Arizona Wants to Outlaw Trolling by Banning 'Annoying' Comments

MAXIMUMPC ^ | 04/05/2012 at 6:30am | Paul Lilly

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I find Mr. Williams bill to be annoying.

When does he go to jail?

[Enough is ENOUGH]

“A bi-partisan bill would make it a criminal offense to post online comments that could be construed as “annoying” or “offensive””.

I find this suggestion for such a bi-partisan bill to be both annoying and offensive.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

If it means the end of annoying ‘news anchors’. Now we are talking sense.

Question: If you get paid to promote propaganda on the MSM - is it FREE SPEECH??

Before the advent of broadcasting, the Associated Press acclimated America to the ridiculous conceit that someone claiming to be objective should be taken seriously.

Membership in the AP means you can never be attacked for tendentiousness by another journalist without being defended by the AP and its membership. So in that sense there isn’t free speech in journalism in any medium. The AP was found to be in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act back in 1945, but back then the AP’s mission of transmitting the news while conserving communication bandwidth seemed to make it “too big to fail.” Now, of course, bandwidth is dirt cheap, so that mission is obsolete - and the idea that the newspapers are in their rights to openly collude against the public is on pretty shaky ground.

I eagerly look forward to the day when Associated Press journalism steps on the wrong toes and the AP and all its members get sued jointly and severally. I hope George Zimmerman will get wind of the idea, and take Big Journalism to the cleaners.

There is no such thing as free speech in broadcasting - in the sense that there is no way to license free speech, but all broadcasters are licensed. IMHO that is also a scandal.

[freekitty]

Me too.

[GeronL]

This article makes me wanna troll Arizona websites.... can they enforce this on out of state residents?? lol

[VanDeKoik]

[GeronL]

There is nothing in the Constitution that gives more free speech rights to the “press” than anyone else.

[matt1234]

In some states there are already cyber-bullying laws, which IMO place unconstitutional restrictions on speech.

[Mad Dawgg]

"A bi-partisan bill would make it a criminal offense to post online comments that could be construed as "annoying" or "offensive," according to the Associated Press."

Your calender may say 2012 but we are living 1984!

[SuzyQue]

“Rep. Vic Williams”.

Good grief, he’s a Republican! What the heck is wrong with him?

[Oceander]

If enacted, this would be a serious competitor for the law that was found unconstitutional in the shortest amount of time.

[mamelukesabre]

Hmmmm, what if I find the word “zot” offensive?

[Liberty Valance]

[mamelukesabre]

I know, me too.

[sbMKE]

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.

I QUESTION YOUR HERITAGE AND YOUR MOTHER’S FIDELITY AND YOUR GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

Sorry, had to get one more in while it’s still legal.

[Joe 6-pack]

Billy Goat Gruff...

...the original slayer of trolls.

[Mears]

“Who decides who is annoying?”

—

Gnats?

Rats?

Bats?

That said,I find this bill annoying.

[mamelukesabre]

hahahaha

[Caipirabob]

Seems to me the legislators behind this are an existential threat to freedom and need to resign immediately.

[6SJ7]

These idiot legislators are annoying me. Ban them before they ban free speech.