I can’t but wonder – where do you draw the line? When is someone “influential” enough that they need to be censor themselves publicly? Where do you the draw the line and tell her when it is okay to say something only if you completely explain it and justify it?

It’s tough because I agree with people not abusing power or influence but at the same time… freedom of speech. It’s up to individuals to listen to that speech and make our own rational informed decisions.

And lastly I think – where would the mothering community be without Dooce uncensoring herself on the topic of post-partum mental health? Uncensoring herself the way few other mom/women bloggers out there do?

love you. love your perspective on …everything…
thanks for doing what you do. when is that book coming out?!?!

I agree with you and I commend you for “taking her on” on Twitter.

She does have a responsibility as someone who is considered a “celebrity” and has that many followers and readers of her blog.

My biggest issue with it is the fact that there is a WHOLE story about this that she didn’t share, has yet to share. And she says that it will explain things. But you can’t Twitter “My washer broke. Maytag sucks. Boycott Maytag.” as a stand alone. And then when people call you out on you trying to wield your “celebrity” on Twitter, you’re all “but they have bad customer service. DID I FAIL TO MENTION THAT?”

The whole thing sucks because like you said, it is going to give companies a bad idea about social media. When social media is mostly good and helpful to consumers, etc.

Also? This: @dooce This isn’t consumer justice via social media. This is an unusually influential person slandering a company with no explanation.

was possibly one of the most brilliant tweets EVER in the short history of tweets.

My god, you are awesome. I, to am a pretty big fan of Heather but I got a bad feeling about all of this 4-5 days ago when she tweeted about the scathing blog post she was going to write. Then rather, then you know WRITING A POST, giving everyone the whole story and the ability to shake their fist and say “eff yeah! Stick it to corporate America!” she chose to tweet hateful, brand bashing snippets. I went back and yesterday she had SIX tweets declaring how much Maytag sucked, and how no one should every buy a Maytag. Only today were we getting specifics about what Maytag was doing.

Like I said on twitter today: “With great power must come great responsibility”. 1M+ loyal followers = great power. Ripping a company w/o the full story = irresponsible.

What bothered me most was that it was a call to public action over a personal situation. I know bad customer service (I fly USAir), but I can’t expect anyone else to react over my personal situation that… isn’t actually extraordinary. Yes, it’s extremely inconvenient and obnoxious, but it isn’t the end of the world. I know she was frustrated, but it definitely looked like a hissy fit from afar.

Also, I don’t understand complaining to a company on the behalf of another person because you heard about it on the internet. That’s… kinda weird.

hoo wee there is an all out mommy blogger war going on! You just made my work day so much more interesting :)

Uh… Callie? From what I have seen in years of reading, Sundry would not remove any sort of comment that is critical of her own posts unless it was wildly outside the realm of reasonable. (Something actually scary threatening or personal of nature) In fact, Sundry seems to genuinely encourage discussion and discourse.

Hence your comment still appearing in the comments…

Also, I personally find the following that Dooce has a gift and a burden, that requires you think a lot more about what you put out about your life on the internet. I wouldn’t want the following that Dooce has, and I think it is presumptuous of you to assume that Sundry wants what Dooce has.

I love love love Sundry’s writing, which does not exclude me from reading Dooce’s blog as well. I find both of them interesting.

I, too, have been watching this little storm brew all day. I’m like you, and would like to have seen at least a synopsis of the problem before the whole “Down with Maytag” started. Do I really care what Dooce says? Not really. I won’t think twice about it next time I buy an appliance. I can’t afford Maytag anyway.

I will, however, applaud you on your guts. I’ve known for a long time that you’re the real deal, and that hasn’t changed today! I’ll still be reading you tomorrow!

Wow. Myself included, I can’t believe how many Spidey references you’re getting today. We rock.

Thank you. You are the awesome.

Nicely said, Linda. This is simply a matter of a disagreement, I don’t think you’re trying to pull subscribers away from Heather or prove you are better than her. I also don’t think you are stirring the pot to get more hits – but, that being said – why don’t you link to your blog on twitter? I’ve always wondered this….

I tend to lurk around the Internets, generally, and Twitter, specifically, so was astonished to see how this…um…erupted? Anyway, I appreciate your writing and level head and practicality….your responses were well-thought-out, and echoed what was in my own head as I read through some of the back-and-forth.
All this to say, thanks, and wow, you’ve got guts, and…that’s it.

