This is my favorite online "journalism" technique ever. When someone you want a scoop from won't comment, just make a bunch of crap up and then when they get angry say "hey feel free to comment".

No Matt, it's not that. It's writing up a story, not having received comments from one party, explaining how you've given the party many chances to comment on the matter, for honesty's sake and the integrity of journalism, yet never considering that perhaps that party's refusal to comment could be due to other matters, legal or what have you, and indirectly making that party look shady for not returning the honest gesture.

Assuming he is a moderately competent journalist that has done his homework about the subject he is writing about, he's aware of this:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=777010

What part is made up?

"Some basic, undisputed facts: ... he and his wife are shutting TipJoy down and returning what’s left of the $1 million they had raised to their investors."

Do you have any sources, documentation or other reason to believe that TipJoy raised $1 million?

Re: Tipjoy's Series A. Multiple reports pegged it at $1M. http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/24/tipjoy-raises-1-million... http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/technology/angel-investor/e... Are you saying those reports are wrong? Or that the company didn't call down the entire round?

Re: Comments. I reached out to Ivan and Abby more than 24 hours before I published the story. I understand why they'd be reluctant to respond, and I told them that.

I appreciate the back and forth on this board -- Paul's comments have been particularly enlightening -- but I'm going to bow out now. Please contact me directly if you have specific comments or questions. Thanks. pk

From your article:

You could see why some of TipJoy’s backers, which include BetaWorks, the Accelerator Group, ex-Googler Chris Sacca and the Y Combinator start-up factory, might cry foul.

Have any of them actually cried foul? I recommend following up with them if you are really interested in the facts.

The part about the $1 million VC money. But perhaps it wasn't you who made it up.

It was him who called it an indisputable fact.

Er, "undisputed" is not the same as "indisputable". Just sayin'.

How much time did you give them to respond before posting your story?