According to Dictionary.com, the definition of popular is: 1. liked, admired, or enjoyed by many people or by a particular group of people.
While the locally-viral Facebook page called Elk City Rants and Raves is followed by 12.3 thousand people, lawsuits filed in the Beckham County District Court on August 6 and August 8 seemed to show that it was at least not enjoyed by a few people.
Dictionary.com also gives a second definition for popular, one that way be more fitting for Elk City Rants and Raves.
2. (Of cultural activities or products) intended for or suited to the Tate, understanding, or means of the general public rather than specialists or intellectuals.
That is not to suggest those who use or read through Elk City Rants and Raves are not “intellectuals.”
That also doesn’t appear to be the intent of the page’s creators and moderators.
Rather, it says that it is a page for people to simply do what is in the title — rant about local things they dislike and rave about local things that they do like.
The opinions are as varied as the followers and posters.
Just this week, people were posting about clothing needs for families, stolen feeders, and positive and negative opinions on local businesses.
The Beckham County Record holds no opinion — positive or negative — about the Facebook page, but acknowledges that numerous local citizens use the page for a host of reasons.
Sometimes those posts can be negative, even scathing reviews, of a local business or business owner.
It seems the law does not require the page owner or moderators to verify these claims, but does allow local citizens to give their opinions.
Any user who disagrees can appeal to Facebook to remove it and, of course, to the page itself.
There have been times that the page has removed posts.
These are simply facts about how a Facebook page like Elk City Rants and Raves can operate under Facebook’s user terms and First Amendment protections.
Facebook does not have to allow any post to stay up, just like any newspaper does not have to print any and all letters to the editor that are sent in.
Both are private businesses. But, Facebook does have user terms that give some protection on opinions shared.
All these issues came into play when Carolyn Padron filed a lawsuit against the Facebook page on August 6.
Her lawsuit was followed two days later by Jeffrey and Michaela Roundtree also suing Elk City Rants and Raves.
Namely, that meant suing the creators, Eric and Whitney Sons.
Also listed were Bobby Finley, Fenix Wright, Aspen Hathaway, Kevin Bryant, Brandy Shrock, Randy Dixon and Sean Tuttle.
The plaintiffs in both cases filed pro se, or without an attorney.
Boyd Mouse of Elk City represented the defendants.
On November 18, the parties went to court.
Judge Roper dismissed the lawsuit.
Most of the commenters on the Elk City Rants and Raves Facebook page were supportive of the dismissal.
At this point, there are no scheduled future actions.