Just here to say that I’m frequently really impressed with the thoughtful and articulate way you put yourself and your opinions out there.

It can’t be easy to stand in the face of judgment from the internet masses.

Ummmm..I suppose I need to quote your actual tweets in order to “clarify” why you got a response from the twitterverse…and it is not related to all the spin you’ve barfed out above. Despite the doublespeak you’ve penned above, the facts don’t agree with you: Here ya go..you said:

“This is an unusually influential person slandering a company with no explanation”

“Sounds like you’ve got Home Depot AND Whirlpool in a panic to help you”

Dooce’s responses were:

“You tell me SPECIFICALLY how anything I have said is slander, @Sundry.”

“Um, @Sundry, hardly a “panic” to help me. I’m still waiting on a phone call, what, 12 hours later.”

——————————————-
Dooce paid 1300 bucks for a brand new machine which broke, and which, according to their repair guy, has 3 defective parts.
She tried to get it fixed, explained the facts, then posted about her inability to get it fixed.

You then bitched about her right to post. You wrote snide stuff, and you utterly misstated the facts, as you did here, again, in order to take pot shots at her. It is exactly as if you work for Maytag.

You’re wrong, and you’re exploiting twitter and your blog to spin the story.

I have to agree with you, but I also think it behooves all of us, no matter how many (or few) followers we have to be careful with what we say on Twitter. I had a quasi-concern about a LeapFrog product, tweeted about it and within a couple of hours had a response from Leapfrog wanting to right the situation. I have, at best, 150 followers.

I appreciate the instant service, but do wonder why we don’t get that kind of reaction when we simply follow normal channels and use their contact us lines and so forth.

That’s also something to think about on all sides.

Linda, I’m yet another person who “unfollowed” Dooce on Twitter today and deleted her from my feed reader. You were very polite and noninflammatory in making some valid points, and she reacted…well, like a spoiled, bitchy diva, not to put too fine a point on it.

I have a blog with about 100 loyal readers, putting me WAY below both you and Heather on the blogger totem pole. And if I feel the burden of the responsibility to watch what I say about people, products and companies on MY blog, then shouldn’t she (and you) as well?

Kakaty (above) has it exactly right – whether you’ve got one reader or one million, it’s irresponsible to slam anyone or anything without offering an explanation.

I think you handled this gracefully, as you do everything that comes up that might ruffle a feather or two. I also think everyone needs to cut Heather a little slack because methinks there might be some PP issues driving this little tirade of hers. Or tantrum or whatever you want to call it. I love you more though. :)

I completely agree with your take on this situation.

For the record I think you are very interesting. If faced with the dilemma of two new posts in my Reader….one Sundry and one Dooce, I would read Sundry first.

What she did was have a big old hissyfit on twitter. It’s a bad example of how we can use twitter to get positive actions out of vendors. I’ve complained about vendor experiences twice and only have fifty followers. Because I did it like an adult, I got results I was happy with. I just don’t understand why Heather couldn’t have done this like an adult instead of a big baby.

Hrm. Today has become very weird. I blogged about this last night actually, because I posted an @-reply to Dooce with a Maytag commercial (not thinking anything of this situation, just that she was venting like a normal person would)… suddenly I had WhirlPool following me on Twitter, and anyway… it was all very weird to me last night.

Little did I know, today I’d come onto Twitter (later in the day because I was busy this morning) and see this become a whole big “thing”.

Honestly, Heather might be becoming more well-known, and maybe she has a million “Twitter followers”, but I honestly just don’t see a problem in her venting about this. I still don’t think it’s going to reach that far. I know A LOT of people in my life ARE NOT bloggers and are completely oblivious to this world still. 1 million people out of the World’s Population Of Appliance Purchasers is not that many people, really … and I still think of that 1 million, a GOOD CHUNK will know to form their own opinion.

I also know a GOOD CHUNK have probably also said to other people at some point or another “OMG, DO NOT BUY such and such WHAT A PAIN IN THE ASS!” We’ve all done this, so we KNOW what context to take her tweets in.

Honestly, I was more shocked and surprised last night when ME (a NO ONE by Twitter/blogger standards) suddenly has a corporation “follow” my Twitter because I sent one @-reply to Dooce. I was more shocked personally that the corporations CARE about a Tweet by a BLOGGER. I guess she has some influence, but honestly, I don’t think she’d take down their whole company based on Twitter.

