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General Discussion => Controversy Corner => Topic started by: t0ts on 2006-01-09, 21:46



Title: Internet Trolling illegal?
Post by: t0ts on 2006-01-09, 21:46
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It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. 

In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I guess.

http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%...22491&subj=news (http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news)

I was reading on shortnews.com and some people commented on it saying politicians could use it to stop dissidents, or claim anyones trying to be annoying.


Title: Re: Internet Trolling illegal?
Post by: Tabun on 2006-01-10, 02:20
My. Wouldn't I be surprised if criticizing political leaders would be high on the list of 'annoying messages'.


Title: Re: Internet Trolling illegal?
Post by: Phoenix on 2006-01-10, 04:54
This will get challenged in court and thrown out as unconstitutional.  The language is too vague, and it's a violation of the First Amendment.  Site admins and the owners of bulletin boards have the right to restrict what gets posted on their forums by banning or restricting users who break the rules the site admins set.  It's a good system, and it needs to be left alone.  Requiring someone to post their real identity in public view on the internet is opening a floodgate for identity theft, real world retaliatory harrassment, among other things.  Part of the internet's freedom is you can speak dissenting opinions anonymously without fear of The Man coming to knock on your door.

I rarely root for the ACLU, as I'm on the opposite side of them in nearly every situation that involves morals of any kind, but I really hope they pounce all over this.  It's a stupid law, and needs to go bye-bye as soon as possible.  Punishing people because they have an opinion is the next step toward the outright criminalizing of thought.  "Political correctness" is bad enough, but this crosses the line.


Title: Re: Internet Trolling illegal?
Post by: Lopson on 2006-01-10, 13:50
Oh my god! That is lame, very lame. And that's that! Pho is right : it needs to go "astalavista".