DontDateHimGirl.com
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DontDateHimGirl.com is a global online public forum where women can anonymously discuss and share their bad dating experiences with the world. The website, inspired by a conversation between close friends, is designed to give women a free online method to find out if the man they're dating is a cheater.[1] Membership to the site is offered to anyone with a functioning email address; the website passively accepts postings from members and publishes them without review. As of September 2006, the site listed profiles of over 15,000 men and receives up to a quarter of a million hits a day. The site is owned by Tasha Joseph; a companion site, DontDateHerMan.com is planned for the future.[2]
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[edit] Controversy over site content
The website's terms of use include clauses that inform users of the service they are solely responsible for their posts and they are forbidden to post inaccurate or defamatory information.[3] Members are able to anonymously post the name, photograph and a brief profile of a man they have dated using the link "Add an alleged cheater". Tasha has called the site a "dating credit report" for women. Website users interviewed for an article in the New York Times found the website helpful and a welcome way to double-check the truthfulness of online dating profiles. [2]
When interviewed, Tasha has stated that the site does not attempt to contact any of the men who are discussed on the site and that she feels no responsibility to ensure the veracity of the sites content. [4] Men are given the ability to rebut postings made about them by sending an email to the site; their side of the story will be posted to their profile within two business days. [1] An article on LawZoom claimed that many men feel this option is not enough and that most men don't even know they are featured on the site. [5]
[edit] Litigation
On June 29, 2006, Todd Hollis of Pittsburgh filed a $350,000 defamation suit against the website owner, the site's domain owner, the Cavelle Company, as well as two alleged posters and five unidentified women for accusations from alleged former girlfriends. The material posted about Todd included claims that he had herpes and was gay. The case is currently pending. Todd has also filed a complaint with his local Human Relations Commission claiming the site discriminates against men.[4]
Tasha and her legal team assert that her site is protected by Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which states that providers of interactive computer services are not to be considered publishers.[4] They also assert that both the Courts and Congress have established a broad scope of protections for website operators.[6]
On September 20, 2006, Joseph was featured on an episode of Dr. Phil, and squared off against Hollis.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Olbermann, Keith. "Cheating men caught online", MSNBC, Sept 30, 2005.
- ^ a b Alvarez, Lizette. "(Name Here) Is a Liar and a Cheat", New York Times, February 16, 2006.
- ^ Terms of Use. DontDateHimGirl.com (2005).
- ^ a b c Meinzer, Melissa. "Web of Betrayal", Pittsburgh City Paper, September 7, 2006.
- ^ Kaminsky, Michelle. "Website Allows Jilted Women to Vent: But Is It Legal?", LawZoom, 2006.
- ^ Jones, Carl. "Scorned Attorney Sues Kiss-and-Tell Web Site", Daily Business Review, July 5, 2006.
