Mentioning Names of Restaurants and Other Chains?

[Mikayla]

Hello!  I almost put this in general but it seemed better here.  I of course don't care if it gets moved or deleted or whatever happens to strange questions 

But...I"m more or less a newbie to all this, and I'm puzzled why some people come right out and mention, say, Walmart, while others dance around the actual name.  Is this just a personal preference or is there some kind of unspoken rule that proper names shouldn't be used?

Naturally, the times it strikes me are those where someone has just told a jaw-dropper and I get nosy where this happened. 

[CrayonOutlines]

It's my understanding that it's okay to mention businesses as long as what you're saying is true.  (Truth is a defense for defamation/slander.) 

It's also my understanding that it's still defamation/slander even if you don't name the business specifically, but say something untrue that causes demonstrable damages by saying something like, "A restaurant that serves chicken wings and has a name that rhymes with 'Looters'..." since the business is easily identifiable there.

[kckgirl]

I've always named names. I just hate it when we have the games (the name of the smallest US coin, serves two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun, etc.). If something happened in a store, we expect you to not be telling lies, so it makes no difference if you name Penneys, Sears, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Food Lion, etc. Now if you're making it up, we'll still be able to figure out which store you mean, and their lawyers will, too.

[Arianoor]

I personally either name names or use a generic term, such as:  I'll either say Safeway or the grocery store.  I tend to use a generic term if the name of the company is not important to the thread or post.  I hate the rhymes with stuff, everyone knows what you are talking about, just out with it already!

[blahblahblah]

Sometimes I'll dance around the name so that it won't show up in search engine functions. Even though what I'm saying is true ('cept for all the times I lied), it can still cause a headache if someone (in a position of power) were to see the comment and take offense to it. This goes double for workplace-related issues.

[FoxPaws]

My family tends to have joke names and pet names for places we frequent - we usually refer to Wal*mart as Wallyworld - and sometimes I use those just for fun. It depends on the post. If I'm really impressed or seriously peeved, I'm more likely to use the real name.  

[TheaterDiva1]

I always thought it was a legal issue, and very rarely is the actual store relevant in my post, so I usually say "the store" or "a family reataurant" - it doesn't matter specifically which one.

The one time I actually said the name was Ikea - they're all laid out similarly (the ones I've been to anyway) with a loading area, and I was talking about something in said loading area.

[hobish]

As i understand it naming names is a bad idea when it might get the Forummistress into legal issues. If you're bashing a place, don't name it. If you're mentioning it in passing it probably doesn't matter as much, but if you're mentioning the name in passing why bother naming it unless it matters to the situation.

[Quossum]

ITA with the OP.  The coy refusal to name names and instead invent an elaborate rhyme or something so that we all know exactly where you mean anyway--so annoying.

Like the others in this thread have said, if it's relevant to the story and you're telling the truth, say the name of the place.  If it's not relevant or you don't feel comfortable naming names, just use the generic terms.

--Q

[Alida]

My family tends to have joke names and pet names for places we frequent - we usually refer to Wal*mart as Wallyworld - and sometimes I use those just for fun. It depends on the post. If I'm really impressed or seriously peeved, I'm more likely to use the real name. 

You're nicer than we are.  We call that The Evil Empire around here 

[TaylorMade]

This is exactly what I was looking for!

I came into the Forum Announcements to see if there was a recent rule added about not saying names, because it's getting ridiculous out there!

I can understand if you work for WalMart so you dance around it, but if you went into Starbucks and purchased coffee why not say Starbucks!

I think I was just getting mildly annoyed at some recent posts and wanted to see if there was some kind of 'rule', because the "rhymes with" etc.. seems to be getting more and more popular!   

[jimithing]

The only time I won't use the name is if I am referring to a place I mystery shop.  It's against the agreements and contracts I sign to directly reveal who I shop.

[IndianInlaw]

You can tell us...

We won't tell.

[nliedel]

Sometimes it's because those businesses have long arms and sometimes it's because people are funny and it's inventive. I usually say the names of the places, cause most of the time it's my opinion.