OnPoint by Keith Ng

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OnPoint: Gotcha?

146 Responses

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  • Russell Brown,

    Awesome. This is like our version of the Pajamas Media falling-out.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Why would one choose a Belize IBC? Aside from not having to pay any taxes in Belize

    I amazes me (not really) that
    these ACT people seem to want to be neither Citizens nor Taxpayers.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • John Fouhy,

    I don't follow Whaleoil or Cactus Kate so this gotcha thing is news to me. So I did the obvious, and clicked on the 'About Us' link.

    I was expecting to see something like 'Gotcha is a partnership between bloggers Whaleoil and Cactus Kate to [blah blah blah]'.

    I _wasn't_ expecting the first thing I read to be 'Gotcha is hidden in a secret place. If you want to sue us, here is our lawyer.'

    Um ... because the _first_ thing I do when I go to a new website is to make sure I know how to contact their lawyers...?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 87 posts Report Reply

  • Joshua Drummond,

    Whale Oil: the slow-motion car crash of NZ bloggery. Nice work, Keith.

    Since Nov 2006 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    I'm guessing that the dense mass of illiteracy, in such close proximity, threatened to turn Gotcha into the blogging equivalent of a black hole. Far better to let those little stars twinkle apart.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    Oh yeah, I see. The site's title is based on the sinking of a war ship leading to the death of 100s of men. Gerrit?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • ScottY,

    I was interested in reading their "copyright/IP policy" page, but it seems to have gone (or there is a fault at my end).

    The whole thing looks like a shambles.

    I assume defamation law is the reason why the site was registered overseas. I'm not sure whether people can actually say anything they like if their site is registered overseas, but that is the only thing I can think of.

    And frankly Slater needs all the defamation protection he can get. Though I'm not sure Cactus Kate would have been much use - she's not a defamation lawyer as far as I know, and probably wouldn't have the time to study up on the law. She's probably too busy planning putting poor people in cages

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    Check out their tag cloud.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Jose Barbosa,

    Lester Freamon would be proud.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 64 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    Scotty: Yeah, I figure it was the defamation thing too. But the reason I looked into it in the first place was because of rumours I heard from another journo about the ownership of the site. Because of the whole Belize secrecy thing, I can't confirm these rumours. But yeah, defamation is the most straightforward explanation.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    I was blissfully ignorant of this development. Now that it's not, a development I mean, and I'm aware of it, am I wiser? Spondre's odd, like Where Isn't Wally-odd.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Aren't these the people who are the first to bang on about cover ups and conspiracies and things being concealed from the public? Hilarious.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    LOL their tag cloud has "Pinko" as the biggest word.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I think the Belize thing is more likely a gimmick to give an air of mystery to something as pedestrian as Slater and CactusKate blogging together. Now it's an international mystery, rather than just a mystery why they bothered.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Robert Harvey,

    dnc.org.nz gives us the additional info that the site registrant and administrator, Cameron Slater, is contactable at [redacted -- RB] -- but is this enough for the lawyers?

    Westmere • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    Keith - I guess it's back to model furniture for you then....

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    Seems like it all follows on from Slaters interest in a 'high profile' person who was having his dirty linen washed in public.
    Slater was bitching about getting late night calls from lawyers for the high profile person and some wag on his blog posted the name and contact details ( from whois) of his local hosting service and said leave poor Cam alone call these people instead.

    I assume he got a decent smack for the purposes of prevention( not correction) from his hosting service and Caribeean Cate obliged as a job lot of newly registered entities

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    From Cactus Kate, who had trouble logging on to PAS:

    "Keith

    Even if you blog/publish etc entirely from overseas it is no protection to actions against you in defamation in another country. The plaintiff need only have damage to their reputation in for example New Zealand for this to occur should they have the time, money and inclination to go after you.

    Whaleoil is a NZ resident. Liability for defamation sits with the author and the publisher.

    Therefore it is erroneous to suggest any conspiracy here that he is hiding behind defamation laws or that he has produced Gotcha! because he has any action pending which is also the latest current silly rumour circulating by bush lawyers masquerading as repeaters/reporters presently.

    New Zealand is technically an "offshore" jurisdiction (you can google that for research as well) and has an offshore industry right in your own back-yard. It too has companies and trusts that are used for offshore structuring by NZ non-residents. There's nothing spookier than a non-NZ resident using a Belize coy than a NZ one.

    Shouldn't the debate today on PA be why the hell Dan Carter's moving to 2nd five-eight?

    As for why I am not on Gotcha! anymore, I wrote more than 500 words on the topic. If you still are not "entirely sure" after that then there's no hope for you and it's little wonder you are 6 writers down on the list behind Russell Brown

    And Steve Barnes, its Association of CONSUMERS and Taxpayers". Plenty of beneficiaries don't wish to be taxpayers either do they and you don't crank on about them?"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Slater was bitching about getting late night calls from lawyers for the high profile person and some wag on his blog posted the name and contact details ( from whois) of his local hosting service and said leave poor Cam alone call these people instead.

    "Pot, meet Kettle. Kettle, meet Pot."

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    Nice to have the defamation theory dispelled.

    Which, um, leaves tax and secrecy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    dnc.org.nz gives us the additional info that the site registrant and administrator, Cameron Slater, is contactable at [redacted -- RB] -- but is this enough for the lawyers?

    Took out the contact details because that's his home address.

    And because it would set off another whole round of rolling around the floor playing victim.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    it's little wonder you are 6 writers down on the list behind Russell Brown

    Ohhh burn!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    Another response from Cactus Kate:

    "Tax and secrecy?

    A) I have found in my life that you have to actually make money and usually a profit to be taxed. The IRD are good like that.

    B) secrecy? For christ's sake Keith, everyone knows who Whaleoil is. There's nothing secret about him. The only reason you would want secrecy is if you had a pseudonym where noone actually knew who you were. That would be highly effective towards your defamation, tax and secrecy conspiracies.

    When you reveal who leaked the emails to Nicky Hager, I shall show you the papers to Gotcha! Deal?"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Shouldn't the debate today on PA be why the hell Dan Carter's moving to 2nd five-eight?

    Hey! I had other things to do, alright? [edit: now I think about it, that's not much of a topic]

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Keith Ng,

    Both very good points, CK.

    Which begs the question, why register as an IBC in Belize? As you may recall, this was the original question I put to you on Tuesday.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 543 posts Report Reply

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