BRIAN CUBAN’S BLOG

So I came across this “anti-dating” web site. 

http://www.dontdatehimgirl.com/ 

It is a site for scorned women to post about guys that havecheated on them, who are married, lied to them, etc etc. I admit I first wentto the site to see if I was on it! Not that I think I am a liar or cheater. Ithink the general consensus would be that I am a nice guy (with some dissentersI am sure) BUT in 7 out of 10 relationships that end for any reason, someone isgoing to be pissed and find a justification to blame the other person tobolster their self-worth. The next thing you know either your photo is up onDon’t Date Him or your accosted by a camera crew from the television show CHEATERS in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Why is it you never see the Cheaters camera crew waiting outside of Nordstroms?? 

In any event,I am proud to say that I my mug was not on the website. Of course since they do not verify anything, I could claim to be womenand put up negative posts about all the guys I know in town just to eliminatethe competition. I’m out on the town, see a guy talking to a girl I like, getthat guys name, throw it up on Don’t Date Him, tell the girl he is up there andthe next thing you know he cant even pay for a date. Those would be someserious “guerilla dating” tatics but I wouldn’t put it past guys orgirls in this town or in any other town for that matter. 

I then put my lawyer’s hat on and thought about it from thatperspective. There is already case law out there about posting defamatoryremarks on web sites and bulletin boards but I wonder if Don’t Date Him isbringing in any click-through advertiser dollars. I would certainly argue thatif they put my photo up, negative comments and all, they are using my likenessto make money without my permission and I want a piece of the pie! 

As to the posts themselves, you can check it out for yourselvesand I will probably get some flak for this but the majority of hard luck guystories said just as much about the sheer stupidity, immaturity and gullibilityof the women involved as it did about the alleged sliminess of the guys. 

The owner of the site was in fact sued by Pittsburgh AttorneyTodd Hollis with regards to posts about him on the site by a couple differentwomen, one of the posts being that he allegedly carried a sexually transmitteddisease. He denies that he does. The owner of the site claims that she shouldnot be liable for the posts of others. The lawsuit has since been dismissedbased on improper venue. That has not stopped the aggrieved men from firingsalvos. There is actually a web site out there trying to collect victims for aclass action. Good luck with all that or in other words….GET A LIFE! 

When a defamatory remark is posted on an internet web site, youhave basically three possible parties who can be potentially sued 1. The personwho posted the remark; 2) the owner of the web site; and 3) the InternetService Provider (ISP) who hosts the web site. The ISP issue is easy. They arefor the most post immune from suits relating to the posting of defamatoryremarks on web sites they host. 

So when Internet America or Southwestern Bell hosts the web site”BrianCubansaScumbag.com , It is a web site for everyone who hates BrianCuban to post nasty things about him. So assuming there were nasty, defamatoryposts about me on this site , I can not sue Internet America or SouthwesternBell . This protection to an ISP is generally provided under Title 47 of theU.S. Code 

So we know we can not sue the ISP, what about the person runningthe web site?. All he did was put up the site. He did not post any defamatorycomments…. He is probably also protected. In 1996 Congress passed the CommunicationsDecency Act, part of which has been stuck down but for the most part is stillin tact. This Act could in fact provide protection to the owner of the site.Where is issues arise is when the site is made aware of defamatory comments andfails to remove him. Would the Act to provide protection? 

What’s the bottom line? 

Quit having affairs and lying to women! 

I know for many guys in this town, that is like asking them towalk on water so in the alternative “Reputation Endangered” men are going toprobably have to track down the girls who put up the posts if they want tocollect. My reaction to that? See previous “Good Luck With All That”translation. 

What is my general “dating take” on this? My take ismore on the sad state of human affairs when we are going to sites like this tobe entertained off the misery, inadequacy and humiliation of others.I amtalking about myself here because I went to the site! I am proud to say howeverthat I have not read the obituaries in a while…….But hey, turn to anytelevision station for your dose of reality television and you will get thesame thing. For that matter go to CNN, TMZ, or Hilton-Perez for the samething…..Thats Entertainment Baby! Gag!!!! 

If your date is going out with Nine other women, really works atJack in the Box and drives a Pinto, spend more time examining your mateselection process and the due diligence you do on them and less time trying tofeel better about yourself by posting goofy shit on idiotic web sites…. Yourway only gets you through the night, my way gets you through your life….. 

I don’t expect to see my name up there but if I ever do, theywill hear from my attorneys not to take my picture down as everyone is entitledto their opinion but to get my cut of the profits