Ernest Burden III Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 This was linked by BoingBoing today...I am wondering how this would be used. Jail time for a flame post!?! So is "you really annoy me" now a threat or an indictable offense? It's illegal to annoy A new federal law states that when you annoy someone on the Internet, you must disclose your identity. Here's the relevant language. "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." http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Homeless Guy Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 not an indictable offense as long as you know who i am. seems like kind of an odd law. especially when there are far greater problem with the net than flamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 Of all the issues with the web, this is where our fearless leaders choose to direct their attention, to writing laws that are so vague and bizarre that they technically criminalize much of daily webforum use in the US? Your tax dollars at work once again, making the world safe from the tyranny of sanity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 It is only by threat of jail time that I maintain my impeccable manners online. I'm not in any hurry to end up with a roomate named Donna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Mottle Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Sounds like a law to combat spam and cyber stalking, but obvously not much thought went into wording or how it would theoretically impact other web mediums and uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Nichols Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Yeah welll you guys all suck... sorry... could not resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazdaz Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 [rant] This is what the "Moral Majority" in this country comes up with, while behind the sences they are the most corrupt motherf'ers in history. [/rant] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted January 9, 2006 Author Share Posted January 9, 2006 [rant]they are the most corrupt...[/rant] Humm, that was annoying, and your full name isn't there, and the Nutmeg State is in the US, and annoys me (at least your skill-less drivers do) so... you're going down, buddy. Fran--you were polite before it was required by law. I was secretly hoping one of you would show me how I had just misread that article, that this isn't really part of United States law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjornkn Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 I'm just glad that I don't live in the US then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 Good thing this is a Canadian based web site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted January 10, 2006 Author Share Posted January 10, 2006 Good thing this is a Canadian based web site So I wonder if US persons can legally annoy on a non-US website. And if a foreign national annoys a US person on a US website, and they reside in a country with an extradition treaty with the US, could the US person request and expect the annoyer to be arrested in their country and sent to the US for prosecution? So much stupidity, so little time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 So where do I fit in then Ernest? A Canadian living in the US virtually visiting Canada to talk to Americans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianKitts Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 WAIT A MINUTE THIS SITE'S IN CANADA??? NOW THATS ANNOYING!!!!! (yes I'm completely kidding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 WAIT A MINUTE THIS SITE'S IN CANADA??? NOW THATS ANNOYING!!!!! (yes I'm completely kidding) You just annoyed me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 So where do I fit in then Ernest? A Canadian living in the US virtually visiting Canada to talk to Americans. Clearly you are a subversive, a furry little foreigner, a rat, a plague upon a blessed land! (Careful, I'm kidding, I do that, it's still legal in the US). Now, if you annoy a US person I suppose you would have to be deported so you could be extradited, but you would be aquitted because you are using your real name. If that is your real name. The internet--bringing people together, so they can sue one another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 I'm not sure how an anonymous annoyance could be apprehended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 I'm not sure how an anonymous annoyance could be apprehended. I suppose you would have to have a massive data mining operation scanning all email, internet and phone traffic involving Americans. Naw, that can't be legal. By the way, Mods, I posted this thread in 'general' but I think it really is OT, and if a thread can be moved perhaps this one should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Alexander Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 LOL I wonder if "THE CREATOR" of the internet was behind this line of thinking...while in state level government.... or it's a bunch of good ol' boys who have the good looking female staff to all the computer work...as they might just be..ah..totally...clueless:eek: ! or maybe even lawyers in government...making sure they have some open ended obtuse abstracts laws to use after they are ousted to make mo' money/pay their own legal bills from the slimey activities they so graciously took part in...of course only through plausible deniability, until they could'nt deny it anymore. LOL... Hey everybody @#$%^&**()_.... you got my name..nah-nah-nah-nah Cheers WDA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 By the way, Mods, I posted this thread in 'general' but I think it really is OT, and if a thread can be moved perhaps this one should be. Move the thread? We'll just see you in court buddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard McCarthy Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 LOL Franz I just thought for a second about this law...it has the implication and possibility to jail any political opponent who "tries to annoys the adminstration". They could end up on a free charter flight to Guantanamo Bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 "THE CREATOR" of the internet The internet was obviously Inteligently Designed - at least thats what the textbooks say in Kansas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Homeless Guy Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 i thought Al Gore created the internet. ...or internets according to Bushy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vizwhiz Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 you are a bunch of hosers, ay!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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