
http://www.bestpeoplesearch.com/

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People-Search-America.com

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Check the Comments for the
Blog
Read the comments for the blog/web posting by the readers

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Search in www.archive.org
Search the blog/website in the archive.org
Check blog/webpage updates frequency and time

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Search Results

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Check in Whois Database
Check the URL of the website in the Whois database to get personal details and contact
information about the owner of blog/webpage owner
• www.samspade.org
• www.geektools.com
• www.whois.net
• www.demon.net
• www.centralops.net
Online Whois services:

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Whois Database Result

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Search the Email Address and
Telephone Number
Email address and telephone number can be found in contact page
of the website
Contact details of the content administrator can be found in the
copyright, privacy policy or contacts page of the website
Search the telephone numbers on the online telephone directories
such as:
• www.411.com
• www.thephonebook.bt.com

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Visit 411 and Search for
Telephone Numbers
http://www.411.com/

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Search for UK Telephone
Numbers at BT
http://www.thephonebook.bt.com/

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Check the Physical Location
Check the physical address of the author of blog posting or contents of web pages
Physical address of the website’s administrators is some times present in the contacts section of site
Physical location of web servers hosting webpages and blogs can also be determined by root trace tools and
utilities such as VisualRoute and tracert

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Summary
Blog is a frequently updated, personal website which features diary-type
commentary and links to articles on other websites
Blogging is nothing but writing and maintaining a blog
Blogging can be done by anybody who can access the web
Defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to
someone reputation
Email address and telephone number can be found in contact of the website

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