[Vision2020] Beware, anonymous annoyers!

[Tom Hansen]

As much as I feel that people MUST identify themselves when posting, I also
feel that this may be taking things too far.

If people thought that county prosecutors were over-burdened before . . .

Will Yahoo and Hotmail monitor their e-mail accounts to ensure that
subscribers use their real names?  Or will that responsibility be passed on
to internet service providers?  Or the subscribers themselves?

This policy originates from a political party that has felt for a long, long
time that there is too much government influence in our private lives.

Who knows where this will go next?

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Ron Force
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 3:18 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Beware, anonymous annoyers!


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."

Declan McCullagh-
"...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."

Read the rest at:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6024695.html?tag=nl.e589

**********************************************
Ron Force          Moscow ID USA
rforce at moscow.com
**********************************************


_____________________________________________________
 List services made available by First Step Internet, 
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
               http://www.fsr.net                       
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