Coming Soon: The OnTheDash Legal Defense Fund, to be used whenever two (or more) jerks: (a) get involved in a flame war on a discussion forum; (b) realize sometime later that Google searches are bringing up the messages, perhaps when an employer (or potential employer) sees what they have written (and what has been written about them); and (c) hire (or pretend to hire) a know-nothing lawyer to send me a threatening letter (or maybe the lawyer ghost-writes a threatening letter, for them to send). Typical theme is that the guy's stellar reputation is critically important in the business world, and that the disparaging remarks on the forum are damaging that reputation.

Just kidding about the Fund (as I am comfortable handling these guys myself), but unfortunately we have seen the scenario outlined above on a few occasions . . . most recently, last week.

Give this some thought and realize that people will be reading your messages (and the replies), before you start, or even reply to, a flame war on a public forum.

Jeff