You're all under arrest

[misterx]

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

Comments

[arland2012.livejournal.com]

what's that for, so people know where to go to kick you butt? :) not a bad idea really, but I wonder how severve the consequences are.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

It seems terribly misguided to me... I don't see any of here posting under our real names (at least not our full names), which is half the criteria right there. Now all someone has to do is to post something that annoys people and they've broken the law.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

Not that I agree with the law, freedom of speech and whatnot, but... The wording "intent to annoy" is interesting. It also strikes me as extremely difficult to prossecute on. I mean, let's say I post photographs of rural ruin on the urban decay community. Someone gets annoyed because I posted that to the wrong damn group, dammit! That doesn't mean that my intent was to annoy. Or a more likely scenario: two people get into an arguement on usenet. If there aren't any personal attacks, then the defendent could easily argue that they were participating in a heated debate and were forcefully stating their opinion, not trying to annoy the other person. A spammer could even argue that they were presenting information on where to buy viagra, not trying to annoy the recipient. I haven't read the bill, but if that's the wording, I don't see how it could be enforced other than in a case of cyberstalking or practical joking.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Since very few of us have usernames that equal our full names, half the criteria is already fulfilled. Establishing intent is indeed the sticky point.

My main concern, besides that it's just plain stupid, is that this may be used as a tool to quell free speech. Suppose a consumer makes a website detailing the bad practices of a corporation, or a blogger makes a popular post about his or her dislike of a government policy. If the site or post starts to generate buzz, which could be said to be the purpose of such publishing, to persuade others to talk about and action against said corporation or policy, this could be twisted as "intending to annoy" the corporation or government body.

Sounds far fetched, but only if you don't look around at current abuses.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

Wait, your last name isn't X? ;)

I do agree, the free speech issue would be my main worry. And maybe more important than whether the law could really be enforced, I would worry that people feel threatened by it and don't express themselves, or that the threat of lawsuit would make people shut up.

[subtlesabotage.livejournal.com]

I hope they lock me up...I need the vacation.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

one free six month vaca at Club Fed, coming up.

[teal-cuttlefish.livejournal.com]

I'm on a Yahoo group where the entire intention is to hash out arguments that start on other groups and are brought there where an audience of cynical impartials can razz the discussion. Right now, we have an infestation of "sockpuppets" -- fake persona to promote the agenda of someone who wasn't getting the reception he wanted, so he left, and almost instantly someone "very against" him showed up and started pressing his case by being incredibly annoying. I made a point of posting that link. I'm pretty sure that since the intent of the entire list is to annoy, there are several people that could be in trouble. I always use my name, though, so I can annoy at will -- it's only people who post with intent to annoy without revealing their identity that are covered by the law.

And it belongs on the Dumb Law pages NOW.

[marasca.livejournal.com]

That's the best icon!

[teal-cuttlefish.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's my NSA domestic spying icon. :D

[rathgrith.livejournal.com]

I'm only under arrest if I'm annoying. I'm NEVER annoying, therefore I am not under arrest. ;-P

[yuriination.livejournal.com]

does this mean I can get every retard who emails me on myspace asking me to "hit them up" or "sit on their face" cuz they think Im "hot" arrested cuz I have it clearly stated Im not there for that on my profile and not to bother me with that crap?

hmmm...
this may actually work out to my advantage. >=]

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Only if they do it anonymously.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! Gmail offered me this link when I got emailed your comment:
Annoyed by someone? - www.FlakeFilter.com - Learn to identify and deal to the annoying person in your life!

[queensuzi.livejournal.com]

hey I just emailed you from
suziraye@yahoo.com