Legal liability for creating a restaurant listings Website

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
September 8, 2017
3 replies
1061 views

I have had someone contact me about building a website with restaurant listings by category, with banner advertising to generate revenue. Possibly would also have an e-gift card feature.

I have never done a site like this before and have lots of questions, mostly regarding legal liability. For instance, a restaurant owner may object to being listed, or if there is an online review feature may claim that a comment amounts to slander, etc. etc. Also, any e-gift card feature would obviously need to be worked out with the owners, and I sure as heck do not want to deal with this.

I have never even dealt with advertisers on a website so am unsure about this as well.

This topic has been closed for replies.

paulk7737514Author

Inspiring

Anybody know why they removed the image of the puking emoticon? https://emojipedia.org/face-with-open-mouth-vomiting/

Jon Fritz

Community Expert

I'm guessing you pasted it wrong.

From the browser, right click and choose "Copy Image"
Click in a forum reply and paste

(No coding necessary)

paulk7737514Author

Inspiring

Thanks, Jon. That's news I can use.

O

osgood_

Legend

paulk7737514 wrote
I have had someone contact me about building a website with restaurant listings by category, with banner advertising to generate revenue. Possibly would also have an e-gift card feature.
I have never done a site like this before and have lots of questions, mostly regarding legal liability. For instance, a restaurant owner may object to being listed, or if there is an online review feature may claim that a comment amounts to slander, etc. etc. Also, any e-gift card feature would obviously need to be worked out with the owners, and I sure as heck do not want to deal with this.
I have never even dealt with advertisers on a website so am unsure about this as well.

The legality or what is included on the website is not really down to you. As a developer if someone approaches me with an idea I would assume they have worked through all the possible issues. If not that's their problem, not yours. Youre not being paid as a business consultant or business partner, but as a website developer, I would assume. I would just concentrate on what YOU are asked to do and stop trying to do everyone elses job and think for them. I know its hard and where you are coming from - there are some pretty stupid people in this world.....

paulk7737514Author

Inspiring

Actually my bigger fear is likely more mundane: Getting involved in a website project with some guy who hasn't a clue what he is doing and wasting time trying to reason with him. And, as Nancy pointed out, why bother doing something that's already been done.

Obviously the guy thinks he can actually make money from banner ads, but I remain skeptical....

Jon Fritz

Community Expert

About once a year, someone with $2500 burning a hole in their pocket comes to me with the grand idea to create a site that is, ultimately, identical to Fackebook or Youtube. It's not identical in their minds "because reasons", and they don't understand why I turn down the money "without even trying".

The general population has no earthly idea what it takes to keep sites like FB or YT running, let alone create them. They just see them as any old website on the internet, but with "extra video or chat codes".

They think, because of the story of Facebook (which they caught 20 minutes of on TV) they can start a website for a few dollars and become millionaires in a few months. They ignore entirely, all of the very unique circumstances in the early days of the web that made it even remotely possible for FB to do what it did.

Still, they come knocking, trying to get me to "do their site" for a fraction of the development cost, or for nothing at all since I would "be in on the ground floor" or "getting a percentage" of all the millions they'd generate with their "Youtube, but for DIY 4 cylinder engine mechanics" or their "Facebook, but for single Presbyterian lumberjack black smiths".