I like her a lot, but give us readers some credit too. We weren’t going to all blindly follow her and never buy Maytag EVAR (unless I really do find a brand I like better for a better price!). ALSO, if we’re true Dooce fans, we know that her humour is often based on exaggeration, loudness, etc… so I quite honestly took her “NEVER BUY MAYTAG” as her typical Dooce humour, not a slander or true boycott.

For what it’s worth, I also like you too, and it’s good you’re speaking your perspective… but I just don’t think this needed to really become a “thing” like it did. I still don’t think Bloggers are as famous out in the big, wide world as maybe they or others think they are.

Sundry, I swear to god I have such a girl crush on you.

I am so glad that you wrote this. When saw Heather’s first tweets on Twitter:

“The guy who is at our house to repair our BRAND NEW washing machine better know that I am insane and not to be screwed with. DETAILS TO COME”

and

“OMG, dude, you do not want to make the post I have written about your brand any more awful than it is going to be.”

I was cringing with the idea that she would name the brand and that “dude” was going to have to pay dearly for her unhappiness. It just had such a cavalier tone.

I think that everyone should expect and receive good customer service, but when you are that much of a public voice, you need to use discretion.

you so rock….this is why I love you.

Not to bag on Dooce..but this is why I don’t follow her….

Sing it Sista! I am not intelligent enough to comment intelligently, (LOL) but to say I 100% agree with you and if you want to edit this to make my “agree” a “disagree”…go for it. It is your blog. Callie is an idiot and obviously is not a true Sundry fan.

Well said, but I must say that I had a very bad experience with Maytag involving not one but two 1200.00 side by side refrigerators. Their handling of my first fridge failure led to me having to purchase a second one at the same price point with a 40% rebate after purchase. This came after having to pay for two service calls and enduring the joys of having no functioning food preservation system during the hottest three weeks of the summer. That solution wasn’t ideal for me what with the job loss and plunging economy but at least it was something. When the second one failed after just one year they offered me a 20% discount on another one of their products, generously lifting the price point restriction. I went ballistic. If they thought I was going to purchase a third fridge from them inside of a three year period they were crazy. You know, fool me once shame on me..fool me twice, we won’t get fooled again! How did I get them to refund me for the second fridge? I told them I would blog about my experience on my company’s real estate blog. They faxed me paperwork and mailed my check within the week. They should have known better to mess with Dooce!

So while I agree with you in theory, I really really do, part of me did enjoy seeing Maytag’s hens coming home to roost.

You say:
“…but from the perspective of Twitter-bystander it sounded like they were trying to help. But maybe not. It was hard to tell.”

Even though Dooce had previously posted:

“That brand new washing machine from MAYTAG? That someone has been out to fix three times?”

—————————————–

You take enough literal license with your interpretations of the facts that you seem to be deliberately manipulating them….as if to incite controversy….as if to draw publicity to yourself by shouting at someone more popular.

For those who want to see what was said, as opposed to this spin which is mis-reporting what happened, you can view Dooce’s Tweets at: http://twitter.com/dooce

I do not think it’s something to ‘take sides’ about, nor does my opinion matter in the grand scheme of things at this point.

But I would like to say, Linda you are one incredible writer. This post really shows your way with words and your kindness. You have always, ALWAYS taken time out to talk to me when I was struggling with motherhood, writing, marketing and all of life’s bs, and I can’t say the same for the other parties involved.

I continue to be in awe of your ability and your honesty.

I saw “do not buy maytag” as a sort of snarky PSA not a call to action.
I really think you went a little overboard with this.

Well said.

And frankly, I don’t care if she has two followers or two million. She used a out-of-context call to action when a “Hey, you’re shitting the bed!” would do. That’s uncalled for, whether you’re famous or not.

Holy shit, I need to head over to twitter! Look at everything I missed while I was working.
Love your writing Linda. As always you say things that other people are thinking but just don’t have an outlet or courage to say.

First off, I want to say that I think that this is a very well-written, well thought out post. It clearly explains your belief and your position and I can respect that.

I just have to say, though, that I disagree with you on some level. I understand that Heather does have an enormous following and a lot of influence out in the blogosphere, but at the same time, she’s human. She was frustrated and she has every right to complain. I agree with one of the other commenter’s points — where does one draw the line to be considered influential enough that they need to censor themselves publicly? In fact, why should anyone, who is speaking for themselves as an individual, have to censor themselves at all?

