« What freedom of the press is all about | Main | The Daily Memo - 7/3/06 »
Yet another reason not to date lawyers
So there’s this website called dontdatehimgirl.com, where women can post profiles about men who they deem to be undateworthy. These profiles include tales of sexual prowess, intelligence, faithfulness, etc. (or, rather, lack thereof of these things). Well, a Pennsylvania attorney has decided that he’s not happy with his profile, compiled by three former girlfriends. Said profile includes implications that he’s got an STD, that he once failed at his attempts to become a professional wrestler, and that he’s a womanizer. Our attorney friend is none-too-pleased, so I’m sure you’re not surprised to learn that he’s suing.
Specifically, he has sued the owner of the site, as well as the users who contributed to his profile, claiming that they have defamed him. His suit against the website itself is pretty much a non-starter. While internet law is still a baby in the legal landscape, the majority of case law out there is pretty clear that web hosts are not generally liable for the independent comments posted on their sites by users. The users themselves, however, could be liable if they are in fact making these things up. But to win his case, of course, this lawyer would have to prove that all of these things are false, which could make for an entertaining trial if it were to ever get that far.
But the moral of this story is clear. And it’s not actually that you shouldn’t date lawyers, jokey title of this entry aside (while many of our chosen profession should be avoided at all costs, there are some good folks out there too). The real moral of this story is that you should never date anyone who tried to be a professional wrestler. Seriously, nothing good can come from it.
