Ruling could let model find, sue online heckler

[Kael Seoras]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A model who was slammed with derogatory terms by an anonymous blogger has the right to learn the identity of her online heckler, a judge ruled. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/18/...uit/index.html

[RooJ]

Although I can't defend the idiocy of some people who choose to use their time on the Internet in such a way (and for sure many idiots do), I believe people have the right to free speech. Its such a shame, I can't help but feel I'm witnessing the death of the Internet with each new news story, law and filter. The problem I think is control, governments can't stomach a free forum for discussion and opinion in which they have no direct control, its too hard to scare people with threats of stealing their money and freedom. I make it my duty to use TOR as often as possible in the form of 'OperaTor', an awesome easy to use anonymous webbrowser built on the TOR network. I hope, as a big f**k you to the case mentioned, that the creator of that blog did the same. Ps, I know there's the flip side that the Internet makes it harder to protect people too, but I don't think this example warrants protection anyway. If the blog was about me id be saying the same.

[Scatterbrain]

Haha, check the comments section here: http://www.fashionmodeldirectory.com...skula_cohen/gb Silly skank, serves her right. Learn not to mess with the internet.

[DrunkenArse]

Hi Liskula, I read your article today in the newpaper. I'm sorry to hear that you have lost your career. But don't give up, you are a strong person. I need to ask you for something. If it's possible for you could you please write me an email at [email protected] I have a dream which I had never worked on before. But as the times has been passing by I'm really thinking that I should do something about my dream before it dies. You would hardly have to do anything. It will be your call to say either NO or YES. The only thing I would request is to just listen to me once please and then it's all up to you. I promise and I'm a man of my words. Thnak you, Fraz Ali

[juroara]

Although I can't defend the idiocy of some people who choose to use their time on the Internet in such a way (and for sure many idiots do), I believe people have the right to free speech. Its such a shame, I can't help but feel I'm witnessing the death of the Internet with each new news story, law and filter. The problem I think is control, governments can't stomach a free forum for discussion and opinion in which they have no direct control, its too hard to scare people with threats of stealing their money and freedom. I think you are misunderstanding the law a free forum for open discussion and opinion doesn't mean you have the right to knowingly defame someone. we have laws that protect your image should someone say things about you that aren't true that could potentially cost you your job. everyone likes this law, and they should. it's here to protect YOU a model must maintain an image to the modeling industry to get more modeling jobs. because her image is important to her job, the court is concerned enough to rule that the model has a right to know who her heckler is. Which again, is a law meant to protect you. If someone was spreading lies about you that cost you a job, don't you think you would want to know, who it is that is spreading lies about you? If someone is defaming you, you have the right to sue. It is because she has the right to sue, that she has the right to know who the hell she is suing. She needs the heckler's identity to sue. Thus the courts ruling. Do you understand? It has nothing to do with the internet. It simply has to do with the model's right to sue. That doesn't mean she is going to win. And at this point I doubt it. She has to prove that the heckler is costing her job. And courts need PROOF. They aren't pansies. They aren't going to rule in her favor just because someone insulted her. People insult each other all the damn time, and courts do not give a damn. Online or offline. The law is about defamation. That law is about your money, not your feelings.

[RooJ]

Some good points for sure Juroara, My main concern is where actions like this could lead though. I'm all too aware of the fallacies linked to such thought processes but its worth pointing out that I'm not dealing in definites here =). If for Instance I had the same strong opinions as the blog creator and voiced them in a thread on here then I could potentially be sued. Id hate to think that negative opinions couldnt be freely expressed through fear of defamation claims. Imagine an Internet where we couldn't randomly insult bush and his leadership abilities, food from mcdonalds, or couldnt compare people to Hitler :O, how would half the the arguments be won in R/S if we had to truely justify our Hitler comparisons.

[Alric]

You are allowed to give any opinion you want, and insult anyone as much as you want. Especially if its on some little blog in the middle of no where. She really has no case at all, if she is going to try and sue him.

[Catbus]

You are allowed to give any opinion you want, and insult anyone as much as you want. Especially if its on some little blog in the middle of no where. She really has no case at all, if she is going to try and sue him. Honestly, it really does seem like she's just trying to revitalize her career by getting back into the public spotlight.

[Speesh]

http://www.youtube.com/user/FREESPEE.../0/j33yQYN_bXo Point taken juoara, but she already sued Google for the blogger's identity. And won. She could've taken the lawsuit further but she didn't. I doubt she, or anyone else, needs to be protected from random bloggers. These were just words after all, not hacking, and not a personal attack like they're making it out to be (to clarify, I categorize attack as inflicting physical harm, in my eyes words are meaningless). At any rate, I'm not concerned with the issue itself so much as it potentially being a catalyst for something greater. If successes with these lawsuits continue; more lawyers will turn their heads towards the internet as a potential over-sized piggy bank. Then its only a matter of time before stuff like this becomes common. It probably wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the anons (or /b/tards or whatever the hell you want to call them). Take Scatterbrain's link for example, or even better: http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Liskula_Cohen. Their antics (while admittedly funny) are only attracting more unwanted attention. I don't mind the shit they pull generally, but I really hope they don't ruin it for the rest of us.