Is there a possibility that Heather’s tweets will lead to some people boycotting Maytag/Whirlpool? Yes, probably. But so what. If Heather had written a same, well-thought out post on Dooce on this whole situation (which I imagine she eventually will), I imagine those people would have decided to boycott anyway. If people are lemmings enough to boycott something just because someone writes “Boycott X” in the heat of frustration, well, then we have bigger problems then someone supposedly “abusing” their power as a public figure.

Basically, I think people are forgetting that while Heather is very influential and that what she says does have some weight with some people, she’s also HUMAN and frustrated, and, you know, freedom of speech. Why shouldn’t she be allowed to let off some steam just because she has a million more followers than I do?

I also want to reiterate that same commenter’s other point that Heather’s uncensoring herself on the topic of postpartum mental health — a topic few other mothers would ever discuss so publicly — was a huge service to all the women out dealing with the same or similar issues.

But again, I do appreciate this post and think that the points you make are important and interesting to discuss and a perfectly valid and appropriate response to the situation; I just happen to see it differently.

Heather totally had the right to say her bit, but I agree with you that the way she went about it was pretty flagrant.

As for Home Depot replying to her via Twitter, don’t assume they’re actually trying to help! I had a bit of a Home Depot hissy fit via Twitter several months ago and they DID contact me immediately (even though I had like 40 followers at the time, mostly spambots). Eventually my problem was resolved, but only after 10 further weeks of teeth gnashing and hand wringing. While the Twitter Home Depot reps DID put me in touch with district management over my issues, the local store still managed to snarf up my order a few more times before it was finally, mercifully completed and installed. I got the impression that Home Depot was on Twitter for PR damage control, not so much for actual customer rescue. I’d have a higher opinion of Home Depot in general if they’d focus their energies more on dealing with existing customer service deficiencies within their stores rather than throwing a bunch of not-very-helpful Twitter reps at the problem as an ass-covering gesture.

I must courteously disagree with anyone who says that Heather has a right to vent on the internet same as any one of us. When you are named #26 BASED SOLELY ON YOUR INTERNET PRESENCE you have a responsibility to use that tool as a professional.

Your reply was so, so classy and it just reminded me why you’re my favourite blogger. I read Dooce just as often a I do your blog and Twitter and I’d be lying if I said that the Twitter thread between you wasn’t making me uncomfortable. Here were two bloggers who I usually both agree with on other topics, but now they were having a heated discussion with each other… And I had to agree with you. Your first Tweet to her made all kinds of sense, and only THEN did Dooce and Blurb (sort of) explain what was going on.

Anyway, I would totally tell you if you sucked and there has been the odd post that I haven’t agreed with (Halloween costume…) so I think the whole “I’m agreeing with you because zomg we luuuurve you, Sundry! U r teh best” is ridiculous. I agree with everything you’ve said today because it is a strong argument. Kudos, Linda.

(Had to use Sweet in response to Dude, it’s just natural)

Call me crazy, but aren’t the tweets about the 3 parts after the DON’T BUY MAYTAG comments. I think Madge’s comments are telling. She just comes off as “do you know who I am?”.

And honestly, not to knock Linda, but I don’t care if Dooce tells me not to buy a Maytag.

I’m just interested to see if the National Guard needs to be called in at next year’s BlogHer conference.

Oh, and besides the hissy fit that you are throwing here because Dooce had the balls to call out a company for selling her a very expensive product that was completely defective, and then tell her that they *might* do something about it in another week AFTER they had come out 3 times to fix it, here is what you are defending in the company, Maytag:
1. They outsourced their production to cheap labor in Mexico in 2005:
http://www.goiam.org/conten.cfm?cID=3581

2. Then, over the objection of their shareholders, paid their CEO 12 Million dollars in severance:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12135727

3. And now has a TON of quality complaints:
http://tinyurl.com/m6nowx

Heather/Dooce is completely justified in complaining about them. More people should speak up about the way in which corporations sell increasingly poor products at increasingly large markups by firing American workers and using near-slave labor third and fourth world labor in foreign countries…..all while fantastically overpaying their CEO’s.

What Dooce complained about is an individual symptom of a bigger problem that is hidden by the “non disclosure” clauses in the lawsuits brought by those who ALSO get no service or satisfaction from companies like Maytag. Maytag, you clearly don’t know, sold over 2 million defective washers and had to settle a class action lawsuit as recently as 2005:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/maytag_lawsuit.html

I hope you don’t read this as an attack, because it isn’t. I don’t know you. I’m on YOUR blog, wanting to read your full perspective, so I am only offering you another view.
Dooce was venting. Which, I, as one of her “followers” completely understood. I do not believe that anyone who follows heather’s blog/twitters thought of it as anything but that. A rant. Not a boycott. “DO NOT BUY MAYTAG” was just a rant. I’ve said it a million times about one company or another.

