A warning to all those supposed "anonymous" posters on the Internet--
You're not "anonymous."
From The Times:
A Vogue cover girl has won a precedent-setting court battle to unmask an anonymous blogger who called her a “skank” on the internet.
In a case with potentially far-reaching repercussions, Liskula Cohen sought the identity of the blogger who maligned her on the Skanks in NYC blog so that she could sue him or her for defamation.
A Manhattan supreme court judge ruled that she was entitled to the information and ordered Google, which ran the offending blog, to turn it over.
Ms Cohen, a tall, Canadian blonde who has modelled for Giorgio Armani and Versace, went to court after reading the wounding anonymous comments on Google’s Blogger.com.
“I would have to say the first-place award for ‘Skankiest in NYC’ would have to go to Liskula Gentile Cohen,” the blogger “Anonymous” wrote in one posting. The blog, since removed, ridiculed the former Australian Vogue covergirl as a “40-something” who “may have been hot 10 years ago”, when she was actually 36.
Justice Joan Madden rejected the blogger’s claim that the blogs “serve as a modern-day forum for conveying personal opinions, including invective and ranting”, and should not be treated as factual assertions.
The model was looking forward last night to discovering the identity of the alleged acquaintance who insulted her. “Everybody is waiting to see who this coward is,” Steven Wagner, her lawyer, said.
Andrew Pederson, a Google spokesman, said: “We sympathise with anyone who may be the victim of cyberbullying. We also take great care to respect privacy concerns and will only provide information about a user in response to a subpoena or other court order.”
I think cyberbullying is rampant on blogs and online forums because people think they have the cover of anonymity.
These "anonymous" posters think they can hurl insults and harass others because they believe no one can find out who they are.
Big mistake.
So many times I've reminded abusive "anonymous" commenters that they aren't really anonymous.
Posting as "anonymous" doesn't allow one to be free from responsibility.
That's something for the many vile, hate-spewing "anonymous" posters to keep in mind.
You're accountable for your actions.
11 comments:
"Anonymous"--
What's interesting is that you didn't get the hint I intended via this post.
Recently, you've resurfaced after a somewhat lengthy absence.
You aren't anonymous.
I suggest you stop wasting your time. Harassment will get you nowhere.
As a computer Network Admin with almost 30 years experience, I have become acquainted with a number of computer specialists who are rogue by nature.
These individuals have, on occasion, caused supposed anonymous people to loose access to their computers and internet access for a time.
The Moral to this story? Mind your manners, cuz you never know who you can piss off.
Mary read your first lines: " A warning to those anonymous posters on the internet. You're not anonymous"
Are you at all concerned that any of the people you have attacked on your blog will unmask you? Because that's what this is all about. Any of those people could appeal to the courts to force Google to reveal your identity.
Good grief.
I stand by everything I write.
There's a difference between commentary and defamation.
I don't cross the line.
Of course you do Mary. I don't doubt that you feel very strongly about everything you write. That's not the issue. The issue is that a precedent has been set that when an anonymous blogger writes something in their blog about a person, the court can order Google to reveal the identity of the blogger to that person who feels they have been offended, maligned, insulted, ridiculed.
this is the first time i read about a court case against someone who wrote their opinions on a blog. you know go0gle closed down her blog; i think there are really big problems with freedom of speech in this case don't you think?... it doesn't matter if someone's anonymous or whatever, if you feel bad because someone said something wrong about you, it's your problem. are you going to let whatever someone said affect you? if your answer is YES, then your vision of FREEDOM is a little distorted; you're not free. the only way to be free is not caring about things like the ones this blog had. instead, we tell the people to shut up and don't see the big things we are killing with every small events like these. there are tons of blogs with opinions about everybody. if Liskula won this case then i guess George Bush could win some cases too right?
That's right Christian. Or in the case of this anaonymous blog, Barack Obama, Chris Matthews, David Letterman..... anyone Mary sets her sights on.
I agree it opens up a whole can of worms. Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe it's not fair for people to have anonymous blogs. I don't know.......
"Anonymous, 6:37 AM, August 20, 2009"--
On April 6, 2009, I gave you a warning.
Do you recall?
As I said in my post about Liskula Cohen, you aren't anonymous on the Internet.
When someone is harassing, stalking, or threatening a person online, and legal action is taken by that individual or law enforcement becomes involved, Google will cooperate with officials. That's not new.
I'm pretty sure I'm pretty anonymous when I'm on the internet. After all, I'm behind, like, 7 PROXIES. Prove me wrong.
BTW, anonymity is a form of security, not a way to harass people. Some people may use it like that, but it's still a security reason.
The person's comment was not defamation, and therefore did not deserve to be "unmasked".
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