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Follower wants to rewrite and rearrange content

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by irqfire, Mar 1, 2019.

  1. #1
    How would you handle a follower who wants to dictate organization and content on a page? At her first contact a year ago I explained my reasoning for my choices and made a few edits to accommodate her wishes. Now she has emailed again, urging me to make the same deletions, additions and rearrangements, finishing up with an offer to write the story herself.
    It's a large history site with many hundreds of stories about a single tragedy that took place 110 years ago. No survivors or children of survivors are still living. This follower is a great great grandchild of a victim. The site is in no way critical of her ancestor but she wants the story to exclusively take the form of a tribute to one of the victim's since deceased, children. I've just responded with a polite two sentence suggestion that she create a blog that expresses her sentiments then send it to me so I can consider posting a link to the page. I initially planned to not respond at all, but that felt rude and I am interested to see if she has any more to say than what she has already communicated. I've done some web sleuthing thus know she is a retired educational administrator and suspect she's probably used to more obedience than I'm inclined to grant. I'm not a skilled writer and am not protective of my style, etc., but in addition to bullheadedness have various objectives insofar as event history and accuracy. I'm not sure that my site is a blog but don't know what else to call it. Traffic is low, follower contacts are fewer and I'm okay with that. It means, though, that I'm not experienced in handling cranky folks. Did I make a mistake in responding to her at all?
     
    irqfire, Mar 1, 2019 IP
  2. JoeSpirit

    JoeSpirit Well-Known Member

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    #2
    I personally think your offer to consider her input is a good action. Beyond that I have only two questions right now.

    Are you sure that your account of the story is completely accurate?
    Who does the site belong to?
     
    JoeSpirit, Mar 2, 2019 IP
  3. irqfire

    irqfire Peon

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    #3
    My site. It's as accurate as can be determined with available facts. Follower doesn't take exception to accuracy. It's the direction that she wants to change, specifically removal of a section in my story that addresses an aspect of journalistic coverage of the event. It's a gristly bit of yellow journalism downplayed by most newspapers of the time but remains out there online in those papers that highlighted it, to be found by contemporary researchers who haven't the need/inclination to dive as deeply as I have into the event and may not know it for what it is. A separate story would give more exposure than it deserves and would feel like sensationalizing. Follower doesn't dispute my assessment of the inaccuracy of the news story, has no more information on that aspect than I do, just feels it detracts from the tribute angle and wants it moved off the page.
     
    irqfire, Mar 3, 2019 IP
  4. mmerlinn

    mmerlinn Prominent Member

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    #4
    It is your site. As long as it is accurate does not attack anyone, REGARDLESS HOW IT AFFECTS THE EMOTIONS OF OTHERS, there is nothing that you need to do. Basically, if she does not like it, she can build her own site and massage the history any way she wants to.

    With you, her only real choice is to sue, but to do that your site would have to be way off base. No lawyer will waste his time on a case that is extremely unlikely to be winnable and this sounds like one that she cannot win. You have history on your side.

    Basically, you need to tell her to sod off. We are talking about history while she wants to rewrite history.
     
    mmerlinn, Mar 3, 2019 IP
    beninbro likes this.
  5. JoeSpirit

    JoeSpirit Well-Known Member

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    #5
    My question as to who owns the site was my (perhaps unsuccessful) attempt at being facetious. I agree completely with mmerlinn on this.

    I cannot even contemplate someone allowing another to command what they do with their own property.
     
    JoeSpirit, Mar 4, 2019 IP
  6. Spoiltdiva

    Spoiltdiva Acclaimed Member

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    #6
    You are of course presuming that most members here on DP will comprehend wit when they read it. But alas, I believe that you are casting pearls before swine.;)
     
    Spoiltdiva, Mar 4, 2019 IP
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  7. the writer

    the writer Well-Known Member

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    #7
    I also agree with mmerlinn. It's your site and you're satisfied with it. If she wants a rewrite let her do it in her own space.
     
    the writer, Mar 25, 2019 IP
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  8. beninbro

    beninbro Well-Known Member

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    #8
    @mmerlinn Agreed.

    Once you start nipping and tucking content based on the wims of your readers - it's a slippery slope. If she deems the representation of her ancestors that important, she should publish her own blog from the
    surviving heirs' account.

    Outside of her OWN content, she has absolutely no place to demand what other publishers post on the matter.
     
    beninbro, Mar 26, 2019 IP
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  9. JEET

    JEET Notable Member

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    #9
    I personally will not remove a section from my website upon request from site visitors, specially if its a rare and lost type of thing, like in your case.

    However, I do agree that history can be viewed from 3 angles, the victor, the loser, and the watcher.
    If this lady has something useful to contribute, then may be you can take a look into it, and if appropriate, add her views as "victim perspective" in a section/para.
     
    JEET, Mar 29, 2019 IP