Traditional Media vs New Media: They just don't get it

I just posted this comment on The Malcontent web site, about a little spiff that they're having with a certain very famous person's ("VFP") legal team, because this certain VFP's legal counsel doesn't think it's a good idea for people to be writing about this certain VFP, especially when such writings aren't in the most favourable light.

What were some of those sayings about bad publicity?

There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary. Brendan Behan, Irish author & dramatist (1923 - 1964)

The only bad publicity is NO publicity. P.T. Barnum.

Here's my post:

Given this kind of behavior, I think you should remove all references to the person in question, and whenever you write about her, just refer to her as "the person in question." Don't display her name on your site, and definitely don't link to any of her web sites. Why give her the free publicity?

This sort of 19th century thinking is exactly why the ventures being proferred by the people retaining this type of backwards thinking will fail. There have been a number of cases lately where traditional media just doesn't get the web, including a spiff between GM and the New York Times, a series of criticisms over the New York Times's criticism of online sociology, and others.

So, I think it'd be best if we all just ignore the person in question.

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