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Philadelphia Judge Issues Ruling That Could Give Anonymous Online Commenters Second Thoughts
CBS ^ | 03-08-2014 | Pat Loeb

Posted on 03/08/2014 7:18:35 AM PST by PaulCruz2016

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia judge has ordered philly.com to reveal the name of an anonymous commenter, in a defamation suit brought by electricians’ union leader John Dougherty.

An attorney in the case says it could have a broad impact on incendiary online comments and those users, sometimes called “trolls,” who post them anonymously.

The anonymous defendant in the suit, disguised by the nonsense name “fbpdplt,” called Dougherty a name in the comments section of an article on the website, one of the properties in the media group that also owns the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.

(Excerpt) Read more at philadelphia.cbslocal.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: firstamendment; internet; johndougherty; judge; online; pennsylvania; philadelphia
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1 posted on 03/08/2014 7:18:35 AM PST by PaulCruz2016
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To: PaulCruz2016
a unionist thug; is a Democrat thug....

2 posted on 03/08/2014 7:21:21 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi)
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To: skinkinthegrass

I heard he kicks his dog!


3 posted on 03/08/2014 7:24:41 AM PST by MeshugeMikey (Jesus came to Save not Entertain / Ground John Kerry Now!)
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To: PaulCruz2016

Too bad this judge isn’t looking at Sen. Harry Reid whose public comments that all the people complaining about Obamacare are lying and that Mitt Romney never paid taxes.


4 posted on 03/08/2014 7:26:49 AM PST by The Great RJ
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To: PaulCruz2016

Thin skinned.


5 posted on 03/08/2014 7:26:57 AM PST by Dallas59 (Obama: The first "White Black" President.)
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To: PaulCruz2016

As much as we loathe trolls, should this be done? A troll who does not authenticate himself or his message should be a troll that nobody pays attention to. It seems that creating a counter-troll ID and having it argue against the troll’s lies would be the most sensible answer, if practical.


6 posted on 03/08/2014 7:27:28 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: The Great RJ

” Sen. Harry Reid whose public comments”

He can say anything he wants to on the floor of the Senate, without fear of repercussion. That’s the way they have it set up.


7 posted on 03/08/2014 7:29:50 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: PaulCruz2016

For what it’s worth: the troll apparently called Dougherty a “pedophile”, which seems like a little bit more than a “name”, as the article describes it.


8 posted on 03/08/2014 7:30:17 AM PST by PaulCruz2016
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To: PaulCruz2016

You may silence us, but it will not change our minds.


9 posted on 03/08/2014 7:30:36 AM PST by Rapscallion (First your image. Than your voice. Then location. Now you really are a subject.)
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To: PaulCruz2016

When a person signs up to a website they can use any false name they want that is not their real name and they can use a throw-away email that was also signed up under a false name.

So the website can say under court order that the name that was used at signup is “Barack O’Blahblah” who lives at “1600 Cesspool Lane”. What good is that going to do the plaintiff?

If the plaintiff tries to shut down the website for slander, that will be difficult as the website can counter that their first amendment rights have been violated.

The union thug could have the website operators stalked and threatened and that could cause website to ban the offensive poster. But that would be coercion and union thugs never use coercion do they?


10 posted on 03/08/2014 7:31:33 AM PST by Hostage (ARTICLE V)
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To: Jim Robinson

Jim, IIRC there were issues with an FR troll called Eschoir in the distant past. I don’t think this is a similar case is it? You tried to get Eschoir to leave, banning him, but he kept popping up under different guises and you finally sued. They never tried to get this persona to leave AFAIK.


11 posted on 03/08/2014 7:32:23 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Hostage
So the website can say under court order that the name that was used at signup is “Barack O’Blahblah” who lives at “1600 Cesspool Lane”. What good is that going to do the plaintiff?

They get the IP address and use it to identify the person responsible. Even behind a proxy, they can still track you down. See: Kernell, David.

12 posted on 03/08/2014 7:35:23 AM PST by PaulCruz2016
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To: MeshugeMikey

“I heard he kicks his dog!”

He probably only kicks his neighbor’s dog.


13 posted on 03/08/2014 7:35:48 AM PST by billhilly (Its OK, the left hated Bush.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Troll? I have people calling me a troll on golf forum just because I might not be a fan of his/her favorite player, or they disagree with my opinion etc

I have been called a troll here even couple times over the years, for basically the same reason.

Recently on a so called “Christian” forum I was called a troll because I challenged them on their pro gay, pro abortion stance

Just saying.

Some of the anti Palin folks here will sling the troll comment around


14 posted on 03/08/2014 7:39:42 AM PST by Friendofgeorge (Sarah Palin 2016 OR BUST)
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To: PaulCruz2016

The way it’s broadened today, it could mean the person has lewd thoughts about children and might never have molested or intended to molest anyone. Still that is kind of below the belt.

And yet...

On FR there are some regular freepers who make ugly and lewd comments about politicians. I don’t think they should do that without pretty good proof, and sometimes I tell them off for it, but I wouldn’t think that should get them sued. Also when it’s a public figure being panned like that, speculation is better protected by law than if it’s a private figure.

Yes, people ought to be careful, and God cares about careless accusations. But how far should the law go? It used to be accepted that God was the ultimate moral policeman (if we look at it on that level). Those who blasphemed without cause would bring about their own hardships, while those who were thus blasphemed would be vindicated. But in a society that lets the devil dominate it, the rules seem to be inverted. The wicked prosper, the conscientious suffer. And the temptation to step in with a manmade solution grows.


15 posted on 03/08/2014 7:41:03 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: PaulCruz2016

A full grown man so sensitive, so easily offended, one of first rhymes I learned that was of a practical use, was Sticks and Stones...

What can you say when men in leadership positions such as McCain is so easily offended, a real example he is...not!


16 posted on 03/08/2014 7:44:41 AM PST by PoloSec ( Believe the Gospel: how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again)
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To: Friendofgeorge

If you made a provacative, argumentative statement, then you’re a troll to someone.


17 posted on 03/08/2014 7:51:48 AM PST by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: PaulCruz2016
They get the IP address and use it to identify the person responsible. Even behind a proxy, they can still track you down. See: Kernell, David.M

What if you were using a public Wi-Fi connection, (like the free Wi-Fi at coffee shops and malls) or your neighbors unsecured Wi-Fi connection?

18 posted on 03/08/2014 7:52:16 AM PST by apillar
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To: Hostage

“What good is that going to do the plaintiff?”

You can call yourself anything, but the ISP has your address, 186.111.222.123. How many times have you gone to a website in Timbucktu and seen advertisements from your local Sears? That’s because the ISP knows exactly where 186.111.222.123 is, right down to your street address.


19 posted on 03/08/2014 7:53:48 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: PaulCruz2016

Better a common ‘tater than a dict ‘tater.


20 posted on 03/08/2014 7:54:55 AM PST by null and void ( Obama is Law-Less because Republican "leaders" are BALL-LESS!!)
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