Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

CNET ^ | January 9, 2006 | Declan McCullagh

[MensRightsActivist]

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.

[Calpernia]

Ping you from the post on the other thread. You were waiting to see if this is a hoax, I think Dbrow found the info you wanted here.

[Phlap]

Luckily I am Canadian so I can annoy with impunity.

[Xenalyte]

Uh-oh . . . we could be in trouble, you and me, cowboy!

[GreenOgre]

My ex wife gets her jollies by handing my cellphone number, e-mail address, and other information to telemarketers to bother me. She even signs me up for contests and doctor's appointments.

This is the type of person this law should be going after.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

What say you, Great One?

[Rudder]

And my name is Rudder Duck.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

I agree annoying someone should not be a crime, but cyber-harrassment, cyber-stalking, and cyber-threatening is a whole other story.

[Protagoras]

Ok, you guessed it. Signed, Pro T. Agoras.

[Dead Corpse]

The Founders, who wrote under names like "Cato", "Federal Farmer", and "Brutus", will the first to be prosecuted under this new law change. After all, the Constitution is only a list of suggestions these days.

[MikefromOhio]

Fortunately InOhio is my last name, so I can be as annoying as I want.

Yep. my last name is InIraq :)

It's all good :)

[Restorer]

I'm afraid I cannot see why actions which are criminal if committed via smail-mail or phone should not be if committed via the Web. The focus should be on the act, not the medium.

[savedbygrace]

Another Arlen Specter back-door maneuver.

[Protagoras]

I know several who annoy me on FR.

Count me in, I annoy EVERYONE on FR.

[Protagoras]

I agree annoying someone should not be a crime, but cyber-harrassment, cyber-stalking, and cyber-threatening is a whole other story.

Please define these terms.

I know, it's annoying, but do it anyway.

[Dashing Dasher]

I think the biggest problem with the internet is the anonymity of it.

Many people harass, stalk, threaten and act like total jerks because they think no one knows who they are. They say things that they wouldn't normally say because of this shield. This protects them - but seems to give them a boost in their ego or courage to go over their limits of good taste in other real life activities.

I also believe that much of this is based in anger - being able to take your frustrations out on someone gives you the feeling of power, while if you were a happy, productive person in your life - you wouldn't have the need to denigrate others.

IMHO... It's quite sad, really.

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

Harassing, stalking, and threatening via the internet.

[L,TOWM]

Well, if I posted using my real name, than all of my Kingdom's subjects would know that I stay up late at nights surfing the web and pretending to be an american middle-class, christian, conservative.

I like web anonimity.

[DBrow]

Now that I went and got the original law and amendid it, you are correct; the definition is as follows:


(ii) initiates the transmission of,

any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or

other communication which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or

indecent, with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another

person;

So I'd guess that repeatedly emailing you with an image of the Tubgirl, or posting Tubgirl pictures to your website or blog, might fit; merely expressing my opinion would not unless it fit the definition of lewd etc.

[Dashing Dasher]

But, you probably don't stalk, harass or denigrate, belittle, defame... for sport... besides Hillary Clinton

Do you?

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

I'm a big mouth, equal opportunity offender.

I like to joke and pick fun with people. I often make fun of myself in the process.

As for anonymity, many people know my real name.