Rick Adams wrote:
> ANY web site has a built in mechanism for tracking the
> identity of a poster; they simply record the ip address of all connections
> in their system log. If a law suit or criminal action occurs, those
> records are easily made available to the appropriate authorities and
> provide the means to track the user to his/her specific computer. Unless
> the user is using a campus computer which does NOT require a login process
> or record of use (and if that is the case, the campus itself may be
> legally liable for postings from its systems), the user is easily
> identified.
I can walk into almost any public library, give no ID, set up an anonymous e-mail
account, and send whatever I want over the Internet. I doubt that any library has
been held responsible for such use. Even if a login is required, many novice users
forget to logout, and someone else can then use their account. Again, they might
feel foolish, but I doubt that they would be held legally responsible. If anyone
knows of any cases that refute this, please let me know.
> Sorry, Linda, but the right to free speech is far more important than the
> relatively minor harm that may come from a site of this nature--or any
> OTHER site for that matter.
A gross oversimplification of "rights." See, "shouting fire in a crowded theater",
"your rights end where mine begin", etc. Or, give it a test--use a racial slur, or
make bomb jokes at the airport, or tell a traffic cop that you think he is too fat
and the speed limit is too f**king low--and defend it on the basis of your "rights."
--
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* Mike Scoles * [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* Department of Psychology * voice: (501) 450-5418 *
* University of Central Arkansas * fax: (501) 450-5424 *
* Conway, AR 72035-0001 * *
********* http://www.coe.uca.edu/psych/scoles/index.html ********
