At the beginning of the year I started a new theme on this blog, Telling it Like It Is.

Well this post is telling it like it is in a very unusual way. I am making public something that I never wanted to make public. Not because I am ashamed of it, but because it is of no value to anyone else ... nor is is it my style to air my laundry (note, I didn't say 'dirty' laundry, because I don't believe it is 'dirty'). However, when someone is attempting to defame me with lies and inaccurate accusations, I feel the best course of action is to put the spotlight on it, rather than hide in the closet.

So fair warning - there is no 'tip' in this post. This post is purely and simply to 'call out' a long-time anonymous 'troll' who posted nasty comments on this and the Alito blog ... and recently revealed herself with more personal comments and now today, has contacted personal friends and contacts of mine. In other words, you don't need to read any further if you don't want :-)

Back in August of last year, I received the first of a series of annoying, then nasty, anonymous comments on my blog. At first I thought it was someone 'playing' with me ... and I engaged accordingly.

Then in September it got more personal. It appeared the same person, who still left comments anonymously and with constructed email addresses, left a lengthy comment, as well as copying and pasting it into my website's contact form, telling a 'story' about me, about Keith (my husband) and alleged inappropriate dealings in one of Keith's companies (I'll come to that shortly). That started literally a series of comment bombing on my website. Thank goodness for the late night assistance of my web developer who immediately implemented a blog approval process so this person could keep leaving their comments without it going public.

Some of my readers however did receive notifications of these comments as they had signed up to receive such. Thank goodness they reported them direct to me and asked how they could support. In all cases they said they didn't believe a word of the allegations and gave me their full support. To those people, thank you ... you know who you are.

Every month or so since then I have received these kinds of comments ... some just ridiculously annoying, others asking for money, others accusing Keith and I of inappropriate conduct in our businesses. The comments (which remain unpublished) 'warn' readers of doing business with us, suggesting we are untrustworthy. I have deleted the comments and kept the email trail as evidence if and when I should need it.

As the comments progressed each month Keith and I gained a clearer idea of who the commenter was. Then in January she revealed herself, both in name and nature of allegations and requests. It was Keith's ex-partner. The woman who left him (yes, she was the one who walked out) in 1998. Yes, you read that right, she left in 1998.

Again, I ignored the posts ... she has our phone number, address and can easily get our email addresses. If she has a legitimate claim or gripe then she can easily contact us. I won't engage in this kind of behaviour on my blog ... nor has she ever left a real email address on which I/we can contact her.

When I look back on my email archive I realise there have been over 70 of these comments or 'attacks' via my website, my blog articles (not once has she contacted Keith to discuss her concerns, this is a concerted effort against me, even though she says her issues are with Keith and one of his old businesses). My plan was to just ignore them until she went away.

Today though the game changed.

I received an email from a colleague and client to say he had received an email. She (let's call her B), had emailed him 'warning' him of us. Then another close friend forwarded me the same email that she had sent him.

For the purposes of shutting down this ridiculous game once and for all, I'm bringing this all into the public ... so she knows that I know ... and so you know, reader, that I have nothing to hide. If her current plan of attack is to 'shame' me or call my character into question, I leave her with nothing by posting this publicly.

In essence, she alleges that we, Keith and I, owe her money personally as well as suggesting we owe money to staff that were employed by the company that  Keith was a director of, and I was an employee of, during the late 1990s. The company was Accelerated Business Education and it was placed into voluntary administration in October 1998. In both the administrators' management and the subsequent ASIC investigation, Keith was found to be of impeccable conduct and not owing anyone anything. Of course, the complete corporate record of ABE can be found on the ASIC website.

In terms of the allegations of owing her money personally. We don't. Keith doesn't. I don't.

If she feels she (or others) has a legitimate claim against Keith or the company for money, why did she not pursue it at the time ... at any of the creditors meetings or in the 14 years since?

In terms of the allegations she makes of Keith and I taking a tropical holiday whilst staff were 'suffering' ... yes, we went to the Whitsundays for Christmas of 1998. What I do with my money, with my time, is my business.

For regular readers, clients, friends and supporters, I am sorry to be 'sharing' this kind of post with you ... sorry because it adds no value to your life, or your business. And to me, I know if I were reading it, it borders on some kind of voyeurism ... peaking in on someone else's life in a way. Please, don't feel awkward ... just move on to the next activity in your day ... and trust that my next post will return to 'regular scheduled programming' :-)

For B ... understand I have spoken to the police and a solicitor and your actions today leave you open to a defamation case.

Defamation is defined as

Defamation is the publication of words or images to a person that damages the reputation of another ['slander' if spoken words, 'libel' if written words or images]. A defamatory statement is one that is likely to cause ordinary, reasonable people to think less of the person about whom the words or images are published. An inference that casts a defamatory imputation is enough to bring an action.

- Electronic Frontiers Australia, Defamation Laws and the Internet [sourced 29/1/12] - http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/defamation.html

If you truly believe Keith or I has a case to answer then you know how to find us ... and you can obtain advice as to the the appropriate legal actions you can take. Know that I have kept email notification of every comment and I will take all legal paths available to me if this harassment and attempt at defamation doesn't stop.

If you're interested, other references for Australia's laws regarding defamation:

http://www.law.uts.edu.au/comslaw/factsheets/defamation.html

Defamation Act 2005