Trolls, Flamers, Harassers, Beware!

[george78]

http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance,+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

-------------------------------

Personally I am glad that this Legislation was passed. For some reason internet boards (including this one) seem to have many more liberals than the general public at large. If you took internet polls at the last general election, Kerry was winning them with 65%+ of the vote. However more traditional scientific polls and the actual election results were not swung in favor of liberals.

While many liberals just want to debate, there are also numerous liberals who like to harass, attack, troll and flame conservatives off the net. This is now a federal crime unless they do so under their real names.

No more is making a flaming post under an internet user name just breaking the particular web-board's rules, no, now it is breaking the law.

No more is seeking out those who oppose immorality and perversion and calling them "bigots" "nutjobs" or "wackos" under a nameless internet identity just bad taste, no, now it's against the law.

At the very least, this legislation will make people be a bit more civil on web-boards.

Now, who wants to take bets on how long before the ACLU trys to sue.

 

[Jebediah]

http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

-------------------------------

Personally I am glad that this Legislation was passed. For some reason internet boards (including this one) seem to have many more liberals than the general public at large. If you took internet polls at the last general election, Kerry was winning them with 65%+ of the vote. However more traditional scientific polls and the actual election results were not swung in favor of liberals.

While many liberals just want to debate, there are also numerous liberals who like to harass, attack, troll and flame conservatives off the net. This is now a federal crime unless they do so under their real names.

No more is making a flaming post under an internet user name just breaking the particular web-board's rules, no, now it is breaking the law.

No more is seeking out those who oppose immorality and perversion and calling them "bigots" "nutjobs" or "wackos" under a nameless internet identity just bad taste, no, now it's against the law.

At the very least, this legislation will make people be a bit more civil on web-boards.

Now, who wants to take bets on how long before the ACLU trys to sue.

I would like to point out that it is also illegal to:

1. download music and movies
2. pirate software
3. have minors use inappropriate content sites

And there is simply no way to enforce such things. These people just like to make laws. Good luck with that...I kinda like the idea of all of battle.net being hauled off by feds.

 

[Heiroglyph]

I dont follow stupid internet laws.

 

[SisterGeoff]

All real crime having come to a stop congress now directs the powers of federal law enforcement to get jerks using assumed names to be rude on the net...oh crap *packs up and moves to Bogata*

 

[Jebediah]

I dont follow stupid internet laws.

See?

 

[george78]

I dont follow stupid internet laws.

If you don't follow the law, you go to jail.

 

[InnerPhyre]

I assume then, I could put on a name tag saying that my name was Bob and start singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall in public and go to jail for it?


Sounds to me like this is a stepping stone to stop people from posting negative comments out the government under anonymous user names. That will be next.

 

[george78]

I would like to point out that it is also illegal to:

1. download music and movies
2. pirate software
3. have minors use inappropriate content sites

And people are prosecuted for each of those things every day.

Beside that, most web-boards, in fact, every web-board that I have been to has some rule prohibiting posts that are "illegal" or run afoul of the law.

Rule number 4 on this web-board covers that.

The federal law has the effect of making rule number 4 very, very broad now, unless the poster decides to use their real name.

 

[Quantos]

http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

-------------------------------

Personally I am glad that this Legislation was passed. For some reason internet boards (including this one) seem to have many more liberals than the general public at large. If you took internet polls at the last general election, Kerry was winning them with 65%+ of the vote. However more traditional scientific polls and the actual election results were not swung in favor of liberals.

While many liberals just want to debate, there are also numerous liberals who like to harass, attack, troll and flame conservatives off the net. This is now a federal crime unless they do so under their real names.

No more is making a flaming post under an internet user name just breaking the particular web-board's rules, no, now it is breaking the law.

No more is seeking out those who oppose immorality and perversion and calling them "bigots" "nutjobs" or "wackos" under a nameless internet identity just bad taste, no, now it's against the law.

At the very least, this legislation will make people be a bit more civil on web-boards.

