One website has been on people’s lips more than any other recently and for one very specific reason. Wikileaks.org/.ch, the misbehaving blog that published documents quoting world leaders bashing each other among other things. According to our interpretation of stats published by compete.com, the site has been experiencing massive spikes in traffic that coordinate with the media frenzy. According to some, wikileaks has crossed some serious lines, but whether or not you agree you have to admit their web presence is impressive. So what can we learn from Wikileaks? A little controversy goes a long way.
Another great example is thepiratebay.org. The service they offer is not unique and they never stood far above the rest of the torrent sites until they became infamous thanks to widespread controversy blown up by the media. There is great power in controversy and even more power in being able to spark it. You simply cannot buy the kind of exposure angry people can produce.
But My Website is Not a Political Blog….
You don’t have to host a gossip pit or political blog to place a few tidbits of controversial content. Hell every scrapbooking mommy blogger was writing irate articles about the justice system for putting Martha Stewart in jail a few years ago. Whatever industry your website falls under has its own problems and controversy.
The Controversial Risk
There is a lot of risk in taking the controversial road, but knowing how to handle the pressure can help keep you out of a jail cell. Here are a few tips:
1. Take cease and desist letters seriously.
2. Know the policies of your webhost.
3. Always use “according to” whenever possible and cite references.
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