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Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.
CNET ^ | January 9, 2006 | Declan McCullagh

Posted on 01/09/2006 8:57:10 AM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: annoy; annoying; bush43; darkshearesfault; internet; pests; rino; rkbascornsthislaw
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It appears this new law has the potential to make criminals of bloggers everywhere.
1 posted on 01/09/2006 8:57:12 AM PST by MensRightsActivist
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To: MensRightsActivist

Does this bug you? I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you. Does this bug you?


2 posted on 01/09/2006 8:58:15 AM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: MensRightsActivist

Want to be in 10 years this has morphed into something impacting political speech?


3 posted on 01/09/2006 8:59:43 AM PST by WoofDog123
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To: Dashing Dasher

PING!!!!

I know you will want to check this out!


4 posted on 01/09/2006 8:59:55 AM PST by Jersey Republican Biker Chick (Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.)
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To: SlowBoat407

The bill is sponsored yo the Democrats no doubt.


5 posted on 01/09/2006 9:00:10 AM PST by ANGGAPO (LayteGulfBeachClub)
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To: MensRightsActivist
I am about to commit a felony:


6 posted on 01/09/2006 9:00:16 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: MensRightsActivist

WTF?


7 posted on 01/09/2006 9:00:29 AM PST by flashbunny
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To: MensRightsActivist

I hope there's no grandfather clause, considering some of the conversations I've had here on FR.


8 posted on 01/09/2006 9:00:43 AM PST by Flightdeck (Longhorns+January=Rose Bowl Repeat)
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To: MensRightsActivist
Fortunately InOhio is my last name, so I can be as annoying as I want.
9 posted on 01/09/2006 9:01:17 AM PST by KarlInOhio (What is the most obscene gesture to a Democrat? An Iraqi voter showing him a stained finger.)
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To: MensRightsActivist
Does this apply to illegal aliens as well?

(hmmm)
10 posted on 01/09/2006 9:02:18 AM PST by YouPosting2Me
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To: MensRightsActivist
It appears this new law has the potential to make criminals of bloggers everywhere.

It will selectively enforced to harass, intimidate, and annoy those that can't be prosecuted otherwise.

11 posted on 01/09/2006 9:02:51 AM PST by oldbrowser (No matter how cynical I get, I can't seem to keep up)
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To: MensRightsActivist
Our esteemed politicians can't seem to grasp this simple point, but the First Amendment protects our right to write something that annoys someone else.

Our "esteemed politicians" aren't the only ones who can't seem to grasp this.
12 posted on 01/09/2006 9:02:53 AM PST by Thrusher ("...there is no peace without victory.")
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To: MensRightsActivist

Unbelievable. I thought this was scrappleface. More free speech infringement.


13 posted on 01/09/2006 9:03:10 AM PST by mysterio
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To: MensRightsActivist
Does this eliminate the MSM's "Unidentified/Unnamed reliable source"?
14 posted on 01/09/2006 9:03:26 AM PST by YouPosting2Me
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To: MensRightsActivist

it all depends on what the definition of 'annoying is'. Perspective seems to be the word here.


15 posted on 01/09/2006 9:03:40 AM PST by Palpatine (I'm from Europe, get me out of here!)
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To: Tijeras_Slim; Constitution Day; Fierce Allegiance; TheBigB; Owl_Eagle; Lazamataz; ...
President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages

I'm putting all of you on report.

16 posted on 01/09/2006 9:04:40 AM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: MensRightsActivist
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.

Guess this finishes off the spammers, huh?

NOT!

17 posted on 01/09/2006 9:05:07 AM PST by upchuck (Article posts of just one or two sentences do not preserve the quality of FR. Lazy FReepers be gone!)
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To: MensRightsActivist
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.

Now, how do they intend to enforce that? What idiots!

Most people who have any Internet experience use aliases --- several, in fact.

This is another ridiculous nightmare piece of legislation that may look good on paper, but is very impractical in reality.
18 posted on 01/09/2006 9:05:21 AM PST by TomGuy
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To: martin_fierro

You annoyed me. I'm tellin'


19 posted on 01/09/2006 9:05:23 AM PST by Crazieman (6-23-2005, Establishment of the United Socialist States of America)
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To: mysterio

What, no more ZOTS?


20 posted on 01/09/2006 9:05:29 AM PST by Marak (Marco Island)
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