Poll: Juniper Lawsuit Still a Bad Move

Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE: JNPR) is not "doing the right thing" by suing Light Reading's message board users, according to the latest results of the publication's poll exploring the subject.

Seventy-percent of the more than 1,080 people who have taken the poll as of Thursday morning (10 AM, ET) disagree with the router company's decision to sue anonymous Light Reading users for defamation in the California Superior Court of Santa Clara on December 14.

Juniper’s complaint accuses these “DOES 1-10, inclusive” of posting harmful statements about the company and its executives on Light Reading's message boards. (See Juniper Sues LR Message Boarders.)

The poll -- Jumpy Juniper -- went live on December 22 and has been averaging about 8 responses per hour for the past 137 hours, which is remarkable considering that most folks aren't online at all during the holiday week. It will close on December 31, 2005 at 11:59 PM ET.

Nearly as many poll takers -- about 68 percent -- say Juniper was not harmed in any material way from the postings made on Light Reading's boards. And a clear majority -- 61 percent -- of those who participated in the poll appear to have a healthy view of message boards, saying that the boards contain "lots of rubbish but worth sifting for occasional gems".

Has the episode backfired on Juniper? That's where folks have a wider range of opinions. Thirty-five percent of those who took the poll label Juniper as "paranoid" and another 34 percent say they think Juniper "has something to hide." Twenty percent haven't changed their attitude at all towards Juniper and the remaining 11 percent of respondents support Juniper's decision.

— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading