http://news.com.com/2010-1028_3-6022491.html?tag=nl easier-to-use URL
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Premanand Paul Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > CNET NEWS > Perspective: Create an e-annoyance, go to jail > By Declan McCullagh > 9th January 2006 > > http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3- > 6022491.html?tag=nl > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, doctor_gabby_savy > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > This post is pretty funny. If not sad. Its sounded so odd that such > a > > major bill could pass congress and be signed without any controversy > > in the media. It a major Free Speech issue. > > > > So I checked the last 50 or so Technology arttices in the NYTimes. > And > > the last 50 or so articles in the "Washington" section. Could't find > > anything close to what the poster cited. So I did a search on > > "anonymous" and seperately on "annoy". There are no articles in the > > past week containing these words that appear to have anything to do > > with what the poster says he read. > > > > Please post the article or links to it. > > > > Beyond the "no media controversy" and "no article" issues, the post > is > > quite naive in its logic and its view of the world. > > > > "Since Yahoo is committed to preventing illegal behavior in its > > groups, according to a number of sections of Yahoo's "Terms of > > Service" (that we agreed to when joining up), Yahoo would have to > > discipline any in-dividual poster (or group) that doesn't abide by > > this new Federal law - anyone who posts potentially "annoying" posts > > anonymously or using a screen name or pseudo-name. Yahoo would have > > to remove from its service an individual who was reported to them > as > > persisting in violating the law." > > > > Was Due Process suspeneded with this bill? No police investigation? > No > > DA deciding if the case has merit? No trial? Just some angry person > > says "He abused me" and it means that the alleged law was broken? > Oh my! > > > > This post is simply creepy in its unsupported claims, phantom > article, > > naivity, etc. I hope the students at THE CENTER FOR REALIZATION > are > > better served. > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Michael Dean Goodman > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Dear Fairfield Lifers, > > > > > > For the well-being and continuity of our group, I post the > > > following information, from today's New York Times news reports: > > > > > > Annoying someone via the internet is now a federal crime. > > > > > > Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on > post- > > > ing annoying web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages > with- > > > out 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. > > > > > > This prohibition is included in the "Violence Against Women and > De- > > > partment of Justice Reauthorization Act". Criminal penalties > include > > > stiff fines and two years in prison. > > > > > > Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, a subsection > called "Prevent- > > > ing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone harassment law > to > > > prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without disclosing his > iden- > > > tity and with intent to annoy." > > > > > > Here's the relevant language: > > > > > > "Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to > ori- > > > ginate telecommunications or other types of communications that > are > > > transmitted, in whole or in part, by the internet... without > disclos- > > > ing 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." > > > > > > > > > > > > My commentary: > > > > > > Since the law uses the vague word "annoy", along with the > stronger lan- > > > guage ("threaten, harass, abuse"), the result for a discussion > group > > > such as ours may be: > > > > > > 1. You CAN discuss someone's ideas anonymously. > > > > > > 2. BUT you must reveal your true identity if you push the argument > > > very far, if you are perceived as "arguing", to where the > other > > > person could get "annoyed" with you - whether for your > perceived > > > "resistance", your differing point of view, etc. > > > > > > 3. And you must certainly reveal your true identity if you move > > > from debating his content (his ideas) to making any > disparaging > > > or even merely uninvited comments about the person himself - > in- > > > cluding comments about his motives, state of mind, character, > > > believability, qualifications, etc. - any of which could > easily > > > be predicted to be "annoying" to someone expecting polite > discus- > > > sion of his ideas only, and some of which may move > beyond "annoy- > > > ing" and into the realm of "threatening" or "harassing". > > > > > > The bottom line: by virtue of this new Federal law, we must each > either > > > stop posting anything that could be reasonably expected to be > annoying > > > to another, or continue posting these things but do it under our > true > > > names (rather than anonymously). And the standard is low; it > doesn't > > > take much to "annoy" someone. Probably a great majority of the > posts > > > on our group would be considered "annoying" to someone that they > were > > > directed toward. > > > > > > The solution is simple: stop posting anonymously unless you put > on kid > > > gloves. > > > > > > Since I always post using my real name, this really doesn't affect > > > me, but there are many anonymous or pseudo-named posters on this > > > list, and often the posts get very contentious and many people's > > > feelings get "annoyed" and beyond. ;) > > > > > > Since Yahoo is committed to preventing illegal behavior in its > groups, > > > according to a number of sections of Yahoo's "Terms of Service" > (that > > > we agreed to when joining up), Yahoo would have to discipline any > in- > > > dividual poster (or group) that doesn't abide by this new Federal > law - > > > anyone who posts potentially "annoying" posts anonymously or > using a > > > screen name or pseudo-name. Yahoo would have to remove from its > service > > > an individual who was reported to them as persisting in violating > the > > > law. And a group like ours, if its leadership didn't self- police > the > > > group by requiring posters who could possibly be perceived as > annoying > > > anyone to post under their true names, would run the risk of being > > > deleted by Yahoo without warning, should Yahoo get some > complaints. > > > From our past history, we can almost certainly count on Yahoo > getting > > > complaints arising from our disgruntled or offended members using > this > > > new Federal law. > > > > > > Although I, and many freedom-of-speech advocates, think the > language > > > of this law is way too vague and over-reaching - it IS the current > > > Federal law - and Yahoo pledges to uphold the law. > > > > > > Hope this info is of service. > > > > > > Namaste, > > > > > > Michael > > > > > > PARA - THE CENTER FOR REALIZATION > > > and THE RELATIONSHIP INSTITUTE > > > Michael Dean Goodman Ph.D., D.D., Director > > > Boca Raton (Palm Beach County) Florida * 561-350-3930 * > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Counseling * Workshops * Educational Session * Presentations * > Satsang > > > Clients and programs throughout the United States, Europe, and > India > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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