Now, who wants to take bets on how long before the ACLU trys to sue.

Well you did not post your true name, and your post is anoying to me, enjoy jail.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Well you did not post your true name, and your post is anoying to me, enjoy jail.

This comment, poking fun at the situation is annoying to me. Off to jail! I think Arlen Spector must be completely insane for thinking this is necessary....whoops I hope that comment wasn't annoying....oh well...in case it was, my name is Mike. Wooo I'm free.

 

[Quantos]

This comment, poking fun at the situation is annoying to me. Off to jail! I think Arlen Spector must be completely insane for thinking this is necessary....whoops I hope that comment wasn't annoying....oh well...in case it was, my name is Mike. Wooo I'm free.

Opps You didn't post your full name

Quantos Bettlebrox.

 

[Willtor]

Well you did not post your true name, and your post is anoying to me, enjoy jail.

The article says that the original legislation talked about "severe emotional harm" and not just "annoyance," and that it was for the sake of internet stalking and such. But with "annoyance," it's much less specific, and I hope the Supreme Court strikes it down.

 

[InnerPhyre]

Opps You didn't post your full name

Quantos Bettlebrox.

Ah yes...indeed. Michael Fitzwilliam Von Wellingthropshiresworth Al Rashid Bin Hasaan Nakamura

 

[BOJAX]

Ah yes...indeed. Michael Fitzwilliam Von Wellingthropshiresworth Al Rashid Bin Hasaan Nakamura

 

[george78]

Well you did not post your true name, and your post is anoying to me, enjoy jail.

We both know that the statute doesn't work that way .

"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

No prosecutor would ever prosecute, nor would any jury every convict on a post sending message out over cyberspace, that did not contain any directly derogatory statements or messages directed to a person.

However a post directed at a specific person, calling them a "bigot" "wacko" "hater" "nutjob" or any other name would fit the bill.

In essence, the bill would criminalize much of the typical internet "debate" that goes on in web-boards, and force people to actually be civil and think out arguments instead of calling names and being childish.

 

[InnerPhyre]

We both know that the statute doesn't work that way .

"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

No prosecutor would ever prosecute, nor would any jury every convict on a post sending message out over cyberspace, that did not contain any directly derogatory statements or messages directed to a person.

However a post directed at a specific person, calling them a "bigot" "wacko" "hater" "nutjob" or any other name would fit the bill.

In essence, the bill would criminalize much of the typical internet "debate" that goes on in web-boards, and force people to actually be civil and think out arguments instead of calling names and being childish.

Wacko

 

[InnerPhyre]

Seriously though, this is idiotic. If they want to make anonymous flaming illegal, they're going to have to do some serious prison building. Maybe they can just clear out Texas and make it a penal colony for everyone who will have to be arrested for this crime.


But that's the government for you. We need more laws! More more more. Wait somethings are still legal? Outlaw them quick! We must babysit these helpless masses of commoners or they might actually learn to think for and take care of themselves.

 

[Norseman]

If you don't follow the law, you go to jail.

No you don't. You just use an IP spoofer.

 

[Blackguard_]

No more is making a flaming post under an internet user name just breaking the particular web-board's rules, no, now it is breaking the law.

Is "flaming" someone offline illegal? Why should it be online? I see no reason why rules of conduct should be up to the Feds.

No more is seeking out those who oppose immorality and perversion and calling them "bigots" "nutjobs" or "wackos" under a nameless internet identity just bad taste, no, now it's against the law.

This is insane. Should it be illegal to call someone off-line a nut-job and the like?

At the very least, this legislation will make people be a bit more civil on web-boards.

No, it and the burden of proof for "and with intent to annoy." will just result in Sophistic prosecutors playing Cardinal "give me six lines written by the most honroable of men and I will find an excuse in them to hang him" Richelieu with people's chat logs and posts.

 

[InnerPhyre]

For the record, we have a contitutional right to free speech...which includes being childish and immature if we so desire. The government does not have the right to tell us that we must refrain from being annoying in our debates.