The Net Judges A Giraffe

These are some of the latest responses. If you haven't already seen them, check out the earlier ones, too.

We can't disclose full contest entries yet, but we can let you see a few [more] of the letters of support we have received. Meanwhile, write letters to or call Geoffrey! Alert Michael Nesmith! Write a Sonata in E Major! (Maybe we can get on TV when the API is sent in to wipe us out!)

All opinions expressed belong to their owners. Our opinions about a certain mongo toy chain and its corporate parent are expressed elsewhere!

Remember, you must send the letters to TRU via us, or at least Cc: us on email, if you want to qualify for the contest!

Names will be added after the contest is over.

What You've Been Saying

Some of these have been lightly edited purely for spelling, grammar, or strong language. My comments are emphasized just like this text.

Added to page Dec. 10

Take the boycott further. Take your coupons to Walmart - they accept anyone's coupons. But take the time to go to Toys-R-Us first & let them know what you're doing. In fact, the majority of the larger stores - even computer stores - will honor competitors' coupons.

I don't have a name for your contest - I like the one you've got!

Even tho my kids are grown, my GRANDKIDS are not. And so long as Toy-R-US has competition, I can still play grandpa without contributing to their over-inflated bottom line. Count me in.

Good on you! About time somebody in the corporate world gets a sense of humor!

We understand your concern that, by using a derivative of your company's name, other businesses might reflect poorly on Toys R Us by selling inferior goods. Last spring, you seemed to think this was the case with the Internet web site Roadkills R Us, as evidenced by a series of letters that you sent to Miles O'Neal (which we read on the Internet). He pointed out to you that Roadkills R Us is not, in fact, a business but something more along the lines of an Internet version of Mad Magazine.

Rather than do your research, you apparently decided to turn into what looks remarkably to us like a bully -- and a clueless bully at that. To reiterate what you've already been told: Roadkills R Us is not a business. It doesn't sell anything. It has no stationary, no signs, no physical presence in the known universe. It has no telephone number. You have apparently not, to date, understood this concept, as evidenced by your continuing mail harrassment of Mr. O'Neal.

If that were all you were guilty of, we wouldn't be writing this letter. But unfortunately, you went further: You stated that not only did Mr. O'Neal have to change the name of his web page, he would have to clear that name change with your lawyers so that you could decide whether or not he could use it, and you cited such forbidden alternatives as anything containing the word ``Us'' preceded by a preposition (such as ``and'' and ``for''). You have also apparently tried to get Mr. O'Neal's Internet access revoked.

As you well know, such idiocy would be laughed out of court. No citizen of this country is answerable to your company for the use of the word ``Us'' preceded by various prepositions in any forum whatsoever. And your attempt to bar Mr. O'Neal from the Internet smacks of a violation of every citizen's right to freedom of speech.

We can only conclude that Toys R Us has decided to throw its weight around simply because it feels it can. Such behavior will not endear your company to anyone who hears about it, and we intend to see that many people hear about it.

We also intend to make our opinion known by voting against Toys R Us in the manner it will best understand: We will be taking our (considerable) business elsewhere until such time as you stop harrassing Mr. O'Neal. We will also encourage our friends, acquaintances, and medical colleagues to do the same.

Most sincerely,

Dr. X and Y Z

You've made the big time, boys. I had no idea there was such an incredible bru-ha brewing until I read of your plight in the Houston Chronicle business section. Sounds like lots of folks ought to just simmer down (especially those with the long, spotted necks). Have you offered to make your site the "unofficial" roadkills-r-us site? My kids go to unofficial disney sites all of the time, and I've never heard about the Great Mouse suing to stop them.

Don't change the name, though.

I support your struggle against idiots with only 6 brain cells.
I intend to also inform them of this.
In fact I'd like to open a DeadBears-R-Us site.

Hello, You can add my family to the list of those "not shopping at the stupid giraffe toy store this Xmas" Toys R' Us wasn't my favorite place to begin with. Now this is just icing on the [not chocolate] cake! Keep it up! Roadkill made the news in the local Houston rag today...

Subject: jerkrafts

It's all just too wierd. I wonder what would happen if Saturday Nite Live were to run a skit? They say there is the possibility that RRU could be confused with TRU- you wonder what TRU is offering out of their stores!

TRU has gone over the edge.

Looks like TRU has a problem with Freedom of Speech. I have a problem with Big Brother and other organizations such as TRU trying to dictate what I can see or hear. I would have never of snapped to any connection between your WEB Page and TRU if it had not been for all the negative publicity it has generated. This was front page in the Houston Chronicle Business section. This will backfire on Toys R Us. People I talk to feel the same way I do. Good luck with your fight. I am behind you 100%.

Even though the name is clearly a take-off I fully support the right to use it as this agency is NOT offering a similar product. Check your ... law folks.

Love the page, laughed at toys r us (who charges way too much for playstation games anyways), and did what i could to help.

This is ridiculous!

Obvoiusly the people at Toys-R-Us have small pea-sized brains, with two brain cells, one which looks around for words containing the -R-US, and the other which is used to push this big red button, which instructs their lawyers to sue your [beast of burden] off!

It is not on! And I will never, never, never ever go to their stores anymore (not that I ever did) and will discourage every single person I meet to do so.

That is my new found quest!

And (as Ren would say it) to the guys at TRU:

"You ideeeots! Even Stimpy can out-think you!"

Moa will soon devote some web space to your page (and my new-found cause), and mail you and everybody else the URL. Keep fighting!...

David-R-Shinkins'

And they can't sue me for that, cos 'R' is my middle initial!

As for the coupon, if you want to spend the time to go to the mgr & show him the coupon you are going to use at Target or Walmart or whereever, that will also cost them $-from lack of a sale. & if enough people do that, maybe they'll realize they're really losing customers. That's the bottom line-loss of customers means loss of $. I've already got 12 of my neighbors & myself to boycott them. & all have promised to spend the time to go tell them-that means more than just taking the coupon to another store.

I just visited the tru.com page and let the following message

After reading about your menu beef with roadkill are who I drove the 120 miles from my home in Mountain Home, AR to Springfield, Mo. to return the $[amount] purchases in toys for my Grandchildren and found like items for less at another vendors. I have E-Mailed the rest of my family to do the same as we do not like the tactics your board of directors has used in its attack on the roadkill page

Your thoughtless actions will cost you many $$$ in lost revenue and I think in no time at all your stock shares will suffer also. I and my family will stay away from toys r us until I read on the internet about you full apology to roadkill etc

At this time reparations are not needed but I suspect if you go to court you will also be paying for their legal expenses before this matter gets put to bed.

My congratulations go out to you on attracting the attention of the entire nation to a Company pickin on a regular folk. good job.

I can only dream of something like this happening to me so I can show them that experienced Internet users CANNOT be pushed around. But it is much more than that, it's freedom of speech, freeddom of expression, and a narrow miss of breaking any [trademark] laws. Give me a break, imagine the gall it takes to tell someone that they can't say "R' US" in public!

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Last updated: 25 October 2001

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Copyright 1995-2001 Roadkills-R-Us, Austin, TX. All rights preserved, jellied, or jammed. All giraffe images based on an image courtesy of Philip Greenspun. Gratefully used with permission. Roadkills-R-Us and RRU are trademarks of Miles O'Neal <meo@rru.com>. Web space provided by Net Ads.