The Members Forum

If you've checked out the blogosphere and/or mainstream media recently, you're probably aware of the Cooks Source scandal.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a quick recap for you: Cooks Source magazine lifted a blogger's article from the Internet and, when an apology (and a donation to the Columbia School of Journalism) was requested by the offended blogger, an editor from the magazine responded that the blogger should be "grateful for the edit."

Needless to say, this didn't sit too well with the Internet.

In fact, the entire situation has blown up: anonymous web users have lambasted the Cooks Source Facebook page, set up fake Twitter accounts, redirected a domain name with the editor's name to a Wikipedia article on "Public Domain," and obtained a list of the magazine's advertisers (the magazine is free, but advertiser-supported) and distributors.

One thing's for sure--if Cooks Source managing editor Judith Griggs was in any way uncertain about how internet mob justice worked before Thursday, she certainly knows now.

The question is: how could this entire situation have been avoided? This is not the first time the Internet has risen up in (mostly well-intended, but often poorly executed) outrage, and it certainly won't be the last. So what's the best way to deal with an angry Internet mob on your tail? I went to the discussion section of the Cooks Source Facebook page (which has now been completely annexed by the mob) to ask, what could Ms. Griggs have done in order to avoid becoming an Encyclopædia Dramatica article?

Here's how not to piss off the Internet:

PC World has the details HERE!