The Guardian: Arianna Huffington, her website and AOL were on the receiving end of a $105m lawsuit by a group of angry bloggers unhappy that she sold the Huffington Post for $315m without them being paid a penny.
The class action is led by Jonathan Tasini, a writer and trade unionist, who wrote more than 250 posts for Huffington Post on an unpaid basis until he dropped out shortly after the news and comment site was sold to AOL earlier this year.
Tasini complained that “Huffington bloggers have essentially been turned into modern day slaves on Arianna Huffington’s plantation” and said he was bringing the action because “people who create content … have to be compensated” for their efforts.
The complainant and his lawyers estimate about 9,000 people wrote for the Huffington Post on an unpaid basis – and argue that their writings helped contribute about a third of the sale value of the site, the basis of their $105m claim for compensation ….Tasini promised to wage a passionate campaign, saying he was “pissed off and angry” and that he would “picket her home” in his campaign….
More here
White House.gov
Ummm, this doesn’t sound too good, looks like a stain on Huff.-N-Puff
Well I like that folks are doing some in-fighting over thar at the ole huff & puff- ’cause we all known for some time the republican that Arianna is… however with that said.. I take issue with Tasini’s correlation of his blogging for free at huffington with the likes of slavery. Now that pisses me off - some on the PL do love to compare themselves to slaves and their issues with slavery.. and its just a little bit more bs than I find acceptable.. my opinion is all.
Sherijr, you are right to be angry. It is completely inappropriate. As a rape victim, I feel the same way when people use the term rape to make a point or to use it as a tool. It is belittling.
Excellent Dorothy- you are spot on and I am sorry that you’ve ever had to hear such comparisons. To me folks who compare stuff like this to the likes of slavery, child abuse, rape, incest.. etc.. those are folks who really have no true empathy for what it means to be truly victimized or abused- once again its all about them and their little corner of life.
thanks sherijr. dr
Sherijr, I forgot to add that having been a victim of a violent crime is not the same as being black.
You live your life being made aware of the fact that you are black. People look at me and know nothing about me. Your burden, racism, is much tougher. best to you. dr
Dorothy, peace & blessings!!! Shalom!!!
Yes I take issue of the comparison of slavery as well. You were not taken by force and your freedom was withheld from you by gunpoint, intimidation, humiliation, beatings, name calling, rape and the rest of the crap. The contributors may feel that they were taken advantage of but never to the extremes of slavery. Just let us know the ignorance of the violation of slavery treatment. My two cents.
The word they’re looking for and are too embarassed to use is “suckers”. Slavery not so much.
LOL!!!
LOL! Exactly, Nellcote!
A truer word was never said. They have been had… they’ve been took… they’ve been hoodwinked…
So many insensitive people in this country. Sorry Mae.
Say what? I despise this woman with every fiber of my being BUT let me clear, I do NOT support anyone’s comparison that sitting in front of a pc and typing is the same as slavery, especially when these people were not forced in anyway to engage in that. And I am sure those “enslaved writers” are some of the same people that stoked the, bash America’s first African American president, fire for most of this potus presidency while hand holding the GOP and helping Ms Huffpost fatten her personal wealth. *sideeyeing this bs*
Spot on Kelly!!!
So Huffington who wrote about 3rd world America,made the rounds pretending to care about poor people, and blaming the president for not doing enough for poor people, was at the same time having thousands of people work for her for free. The hypocrisy is alarming
Kelly, I stand with you. She is a rich, two-bit floozy. She is evil. She and a bunch of hollywood types started Huffy as a vehicle to get hillary the presidency. She is also being sued by two of the co-founders who feel that if Hagiana is selling, they deserve a part of the pie. I hope she loses both suits.
What a loser this woman is. Have I made it clear that I cannot stand to even look at her?
I wish you would tell us how you really feel. :) Her site lost me a long time ago.
Ditto, Jackie. I left Huff ‘n Puff long, long ago. It used to be my go-to site in 2008, but no more. I ditched it along with many of my former “favorite” places to get news about PBO and democrats.
Agreed. Opportunist, and definitely not what she advertises.
Arianna has been awfully quiet these days, I wonder why!
Karma’s a bitch Arianna!
LOL! The way she has smeared PBO and told half truths put her into the bottom rung of hell for me.
I stopped watch well over a year ago. I would not even want to give her my click.
What a hypocrite this rethug woman is. While blubbering on top of any roof top, how the President has thrown poor people, women and minorities under the bus and then she mooches off people with no pay?. I sooo detest this two faced woman! Take her to the cleaners and hope she loses.
This woman is such a fake. I remember when she was a rabid Republican married to a Republican businessman whose career and subsequently their marriage fell apart because it was discovered he was gay. She was extremely anti-immigrant because that was the popular Republican grievance of the day, even though she herself clearly is an immigrant, too. She got rich off her divorce and used the money to form Huff n’ Puff. She’s as phony as a three-dollar bill. It surprised me that it would be a liberal site. She never came across as liberal to me. She is the epitome of the “professional left.” Her views are based on where the money is. Her political beliefs are a job for her and nothing more.
Like all the othe Professional Lefties that worship at the alter of Grover Norquist!!!
I heard one the other day talking to this republican “fair election activist” - (oxymoron alert)!!!
The PL talk host contended that this particular republican was ok because he was a “Ron Paul” republican!!! LOL!!! You cannot make this stuff up!!!
HuffPo is not a Liberal site. It was somewhat in 2008, when they thought they were going to get Hillary the nomination and when the Quitter from Wasilla showed up but it’s true color started seeping through, very shortly after the election.
You are are voting with your fingers to not visit sites where there is hypocrisy.
Dorothy, I am sorry you that you had to go through such trauma. I hope you have healed as much as one could expect.
Also, answer to your question: grew up on Kansas City.
Thanks Barb. You have been through a lot too. I think traumatic things can make us all wiser and stronger. hugs.
Kansas City! Yahoo. Not a bad city to be in if you live in the midwest.
I have never really like this woman Arianna!