SLAPP

Some businesses are suing bloggers for writing mean things about them.

Here is a free tip to such businesses: If you run an ethical operation, where you take pride in good customer service, you probably have little to fear from bloggers.

But if you run the sort of bottom-feeding, scum-sucking business that routinely has your customers filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau or the state attorney general's consumer protection office, then yes, you can pretty much count on that some blogger is going to mention you in a very unflattering post. Depending on who you piss off, it could go viral. It could be one of the top hits on a Google search of your business.

And if you sue a blogger, word of that will get out and that go viral.

If your business model is to treat people like shit and hope that word-of-mouth is slow to spread, the Internet, between bloggers, facebookers and tweeters, is going to play hob with that.