Gripe site
Encyclopedia
A gripe site is a type of website
devoted to the critique
and or mockery of a person
, place
, politician
, corporation
, or institution
. They are also known as "complaint" or "sucks" sites. The Internet provides a low cost public platform for anyone, even of modest means, to reach a global audience via a "gripe" website.The web gives ordinary individuals the opportunity to publicly criticise the rich and powerful, including multinational corporations. Time and money is invested in the hope of gaining satisfaction by airing a perceived grievance and embarrassing the party which is the target of the "gripe".
The following definition of a "gripe site" is from comments authored by a notable American lawyer, Paul Levy
, and published online by Public Citizen
, a Washington D.C. based organization founded in 1971 by Ralph Nader
: "A 'gripe site' is a web site established to criticize an institution such as a corporation, union, government body, or political figure. Not surprisingly, powerful institutions often do not take kindly to being criticized, and they have invented a variety of ways to try to suppress the speech of their adversaries." Levy is also a lawyer within the associated Public Citizen Litigation Group
, another non-profit making organization. He is the founder of the groups “Public Internet Free Speech Project”.
In an attempt to shut down a gripe site, companies have sued the gripe site owner alleging defamation, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, libel and copyright infringement. Public Citizen, the American Civil Liberties Union
and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
, for example, have defended gripe site owners in court on the grounds that free speech gripe sites are protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
or civil liberties provisions of constitutions in other countries.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
devoted to the critique
Critique
Critique is a method of disciplined, systematic analysis of a written or oral discourse. Critique is commonly understood as fault finding and negative judgement, but it can also involve merit recognition, and in the philosophical tradition it also means a methodical practice of doubt...
and or mockery of a person
Person
A person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
, place
Location (geography)
The terms location and place in geography are used to identify a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term 'location' generally implies a higher degree of can certainty than "place" which often has an ambiguous boundary relying more on human/social attributes of place identity...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, or institution
Institution
An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human community...
. They are also known as "complaint" or "sucks" sites. The Internet provides a low cost public platform for anyone, even of modest means, to reach a global audience via a "gripe" website.The web gives ordinary individuals the opportunity to publicly criticise the rich and powerful, including multinational corporations. Time and money is invested in the hope of gaining satisfaction by airing a perceived grievance and embarrassing the party which is the target of the "gripe".
The following definition of a "gripe site" is from comments authored by a notable American lawyer, Paul Levy
Paul Levy
Paul Levy is a US/British author and journalist. He lives with his wife, Penelope Marcus, and children in Oxfordshire and London, UK....
, and published online by Public Citizen
Public Citizen
Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...
, a Washington D.C. based organization founded in 1971 by Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
: "A 'gripe site' is a web site established to criticize an institution such as a corporation, union, government body, or political figure. Not surprisingly, powerful institutions often do not take kindly to being criticized, and they have invented a variety of ways to try to suppress the speech of their adversaries." Levy is also a lawyer within the associated Public Citizen Litigation Group
Public Citizen Litigation Group
Public Citizen Litigation Group is a nationally prominent public interest law firm known for its Supreme Court and appellate practice. The group is the litigating arm of the non-profit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen...
, another non-profit making organization. He is the founder of the groups “Public Internet Free Speech Project”.
In an attempt to shut down a gripe site, companies have sued the gripe site owner alleging defamation, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, libel and copyright infringement. Public Citizen, the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
and the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
, for example, have defended gripe site owners in court on the grounds that free speech gripe sites are protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
or civil liberties provisions of constitutions in other countries.