Don't quote me, bro!

[kmtl]

After seeing the lazy "Value Walk" article trying to get people excited about vulnerability of the MS to theft I am increasingly worried about shady reporters and investors trolling this forum for hit pieces on TSLA.
The author simply pulled forum entries and used them to generate click-through. I recognize that this is unavoidable but I don't want my input on this forum to be used without my permission outside of this forum. Also, the benefit that TSLA and Tesla owners get from free exchange of ideas is at risk if we are worried that free exchange will be used against our financial interest.

I have seen forum signatures that say they may not be quoted without the author's permission but I can't imagine that simply posting that will be effective. Any one have any experience with this? I thought of changing my screen name to something that is so offensive or ridiculous that a reporter would avoid quoting me (something like "WSJsucksballs" or "85IQ").

Any ideas how to maintain control of our published opinions (other than not publishing)? It's hopeless, isn't it?

 

[CmdrThor]

It's hopeless, isn't it?

Yep.

 

[Johan]

Put a disclaimer in your signature and threaten with a law suit if (when) they quote you.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Moderator's Note

TMC management takes infringement seriously; we regularly keep an eye on whether posts are being quoted. That said, TMC's legal rights end at fair usage and appropriate credit. However I do think that the disclaimer in your footer is effective. To my knowledge, no news source has ever quoted someone who had such a disclaimer.

Remember, though, that 95% of the "use" of what you say isn't being quoted directly: it's analysts borrowing your insights. Consider how many unregistered guests we have reading these boards every day.

 

[ZachShahan]

After seeing the lazy "Value Walk" article trying to get people excited about vulnerability of the MS to theft I am increasingly worried about shady reporters and investors trolling this forum for hit pieces on TSLA.
The author simply pulled forum entries and used them to generate click-through. I recognize that this is unavoidable but I don't want my input on this forum to be used without my permission outside of this forum. Also, the benefit that TSLA and Tesla owners get from free exchange of ideas is at risk if we are worried that free exchange will be used against our financial interest.

I have seen forum signatures that say they may not be quoted without the author's permission but I can't imagine that simply posting that will be effective. Any one have any experience with this? I thought of changing my screen name to something that is so offensive or ridiculous that a reporter would avoid quoting me (something like "WSJsucksballs" or "85IQ").

Any ideas how to maintain control of our published opinions (other than not publishing)? It's hopeless, isn't it?

As a member of the media, I can tell you that I respect anyone's wish to not be quoted so I don't quote people who have such disclaimers in their signatures.

Of course, I don't know if everyone respects them.

Also, I think it's quite obvious I'm on "your side," as one of the biggest Tesla proponents in the media. But no doubt about it, there's a lot that is shared on this forum that could be used for evil, and I don't know what to say about that. Sometimes I'd prefer people have such conversations in private, for fear of people in the media twisting the conversation. But yeah, this is a forum... and it's sometimes useful for people to share such things.

A username like "WSJsucksballs" may well work to an extent, but as already mentioned, if the media spots a point they want to highlight, they can just paraphrase it rather than quoting you.

tl;dr: be careful what you write. think about how it could be twisted. if you share negative information or even implications of potential issues, that can have an effect on public perception.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Ohh crap! I posted something to a public forum, but... don't want people to... <strike through>quote</> read it?

Sorry, no dice. Once posted it's fair game to the world.

Not saying it's fair, but if you don't want 'quoted' don't post it.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Ohh crap! I posted something to a public forum, but... don't want people to... <strike through>quote</> read it?

Sorry, no dice. Once posted it's fair game to the world.

Not saying it's fair, but if you don't want 'quoted' don't post it.

"I ... don't want people to ... dice."

It's actually not "fair game", because a quote taken out of its full context can change its meaning. Such a misrepresentation can not only be financially damaging but also libelous. And especially when quoting from TMC, they risk quoting lawyers, people with lawyers, people who have good friends who are lawyers or people who would ask on TMC "Hey, some journalist misrepresented my post, I want to sue. Are they any lawyers here?"

 

[kmtl]

TMC management takes infringement seriously; we regularly keep an eye on whether posts are being quoted.

This is good to know - thanks. I have to say in my short time as a member I'm impressed with the level of discussion and the depth of knowledge of the membership...as well as their patience with newbies.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

This is good to know - thanks. I have to say in my short time as a member I'm impressed with the level of discussion and the depth of knowledge of the membership...as well as their patience with newbies.

Yes, you can learn an awful lot about an awful lot of things here!
For instance, "express consent" is the phrase to use for disclaimers, preferred over "expressed consent." Well, you could have gotten that from watching a lot of baseball on TV too