Help! Help! My Dissent is being chilled!!
Couch King
Kentucky lawmaker Tim Couch has proposed a bill that would criminalize anonymous Internet posting. Web site and forum operators would be forced to collect and publicly disclose [complete name, mailing address, and e-mail address of] all of the visitors who post content on their sites...display names next to all relevant content and establish procedures that enable anyone to obtain the rest of the information.
Failing to do so would lead to a fine of $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
Yeah—that’s what I’m gonna do with my days: maintain a database of commenters. uh huh. Then I’ll make like gooogle and hand it to the ChiComs.
Youbetcha…
[Couch says he wants to] “cut down on online bullying‘, which he says has been ‘a particular problem in eastern Kentucky."
Whassamattah? Tired of the “sofa” jokes, Timmah?
What could possibly go wrong?!?
Can I get my name legally changed to “Anonymous”? If so, would any consequent posting be illegal? Does this mean the happy family pictures I have in my wallet need to be confiscated? I have no clue who they are, but they came with the wallet and every time I open it I feel a sense of belonging. Shouldn’t they have to disclose who they are before their picture is inserted into my wallet?
When I watch a commercial, I want to know the name of the actor or actress performing in the spot. I want to be able to call them and find out if they truly believe the things they are saying about herbal substances that affect “that area of the man’s body”. How dare they hide behind their anonymity!
I’m watching a lady driving a KIA on television. Is it her car? Do women actually own--or like owning--KIAs? Would this woman be happier driving a Ford? Shouldn’t we make actors and actresses responsible for their words and actions? How can they get away with an apparent endorsement of a product of service without declaring who they are?
One law I would like to see is one requiring phone solicitors giving you their home phone number before they ask you a single question. They do it anonymously, too. Shouldn’t they be required to identify who they are?
Posted by OregonGuy on 03/11/08 at 04:37 PMWith those new RFID “Real” ID thingies we’re gonna hafta carry, maybe they’ll give us readers so that every dork on the street can read and know who we are? Every person in line at the market, every fool who flips ya off on the road—we’ll know who you are!!!
Posted by Claire on 03/12/08 at 06:02 AM
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