I have taken down the Sysnseal/Eurocell post. It appears that this sort of content is far too offensive for the public domain.

The post has been accused of spoiling the Christmas of the employees at both companies. I have been accused of being arrogant, naive, a mouthy kid and so on. I have been told that I’m malicious, a child, self-centred. To be honest I’ve been called worse, but still…

So I’ve taken this post down. It seems that in an age of libel and anti-libel, the content of what can be said on the internet is very quickly being reduced. Unfairly. The internet is supposed to be a place of free speech, where discussions should be able to be take place without fear of consequence and reprisals. It used to be a place where if something wrong was said, it could be put right and that would be the end of it. But no. The bandwagon is now well and truly full of people who think it’s OK to sue anyone and everyone who writes something that another may not like.

The problem is that the current legal framework is very heavily biased towards the person/company making the complaint. There is very little straightforward information and help for the bloggers and journalists who blog. What help there is, is very complicated and hard to understand. So any threat towards a blogger, even if the person/company making the threat is totally wrong, is treated far more serious than it should be, forcing the writer to take down the content or apologise. This is wrong. I’m hoping that the new legal framework the Government is bringing in in 2013 will provide more help and cover for those doing the writing.

As for me, I’m looking into exactly what bloggers can do without having to worry about what they’re writing. Of course, bloggers and journos who blog do have a responsibility when they write. I have always made sure never to name names, mention anyone personally, make derogatory remarks and so on. But it seems that because I’m not an enormous multi-national news company, this stops me from reporting on what I think could be news, right or wrong! What those making threats towards bloggers need to realise, is that by making threats right from the off, it shows a complete lack of knowledge of how the complaint process works, and the very negative effect it has on the writer. When threats are made like this, because there is very little help out there, writers worry a lot, and it affects the people around them.

So, no more posts like this from me. The people that create a threatening climate for me have made me do this. It’s not fair, it’s not right, but for the sake of an easier life and sleep, I’m going to have to. I don’t know if it will have a negative effect on my blog. I guess the only way to find out is by you guys leaving comments and letting me know. Whenever I have had comments like this, I have had great support by my friends on Twitter and on here, so for that I want to thank you all, you guys know who you are. But unfortunately, if I’m to ever report on anything on a takeover/merger/administration level, it will have to be AFTER everyone else has, just to be on the safe side.

I will say this however. I do not like being backed in to a corner, or being told I’m wrong or being told I’m not good at what I do. Comments like this only strengthens my resolve to prove those people wrong. 2013 is going to be a big year. Whether the people who disapprove of me like it or not, you’re going to hear a lot about me and the work I’m doing. Especially the NFA’s. Nick (@AlumTradeSupply) and myself are VERY determined to make sure that everyone in our industry knows what these awards are, that they are success and will hopefully raise various standards in our industry.