`On Sat, Feb 26, 2011 at 4:35 AM, jerry.symonds <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > With regards to “liable; seriously?” : yes, actually! Libel - not even, really! To be either libel or slander, the first two criteria that must be met are: untrue statements and defamatory language. In other words, not only must you say something that isn't true, you have to be pretty harsh with your statements. Then you also have to prove that the statements did harm. Calling attention to a suspicious blog post is neither defamatory nor untrue. Questioning the legality and the propriety of said blog is also neither defamatory nor harmful. Museum professionals had a legitimate concern about an unethical and potentially suspicious activity that was publicly displayed on a blog. The discussion was civil and professional and out of concern for the potential artifacts. The lesson here is that if it's on the Internet, it can be searched and found. I can find posts of mine from the Usenet over 15 years ago. Posting something unwise can be used against you. It is not libel but your own misjudgment coming back to at you. Even if you mean no harm, other people might not see it that way. It pays to take a little extra time to think about what you post. I think the blogger learned a harsh lesson about both museum collections and blogging. I do hope she continues with her creative writing work and artistic expression in a lesson contentious manner or at least learns to write large disclaimers on her posts. Deb Fuller ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).