OPA vs WASA. The plot thickens...

Been following the interesting debate emerging on Vincent Maher's response to my quick interview with Jonathan Smit from WASA. Looks like the plot has thickened, if this last comment is anything to go by...

Author: Vincent Maher
Comment:
Hi Jonathan

I think the crux of the reason why the OPA and Nielsen Netratings are taking legal action, discussed in a letter sent to OPA members on Friday, is that your statement

Andy and Rudolph did meet however, meet with the OPA over a month ago to brief them about WASA and what we were going to do and specifically mentioned that we would publish a consolidated list of stats, so it’s not as if this was done under the radar.

is in dispute. As far as the OPA is concerned, permission to use OPA stats in the way they were used was not asked for or mentioned in those meetings, and neither was it mentioned, specifically, that an OPA member account would be used to extract the stats.


Isn't this just a fascinating case study of how information / opinion and news spreads so quickly on the new social Internet? Citizen journalism, shouting opinions from a soapbox - none of that has changed. People have been doing that since the Dark Ages. What has changed - is the speed at which this information flows around the "connected" portion of South Africa - and the world.

I continue to watch with interest. WASA has an opportunity to turn lots of negative press around... or go down in flames.

Comments

  1. Yes, Andy, information certainly does spread quickly in this digital age!

    But as the old adage goes, "No publicity is bad publicity" ;-)

    And as for "going down in flames", I think you're being a touch dramatic!

    There are always challenges facing any new organisation and one is bound to receive both praise as well as resistance to anything new.

    The OPA are resisting a bit too much methinks, but we have made some changes to the site to not tread on their toes as much, and are making peace.

    We never intended to butt heads with them on this issue...

    I don't think this issue will have any material effect in the long run however and think that the market will decide if we offer a useful service or not and that will determine our success. Not this transitory bit of squabbling.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A tad dramatic tis true.

    *slap on wrist* for stoking the fire :)

    ReplyDelete

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