Idiot!...can you say "libel"...

[quietfan 233]

http://blog.al.com/bamabeat/2008/07/and_th...a_fans_are.html

And they say Alabama fans are crazy ...

Posted by Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register July 10, 2008 1:46 AM

It's the nature of this blog that I rarely post about topics outside of the University of Alabama, but when I do, I feel it's well worth the space.

Like this, for instance.

The Oklahoman has debunked an online report that spread earlier Wednesday about two Oklahoma Sooners quarterbacks getting busted at a party with more than five kilograms of cocaine. This "story" was only an elaborate fraud. Yet it spread like wildfire on the Internet message boards and was even reported on Texas radio stations.

Now legal action could be taken against 36-year-old Nebraska football fan James Conradt, who devoted time to construct a meticulous -- and believeable -- work of fiction. He had quotations and lots of background detail. He posted it onto a replica of the exact page template used by The Oklahoman, complete with the correct font and text style.

Conradt then linked it to this page and posted it on a Nebraska message board.

"I just wanted to get 'em all riled up, I guess," Conradt told The Oklahoman.

Well, it worked.

Written under the name Jake Trotter, the fictional story delved deep into details, even going so far as to source a "Norman police spokesperson" using the name of an actual police captain in Oklahoma City and give "no comments" from OU's football coach and athletics director.

None of it was true, of course. Now the father of one of the two QBs is threatening to take legal action after receiving frantic calls due to the stunt.

Who tries such a thing? Conradt, who lives in Texas now, seems to have built quite a reputation as an avid Internet surfer and Nebraska message board guru.

Coincidentally, he spoke out publicly of the bogus nature of some Internet posts in the above-linked story from three years ago. (Disclosure: It's always possible it's not the same James Conradt, but seriously, what are the odds?)

"It's funny," he said. "New people come along all the time and are naive and believe too much of what they read. A lot of people just post stuff to stir the pot."

It's not always funny if you're the ones being discussed. And it's not right that somebody -- anybody -- has the ability to throw something like this onto two young men whose high-profile status often makes them undeserving targets.

Where is the harm? Say in a few years when the NFL doesn't pan out, one of the QBs is looking to get hired and a prospective employer finds this on Google. That's an imprint of a CBSSports.com message board where someone posted Conradt's work, and it wasn't difficult to locate on reputable site. Such is the widespread, immediate buzz that often accompanies breaking news. Especially when it's really bad breaking news (See Alabama's peril a few weeks ago).

While the QB can explain it to people, he shouldn't have to. It's a lesson to all of us to not trust every little thing read on the Internet and a sad commentary on our times.

"We feel it's real unfortunate how many things have germinated from an anonymous starting point that are unfounded, untrue and, as this story proves, hurtful," OU associate athletics director Kenny Mossman told the Oklahoman. "Coaches and players are berated, and nobody attaches a name to it. The Internet has enabled a lot of this kind of thing to happen, and it's really disappointing."

Lessons from this:

1) Never trust anything you read on the Internet.

2) Never forget that even forum posts are subject to slander/libel laws

[3) ...they say Alabama fans are crazy.. ]

[SouthLink02 8]

Good for the dad

This guy took it too far, imo

[bellefay1 1]

http://www.newsok.tv/?titleID=1659857642

[mcgufcm 4,107]

I think Mr. Tramel is an idiot. He sounds more like a bitter newspaperman losing money due to the Internet than a concerned citizen making a thoughtful argument.

[SouthLink02 8]

I think Mr. Tramel is an idiot. He sounds more like a bitter newspaperman losing money due to the Internet than a concerned citizen making a thoughtful argument.

For the most part, agreed.

In the beginning of his rant, I actually agreed with him. I think message boards a lot of the time are easy ways to put down players, start bad rumors, and other things that are unfair to players, coaches, and their families

Of course, as he kept talking.....that is where my agreement stopped

Not all message boards are bad, Not all message boards carry bad messages, and Not all message boards are as extreme as he wants people to believe

But in today's day and age, I do think he has a small point that though this guy was wrong in what he did (as I said above), he really is just one of many who say things untrue and probably with bad intent. I know, I know....those people aren't going to the extreme that this guy did with the article/background

[quietfan 233]

I think Mr. Tramel is an idiot. He sounds more like a bitter newspaperman losing money due to the Internet than a concerned citizen making a thoughtful argument.

For the most part, agreed.

In the beginning of his rant, I actually agreed with him. I think message boards a lot of the time are easy ways to put down players, start bad rumors, and other things that are unfair to players, coaches, and their families

Of course, as he kept talking.....that is where my agreement stopped

Not all message boards are bad, Not all message boards carry bad messages, and Not all message boards are as extreme as he wants people to believe

But in today's day and age, I do think he has a small point that though this guy was wrong in what he did (as I said above), he really is just one of many who say things untrue and probably with bad intent. I know, I know....those people aren't going to the extreme that this guy did with the article/background

By his (Tramel's) reasoning, I guess I'd better stop watching/reading regular media outlets because sometimes they get the facts wrong, spread rumors, promulgate false information, or occasionally have reporters that just plain lie...guess I won't watch newsok.tv any more, Mr Tramel--I don't want to be "driving the getaway car."

Or I suppose I could use reason & logic, employ critical thinking in evaluating everything I hear (whether from message boards, hard news media, or the guy in the office next to me), withhold judgment until I have indisputable corroboration, and recognize that the world contains a lot of idiots and a-holes. But that might make me a rational adult and God forbid that should happen...

[by the way, if we're the equivalent of internet porn, why aren't I making any money off this? ]