I was outraged for her! Who hasn’t been in that position? And I am of your average intelligence…not too smart…not too dumb…And I buy whatever is on sale. Was I fuming about Maytag today? YAH! But you could have inserted ANY BRAND of appliance and I woulda felt the same. It’s like, customer service these days, is about the same EVERYWHERE…blase, with a dose of attitude and a general “what r u gonna do about it” mentality. And you feel so trapped, and helpless.

So of course people understand. A story like that IS a call to action…but an actual boycott? No one does that anymore, and the corporations KNOW that. (I know, i work for one) Like I said, if it’s on sale, screw the boycott!

DO I WANT to boycott Maytag? YES! But then when I buy an LG washer that will probably break too and so on and so on. I think everyone knows this. And since no one wants to actually get off their computer and do anything, ranting on twitter in response to someone else’s pain, somehow feels powerful.

And I’m pretty sure I could speak for the average dooce follower.

Just a thought

I saw the beginning of this from Heather’s twitter yesterday afternoon and though “What the hell?” Not having checked back since, I was surprised to see this from you, but not at all surprised that it had been taken to this level.

I absolutely agree with you on this. I like and appreciate Heather’s writing, but esp. yesterday afternoon, the cryptic nature sometimes dictated by, and in this case (IMO) used to it’s full advantage through twitter messages is annoying, and usually ends up in a game of suspense I hate to play. The current righteousness isn’t helping much either.

I also must say, your ginormous gold-platted balls are to be commended here, Ms. Sundry. All hail Sundry’s mammoth set.

Okay, my post is up!

http://kalisah.blogspot.com/2009/08/it-would-be-obscene-misuse-of-power.html

Oh, and besides the hissy fit that you are throwing here because Dooce had the balls to call out a company for selling her a very expensive product that was completely defective, and then tell her that they *might* do something about it in another week AFTER they had come out 3 times to fix it, here is what you are defending in the company, Maytag:
1. They outsourced their production to cheap labor in Mexico in 2005:
http://www.goiam.org/conten.cfm?cID=3581

2. Then, over the objection of their shareholders, paid their CEO 12 Million dollars in severance:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12135727

3. And now has a TON of quality complaints:
http://tinyurl.com/m6nowx

Heather/Dooce is completely justified in complaining about them. More people should speak up about the way in which corporations sell increasingly poor products at increasingly large markups by firing American workers and using near-slave labor third and fourth world labor in foreign countries…..all while fantastically overpaying their CEO’s.

What Dooce complained about is an individual symptom of a bigger problem that is hidden by the “non disclosure” clauses in the lawsuits brought by those who ALSO get no service or satisfaction from companies like Maytag. Maytag, you clearly don’t know, sold over 2 million defective washers and had to settle a class action lawsuit as recently as 2005:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/maytag_lawsuit.html

I have to ditto all the people who’ve noted that this little kerfuffle made my day a little more interesting. (My days are pretty boring.) Linda, I really appreciate that when you realized you’d gone, perhaps, a little over the top, you backed off. What Dooce was doing wasn’t slander (former lawyer speaking), and when she pointed that out, you immediately acknowledged your poor word choice. That, for me, was the most telling moment of this whole silly thing and is one of the many reasons you’re one of my favorite bloggers.

Kristin, you said:

Dooce was venting. Which, I, as one of her “followers” completely understood. I do not believe that anyone who follows heather’s blog/twitters thought of it as anything but that. A rant. Not a boycott. “DO NOT BUY MAYTAG” was just a rant. I’ve said it a million times about one company or another.

Just so we’re clear – you’re speaking for 1M of Dooce’s followers? Mmmmkay.

So um, Jon Armstrong? I’m sorry, “dude”…fucking chill. Linda’s got a point.

Yes. This. Absolutely this.

I read both of you avidly. I probably have more laughs reading your site but I commend both of you for your bravery – Heather for her frank account of her PND and you for your tender but funny stories of alcoholism and the aftermath.

I blog. I would barely be called a blogger or a mummy blogger for that matter because no one really reads my blog ;)But I do write mostly about my kids so I’m at least on a similar wavelength.

