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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2006 : 16:43:23
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http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news
quote:
Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.
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.
This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years in prison.
"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."
Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, an innocuously titled bit called "Preventing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy."
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by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Edited by - pleco on 01/09/2006 16:43:36
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
 Posted - 01/09/2006 : 17:16:34 [Permalink]
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| That's... stupid. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 17:22:13 [Permalink]
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| What happens with non-US citizens posting from abroad, to servers within US borders? |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 17:28:03 [Permalink]
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| We will hunt you down and bomb you back to the bronze (biblical) age. |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 17:32:06 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
What happens with non-US citizens posting from abroad, to servers within US borders?
A personal visit/reprimand from Condoleeza Rice?
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"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 17:48:42 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Randy...
A personal visit/reprimand from Condoleeza Rice?
Oh, man, the threat of a personal visit from that finger wagging crazy lady would be enough to disuade me! 
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 18:30:23 [Permalink]
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This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act.
Damn. Stupid shit like this is always "buried" in some larger bill. There's one type of government reform I'd love to see ASAP - every piece of legislation should have a clear focus on stick to just that. This type of reform is called something specific, but I can't remember the phrase or find it on the internet. Anyone know?
In this case one could argue that the Internet annoying maybe has something to do with violence against women, but it's a stretch. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2006 : 18:37:35 [Permalink]
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I think the law is meant to prevent anonymous online stalking, although I agree that the lawmakers could have picked a better word than "annoy." I would guess they were thinking more along the lines of harrassment.
I seriously doubt they indended for cases like "mAsToR HaXXor vs. goshu4ever" to waste court time. "Um, your honor, as I outlined in my brief, mAsToR HaXXor said I was a noob and that he would pwn me and I was annoyed, sir."
"tHat iS teh lie!"
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"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 00:42:35 [Permalink]
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It seems understandable that the anonymity offered by the Internet makes it a "natural attraction," of sorts, for various breeds of con artists, perverts, unscrupulous people, and malicious nutcases... even though the same feature of anonymity has its beneficial side as exploited for legitimate or benign reasons in many instances. After online computers started to become a common and easy-to-use "home appliance" maybe a decade ago, I was amazed at how fast the spammers from porn sites and other rackets wanting credit card numbers, etc. etc. just flooded it. Then after VBA and such made them simple-to-write, the viruses started to proliferate... then financial hackers became a problem... and soon after that sexual predators began hitting the news- we probably only see a "tip of the iceberg" of those kinds of serious, or somewhat-sophisticated goings on. But moreover, it's now easy for even "the average wacko" who's not especially endowed with skill, imagination, or expertise to reek some havoc, or cause some damage, just using email merges, blogs, etc. etc... it doesn't take an abundance of brain cells or technical know-how any more to cause problems... I think for at least a few years, it's been to a point where any marginally literate screwball or sociopath with an axe to grind, a phone line or cable service, and a computer, could do it. It probably happens alot... maybe we just don't hear about it because law enforcement has "bigger fish to fry."
So I think it's probably a step in a sane direction, even if it's inadequate or rather unenforceable in a meaningful way as of yet. I think there will probably have to be ongoing precedents set to deal with this stuff as these trends continue. |
Ron White |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 05:30:47 [Permalink]
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Agreein' with ron. Something along this line is a pretty good idea, but as written, I think it's ill tought out. As read by it's letter, many of us here could charged under it, including myself. It looks very easy to abuse.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 06:35:06 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by pleco
http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news
quote:
Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.
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.
This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years in prison.
"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."
Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, an innocuously titled bit called "Preventing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy."
What is "unConstitutionally vague"?
I'll take name the major problem with this legislation for $200, pleco.
Something tells me this legislation has never been used to actually prosecute anybody. Any lawyer worth the gunpowder to blow him to Hell would be able to overturn this piece of crap verbage. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 11:09:04 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Ricky
quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
What happens with non-US citizens posting from abroad, to servers within US borders?
I dunno, let's find out. Mab, your last post annoyed me.
Sorry, it won't work. I'm not anonymous.
Neither are you Ricky.
But Siberia is. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 01/10/2006 11:11:12 |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 11:16:11 [Permalink]
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quote:
I thought this was the Bible age? Or is that different than biblical?
Only in America. Mab is from elsewhere... |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Bunga
Skeptic Friend
Sweden
74 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 11:23:56 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by pleco
Only in America. Mab is from elsewhere...
I think one could make the argument that at least a fraction of the population of Sweden live in the Biblical age. |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 13:11:32 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Bunga
quote:
Originally posted by pleco
Only in America. Mab is from elsewhere...
I think one could make the argument that at least a fraction of the population of Sweden live in the Biblical age.
Well, we do have nut-cases in Sweden too. Gunnar Green, and Ulf Ekman the Pastor of "Livets Ord" (an go-haywire offshoot of the Pentacostal Church in Sweden, Ekman was a student at Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa. I don't know if any of you are familiar with it.) However, sometimes I get the impression that Ulf Ekman is more a very successful business-man than a pastor. One is reminded of that "bet about creating a religion" involving Ron L. Hubbard. He certainly try to keep his subjects in a tight grip, and defectors from the sect have been known to be in need of de-programming depending. In certain cases, family members kidnapped their children back from the church.
Then there are others I suppose, but they are a minority. For most practical purposes, I consider Sweden a secularized country.
(edited grammar) |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 01/10/2006 18:49:56 |
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