This is brilliant. "92-year-old's website leaves oil giant Shell-shocked"

[snagglepuss]

Alfred Donovan 92 and his son John 62, run one of the oldest and most effective online "gripe sites", and the Shell's lawyers do not know how to stop them. They've been goading Shell since 1990 and their site, www.royaldutchshellplc.com just last month got 2 million hits.


snip

The site is so successful that Kremlin officials and US investigators have used it. Journalists, knowing that the site regularly receives juicy leaks from Shell employees, search it for stories. Since setting up his first anti-Shell site in 1995, Donovan estimates he has published about 24,000 articles about the company.


snip


Earlier this year the site disclosed plans for thousands of Shell job losses. And now, Donovan says, he is helping US investigators looking into the award of oilfield drilling licenses, providing them with information leaked to his website.


snip

Would Donovan stop if Shell waved a large cheque? "It's gone beyond money," he says, but he has no doubt that Shell's lawyers are watching closely, waiting for a slip-up that would give the company a chance to go on the attack.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/26/shell-gripe-site-trafigura

[Warpy]

1. Remember I. F. Stone?

Never underestimate the power of a pissed off old man with absolutely no need for the money a payoff could provide.

[snagglepuss]

3. How true that is.

A price probably can't be put on the satisfaction he is getting.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. I am not familiar

Can you give me the Cliff's Notes on Mr. Stone?

[HamdenRice]

7. I.F. "Izzy" Stone was a one man DC insider newspaper

He was laid off from his newspaper and began publishing a subscription newsletter. It became the must read on corruption and malfeasance in Washington.

Because he was also going deaf, he decided not to attend any press conferences which meant he was no longer contaminated by the "official story" but based his reporting on documents.

He was a legend of DC reporting.

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. Thanks!

[Warpy]

11. Try Google

Wiki's got a great article on him.

He is greatly missed.

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. Will check Wiki. Thanks!

[juno jones]

16. I love IF Stone.

Had a few of his books. Great writer.

[xchrom]

2. yay! for alfred!!!

:applause: and may it STAY beyond money.

[Barack_America]

4. That is Democracy at its best.

Washington, take note.

[snagglepuss]

6. The ultra successful twitter based anti-Trafigura campaign really shook

up alot of people. John said that ""The anti-Trafigura campaign really brought home – even to someone like me – the power of the internet and new media...Once, you could never hope to take on companies that had loads of money and lawyers. Now there is an alternative to legal action. You can make a big impact with very little cost."

[Raster]

8. And this is why the corporate behemoths and their minions fear the NET.

The NET is the only reason George Bush* was not SELECTED for a historic third term. Perhaps I exaggerate. However, if not for the Net, many of the cheney*/bush* high crimes and misdemeanors would have been swept quietly under the table, with nary a mention by our "vaunted" Fifth Column...I mean, Fourth Estate.

Long live the FREE and unencumbered Internet.:kick:Democracy's best friend!

[snagglepuss]

9. Exactly. Especially when the rage is so focused and relentless. That is the key.

And like they said, the site expanded its coverage of Shell so it wasn't just a one issue it griped about.

[timzi]

15. Yeah, Well They Are Trying To Fix That....McCain The Internet

Illiterate is coming out against net neutrality. Another principled stand for freedom of the press by another Republican fascist.

[KingBob]

19. McCain + Telecom

Senator McCain is still in "bed" with the telecoms.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21mccain.html

[Canuckistanian]

10. Great site!

He mixes news, editorials, personal accounts and leaked documents from Shell management!

Amazing.

Shell must have pissed him off royally (pun intended) at some point in his life.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. And how does he do it?

He stays off small planes.

[LaPera]

17. Join the dudes web site...extremely cool!!

www.royaldutchshellplc.com

[malaise]

18. Bet they're not singing

What's it all about Alfie. Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!