I guess I see both sides of this argument. If someone with clout decides to stand up to the multinationals via a social networking (marketing?!) tool then maybe, just maybe, it will prompt these companies to change their customer service approach which we’ve all lamented over the years.

On the other hand, the risk is Dooce gets the red carpet treatment because she put her hand up (and has 1m followers and is No. 26) and we plebs just sit on hold on our 24 hour customer service line for the third time this week. Who knows?

But, and I struggle not to sound like a 15 yo girl standing in the play ground at lunch, can’t we all just get along? Do we have to publically deride each other for personal decisions? No, I would have been so blatant but why do we need to so openly flagelate her?

I am struck time and time again but the infighting amongst mummy bloggers – ie I JUST DON’T GET IT. Live and let live. We’re not talking about human right injustices here. Why do women constantly need to judge and criticise people for making decisions they would not necessarily have made?

I think your blog is a startlingly fresh piece of internet. I love it. It’s one of two I subscribe to (and the other isn’t Dooce!). I like that you are often controversial and you say it like it is. Your an amazing writer and I will keep reading you as long as you blog (and any books you publish) But I just wonder on this one…..

I follow you and Heather and Jon on Twitter, so I saw the disagreement. And while I completely understand the frustration of brand-new stuff breaking and crappy customer service, I have to agree with you on this one. When I read the first ‘DO NOT BUY MAYTAG’ tweet, my first thought was “Why?” I’m absolutely positive that Heather has followers that wouldn’t bother to wait for a reason. Which is why what she did is dangerous. Rather than give people the facts and let them come to their own conclusions, she said ‘don’t buy Maytag’, and a good number of people said ‘okay, I won’t!’ What other blogger has that kind of power?

I love the paraphrase of Spider-Man’s, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

“I think the more relevant issue has to do with whether a larger voice leads to greater responsibilities.”

Hear hear.

This is awesome – awesome that we’re having this discussion.

IMHO there’s no right or wrong here, there’s no black-and-white to the issue. Why? Because this is a whole new situation where there aren’t really any rules yet. Yay for Heather for pushing the boundaries of her Internet presence, and yay to Linda for feeling a little uncomfortable with that and for questioning it. (And I suppose I understand why people feel the need to take sides, since you both have fans. But if we step back from taking it personally, I think everyone can agree that it’s unproductive to slam the other; let’s just consider each set of opinions as we wait for more to come in.)

Can we compare Heather to a news or radio personality for “overusing her influence?” I suppose we could, but well, she’s making a living from her advertisers, so it’s up to them to censor her or not (or to quit advertising with her).

And you’re right Linda – this will be the type of thing that will get marketing and social media analysis going. And I think that is GREAT and why it’s great to get into these situations. We’re right now in the midst of defining new means of communication, pretty exciting stuff since even the most inglorious of us can get in on it, or at the least be right there to watch it unfolding.

I love it… “may we live in interesting times.”

More of the stuff you tweeted 24 hours ago:

“Part of what bugs me: http://twitter.com/dooce/st… – sounds less about Maytag/more about shitty local service.”

Even though Maytag, THE COMPANY, as recently as 2005 was forced to settle a class action suit for TWO MILLION DEFECTIVE WASHERS it sold its customers:
www(dot)consumeraffairs(DOT)com/news04/2005/maytag_lawsuit(DOT)html

You tweeted:
“@jkl2 I feel uncomfortably squirmy about these rants. Sounds frustrating, and yet . . . SUCH a big audience for one person’s bad experience”

And yet, Maytag outsourced its production to cheap Mexican labor, and now has a TON of quality complaints:

goiam(.)org/conten(.)cfm?cID=3581
tinyurl(.)com/m6nowx

Clearly, you don’t let facts get in the way of a snide attack on a popular blogger in order to create publicity.

But you do a massive disservice to people everywhere with you self interested promotion, attacking Dooces right to complain. People have the right AND THE DUTY to complain when large organizations screw them. The louder, the better. Dooce tweeted that she had previously had repairmen out 3 times for that Maytag washer, and she had previously tweeted that they said it would be a ANOTHER WEEK before they’d fix it THIS TIME.

You are clever in your manipulation of this situation to draw traffic to your blog, but it is telling that you are willing to sacrifice everyone else’s right to speech for your own self interest.

On that note, I bid you, your tempest, and your teapot goodbye. I never follow blogs of people for whom self interest is the altar of their religion.