CINCINNATI (TDB) -- So as not to be complicit or supportive of either trademark theft or intentional sowing of confusion, no identity of the suspected guilty party will be mentioned or linked. Why help create traffic?
[UPDATE: 6:34 PM -- At the end of a long post about Akron area bloggers, Pho'sNorkaPages has fresh and deserved unflattering things to say about the new MSM-supported blog appearing on a newspaper Website in that city. Pho has created a word that begins with the diminutive for Richard and ends with "ishness." A perfect, descriptive and pointed use of English by Pho, who adds that he will be like The Bellwether and no longer mention the knave who has demonstrated a baseness of nature and intention.]
But there is now a defensive move by the mystery blogger who operates Oz-like behind a Christian clerical title (probably fictitious). This undoubtedly ersatz clergyperson is the author of a site that recently appeared in the Ohiosphere with a nameplate exceedingly similar to Matt Hurley's Weapons of Mass Discussion, which originates in Cincinnati's suburbs. The non-Matt now is contending there should be no confusion at all because the nameplates are completely dissimilar. Why? Because only dopes or the deranged could suspect otherwise .
He says mass destruction just cannot be mistaken for "mass discussion" -- but omits noting that Matt's nameplate is a clever play on words derived from the common phrase "weapons of mass destruction." Here's some of the defense:
"The word 'Destruction' compared to the word "Discussion.' Extremely sharp readers will be able to see that both these words start with a 'D' but so do the two words Dumb and Dumbbell, but they aren't the same words now are they? The reaction by a handful of Ohio blog writers to these two dissimilar blog names would be similar to storming about ABC ripping off PBS because they both contain the letter "B'? Just illustrating . . . please no panty bunching.
"Now I realize with 71 million blogsites out there that I should have, somehow, been aware of this one specific site in Ohio whose blog name is dissimilar from mine but alas, there it is, I wasn't."
That looks to be an admission, a damaging admission. First, the blogger affiliated with a newspaper Website that has the word "Ohio" in its name appears to be saying that he doesn't know much about the Ohiosphere, Ohio politics, and the people who debate, discuss and shape the state's public policy in forums online and offline. Matt Hurley's blog has been active, respected and widely known as an aggressive voice for the right. He's a repository and distributor of information from the state's Republican elected officials, who serve in Ohio and national offices.
But the blogger affiliated with the newspaper whose Website has "Ohio" in its name was totally in the dark, which is a strong indication that he's also in the dark about many other Ohio-centric matters. One possibility: The blogger may not even be located in the state, he is an outsourced information source.
In other words -- he could be in India, or Oz for that matter, and playing to an audience in Ohio.
He also says:
"If one types into his address bar weaponsofmassdestruction.com, there are no sites found. Upon further investigation the actual blogsite name allegedly being 'ripped off' is officially addressed, massdiscussion.blogspot.com."
There you have it: He didn't know. It is Google's fault, or the address bar's fault. Do you think he knows more about blogs in India? Or the Emerald City?
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