Dear Tonic,
When someone from the public ( let's say Liddy 77...but it could be you, me the Globe and Mail or anyone else in a tavern on a speaker phone surrounded by 50 persons) dial the official phone number of a public company XYZ inc, traded publicaly on the stock exchange, raising moneys from the public, existing for and on behalf of it's shareholders, and the person that answers the phone for and on behalf of the said company (''Welcome to XYZ inc., how can I help you? ), well, don't you think that person makes a public statement, and moreover, on the behalf of that company.
Now, is it good or bad for the company? For shareholders who share ideas on the net? I think you can answer that question easily....
P.S. Forgive my bad english, I'm from the ''other'' part of Canada...Doing my best!
GLTA