A statement from Nation1 has revealed that the company intends to ‘pursue the suspected perpetrators’ that created a copy guerilla website to intentionally defame the company.
The statement, issued on behalf of Andrew Grant, group managing director of the agency, said that Grant had taken advice from law firm Brodies LLP which had told him that he had "an extremely strong case".
Using domain name search engine easywhois.com, the website can be seen to be registered in the name of former Nation1 employee Ramsay Macfarlane on 2 March and last updated on 4 March.
The statement said: “Sheriff Officers will be serving correspondence this week on Mr Ramsay Macfarlane who registered the defamatory website instructing him to remove the site immediately. We have also contacted the host of the
website and Google. We intend to seek damages from Mr Macfarlane and anyone else involved in the attack for loss of business, damage to our group managing director's reputation as well as seeking reimbursement for all legal fees associated with raising the action and pursuing the court route.”
The website launched last week, designed to look like the Nation1 site, and alleged the company did not pay its employees, freelancers, consultants, or its coffee bills (rumour only).
"We won't turn up in court, so there's no point in trying to drag us there," the website's copy said.
Undeterred Nation 1's statement thanked people who had sent "kind emails, tweets and support" and highlighted the Nation1 blog where the agency plans to convince other firms that it “is essential to establish a policy for dealing with disgruntled employees and related digital attacks".
Grant had previously addressed the issue in his own blog. He wrote: "...fact is the guy behind this is pissed off and wants revenge and the internet offers him a massive stage. We’ve all been here, it’s a fact of business life. Some of us have suffered more than others. Just think of the “We hate Arnold Clark” web campaign.”
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Love what you get when you put Nation 1 into Google:
Internet Cowboy Ltd www.wearenation1.co.uk Got £25K for a website? Use Nation1 and get nothing back
Brilliant comeback!!
I think Grant's gibbering in his blog is more damaging than Ramsay's attack. And to think that they'd rather pay legal bills than pay their staff/freelancers - and then try and defend that publicly?? It smacks of desperation. Take 'em to the cleaners Ramsay, good luck to you.
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Oy! Why have you taken my post off - there were no sweary words.
will do you not know that you can’t say anything bad about Andy grant or Nation 1 on the Drum web site - no democracy here
is the drum taking sides and protecting Andy Grant and Nation 1! a peril less position to take!!!
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The Drum has the right to remove posts that breach our Terms and Conditions, ie posts that are blatantly defamatory. Let's try and keep the comments constructive shall we.
I think that what goes around comes around on this occasion ... no smoke... Cliché after cliché...
What is the reason this web site has appeared, for someone to build and post this there are obviously reasons that should concern all of us? I.e. are we going to get paid if we work for this Company or should we deal with them!!! These are difficult times and people have to be careful who they work with as it can cause cash flow problems. Has the drum interview the maker of this web site to get a balanced option!!
How will Clams help the situation?
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Good for spaghetti vongle...and chowder...
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I find it very interesting that Mr. Grant failed to address his position in his blog post. He basically said it's best to cover up bad press and not address the real issue.
It makes it appear that the Mr. MacFarlane had merit for making his complaint public. If Mr. Grant believes in social media, why doesn't he reach out to his attacker and try to rectify the situation instead of going to court. No one wins that way.
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This has dragged on too long and I'm fed up taking calls from peeps about this. I'm sure Ramsay MacFarlane will tell The Drum why he did what he did. In any case, why has The Drum not asked Ramsay for his comments? He's got a website, contact him and let everyone move on!
We've had enough of bullying so one wee guy should be able to stand up and be counted. Let's get a balanced argument and it'll stop people e-mailing and phoning me!
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Poor Victor - let's stop talking about something so he can have a more peaceful life - methinks you protesteth too much.In the meantime here's a rather fine recipe for clam chowder:
Ingredients 16 large or 32 small clams
25g/1oz butter
50g/2oz salt pork or thickly sliced green bacon, cut into small dice
110g/4oz onions, diced
225g/8oz potatoes, diced but not washed
300ml/10fl oz milk
120ml/4fl oz cream
1 fresh bay leaf, cut into fine shreds, or 1 dried bay leaf, crushed
cooking liquor from the clams
100g/4oz cod fillet, skinned and cut into 1cm/½ in pieces
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 ready-made water biscuits, chopped into little pieces Method 1. Wash and scrub the clams then place them in a large pan with a splash of water. Cover tightly and cook over a high heat. As soon as the clams are open, take the pan off the heat and drain them in a colander, saving the cooking liquor in a bowl. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells and cut the meat into 1cm/½in pieces.
2. Melt the butter in a pan then fry the diced pork or bacon, until it starts to brown. Add the onions and fry until softened.
3. Place the potatoes in a separate large pan with the milk, cream and bay leaf. Bring to the boil then reduce to a slow simmer until just cooked but still firm. Add the pork, onions and clam cooking liquor and simmer for a further five minutes then add the cod fillet. Simmer until the cod is cooked, then add the clams. Warm through then season with salt (if necessary) and freshly ground white pepper.
4. Pour the chowder into a serving tureen then garnish with the chopped parsley and crushed water biscuits.
Ah, clams, green bacon and crushed water biscuits....the food of the working man.
Is this what William Wallace (Mel Gibson) meant when he told Robert the Bruce (Angus McFadyen) to "Unite the Clams !"
well he IS you business partner Victor.
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Good point about William Wallace - when is this year's Gathering of the Clams? And will there be chowder and vongle. We should be told.
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I'm RELATED to Ramsay MacFarlane but so what? Am I my brothers keeper?
Will A. thanks for a top recipe and very unshellfish of you to share it with me! I'll be making it! Could I add a bit of fennel to this?
Maybe we could have a weekly 'Cooks comments' feature here and instead of the puerile and inane meanderings, you could have a gastronaut's gallop around the globe? An homage to the late, great, K Floyd?
If only some more people could be equally unshellfish.
So the truth is coming out, like prizing open a little clam. A: he is your relative long lost brother or whatever and B: he's your business partner in your sideline. Are you Mr Brierley telling me you did not have any prior knowledge of Mr Ramsay McFarlane's intentions. Me thinks not: Guilty!
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Somebody else sent me a link and the first time I saw the 'site' is when it was up. Of COURSE, I knew Ramsay was chasing Nation 1 for payment.
Does anyone know how best to prepare a soft-shelled crab? Steamed or boiled? Ginger and spring onion? Will, any idea?
I am partial to a bit of bearded clam is that available
steady!
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Victor - the soft shelled crabs I had in Vietnam recently were deep fried and served with a chillie dip made with local fish sauce. Quite a long way to go but worth it. The Loon Fung in edinburgh does a fab (but not soft shelled) crab in ginger sauce - baked I think. So soft shelled is probably not for steaming.
Hope this helps.
Part of the problem with is that's it's a little close to home for Carnyx, who have been accused of similar practices several times.
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How is carnyx close to crabs? Oh, wait i minute, I get it...
Is it not true that you to were an unhappy employee at the said employer?
Nice to see you're still on the ball Mr A, was a trifle worried there for a moment
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Mr Atkinson. I'm due you a couple of squid for changing the mood on this increasingly drab discussion thread. It's an enigma, hidden in a riddle, wrapped up in pork scratchings. We'll never find out the REAL truth, so time to move on. I'm thinking pork belly tonight?
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That's illegal in most countries - unless you were thinking of eating it - er, that came out wrong. So did that...
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