Andrew Larsen [TAKE DOWN REQUEST]

[nzbrewer]

This morning I received a phone call from Andrew Larsen requesting the take down of the thread under this name.

I generally am reluctant to get involved in moderating forums as it stops people participating due to fear of post deletion.

The thread was a question asking if any one had had any dealings with Andrew. The first reply was positive from Croucher Brewing Company. The second was negative from an anonymous person. I could see why Andrew thought it was not in his best interests to have it posted on the internet.

I may have been more reluctant if the anonymous person had put there name and contact details to be able to stand up and answer to what they had posted.

Andrew tells me he has gone to the police this morning and going to his solicitor. (really?)

The post has now been moderated, and I am posting this message to ask people to use the forums more responsibly and if you are going to be anonymous and make defamatory comments then your user account will be banned from the forum.

What do you think?

Is this unfair?

Should the forum be left totally unmoderated?

[Reviled]

I dont think its unfair, a forum left unmoderated could, as above, lead to problems... Most forums are moderated for this very reason...

As long as theres a genuine reason for the moderation, I dont see an issue...

[studio1]

I think the forum has to be moderated to an extent - I';ve been involved a lot with fishing.net.nz (lots of traffic) and the mods quite often have to step in when individuals or companies are put down as they have faced complaints and supposed legal action before.

[Reviled]

In saying that, people just need to lighten up ;oP

[studio1]

true dat.

[Rusty Chch]

Your site, your rules mate.

Reading the post, I felt that it was pretty inflammatory and there wasn't a lot of basis for the allegations. If the poster had given evidence of cases where they felt they had a raw deal, then I would have left it there.

[Soren]

I do think the forum should be moderated to a certain extend, whether this was a time to do it I'm not sure. I saw the thread and certainly took the advice from Croucher a lot more serious than that of Mr. Anonymous. He said that he didn't want his name out there for the sake of his own business, fair enough I suppose, especially if it was a genuine warning. However, most people who would seriously consider using Andrew's services probably wouldn't listen to an anonymous critic nearly as much as people willing to stand by their word. Another thing I found weird was that the person who started the thread also was a brand new member (it was his first post)...

Anyways, he went to the police and threatens to take you to court?? I know slander is illegal, but freedom of speech is the cornerstone of a democracy!

[James P]

I am guessing that a nerve has been hit if a request has been made, weather or not any such allegations are true.

Croucher's have a higher standing in my opinion than "anon", and any suggested failings in relation to goods or services have their demise in legislation/ litigation. If "anon" had posted with their details to answer any allegations they have raised they may have some credit, alas probably we will never know...

[Reviled]

So who is Andrew Larsen anyway and what does he do? Im just curios as hell now :o)

[jt]

Google is your friend, he wrote Bella and the bunny, illustrated by Kate Endle :-)

[Kempicus]

Dammit i wish i'd seen that post....curiosity is eating me alive!!!!!

[Reviled]

So WTF is he being talked about on here then? ;oP hahaha

[Stu McKinlay]

I knew that original question was going to open a can of worms if it was answered. Asked and answered by anonymous users... very interesting.


I very nearly replied yesterday but thought the posts stood on their own merit. Nigel and Paul giving a great recommendation from Croucher Brewing and someone who wouldn't use their real name slagging him off and making unsupported comments of rumours they had heard. Why didn't they just post contact deails and say "I've dealt with him, give me a call"?

I think the forum should be moderated but I'm not sure that this particular thread needed to be removed (just like the rotten lager post a few weeks back, which someone threw a 'paddy' over). Personally, I'd like to have seen Andrew just respond with a few reference contacts that the original question asker could have followed up with. Pretty much every business person is going to have good and bad references, the client just has to weed out the ones they believe. I'd believe Nigel and Paul at this point but I'd certainly like to follow up with more than the one reference... afterall, you're probably looking at a couple of hundred thosand dollars investment here.