SEO outlawed in France
Zut alors! SEO outlawed in France (so avoid Il Giardino
in Cap-Ferret)
By Richi Jennings
July 17, 2014 6:11 AM EDT
Il Giardino in Cap-Ferret gags French blogger Caroline
Doudet.
A French bar got fed up of its lousy reviews, so it fixed
its food and service. No, wait, the other thing: It took a food blogger to
court, to shut her up. Classy.
Why did the "diva" restaurant owner pick on
this particular blogger? Because her review ranked highest, that's why. Yes,
your L33T SEO-skills can now get you fined in France. C'est conneries!
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers affect the Streisand effect.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for
your entertainment.
Kevin Rawlinson masticates:
A French judge has ruled against a blogger because her
scathing restaurant review was too prominent in Google. ... The judge ordered
that the post's title be amended and told the blogger...to pay [$3,400 in fines
and] damages.
…
[The blogger] said the decision made it a crime to be
highly ranked. [But] the restaurant owners said the article's prominence was
unfairly hurting their business. MORE
Tim Cushing eats it up:
Here's yet another business that, when confronted with a
negative review, thought to itself, "Why not deter EVEN MORE potential
patrons from...setting foot in our establishment?"
…
Rather than address the issues, or simply disregard the
single voice complaining about the three waitpersons apparently needed to
acquire a single round of beverages (not to mention quality issues with the
food and service)...Il Giardino decided to make its mégot mal a full-blown
legal affair.
…
[Now] Il Giardino's decision to sue is hurting it far
more than Doudet's post did...its reputation has gone completely south,
something that wouldn't have happened if it had just accepted the fact that bad
reviews happen. MORE
But Greg Sterling regurgitates his SEO angle:
The restaurant, Il Giardino, complained...that the
critical review had hurt its business. The blogger, Caroline Doudet, had
something of a following (3,000) for her blog.
…
The original title of the review was “The place to avoid
in Cap-Ferret: Il Giardino.” The court in Bordeaux ordered the title of the
review changed. ... In the U.S., there would be no claim against the blogger
because the review would fall squarely within First Amendment protection...the
judge’s actions and decision appear to me to be pretty outrageous. I could
perhaps understand...if the review were totally defamatory.
…
The only “crime” here, then, was ranking too high in
search results. MORE
À partir de la bouche du cheval, Caroline Doudet spoke to
Hillary Dixler:
I regret not having left the restaurant from the
beginning and therefore never having written the article. That would have been
easier. [But] I stand by the review.
…
Recently several writers in France were sentenced in
similar proceedings for defamation, invasion of privacy, and so on. And I find
it really serious if we no longer have the freedom to write. ... I don't see
the point of criticism if it's only positive. It's clear that online, people
are suspicious of places that only get positive reviews. MORE
Meanwhile, Joy Harpy harps on, Streisand-stylee:
If I could give less than 1 star I would, it's hard to
believe there's anything about this place that's worse than the food but the
atmosphere takes that prize, it feels like you're an extra in an Orwellian
world nothing can be less than double-plus good or the owner comes out and
throws a hissy fit before taking you to court.
MORE
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