Boy, they'd put Menard under the jail for annoying people and I don't know what they'd do to ASHTHECAT. But, seriously this is some scary s**t.
Make sure you read the entire article (http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html).
Some people find me annoying...others have hailed me as a genius.
LOL!
Holy sh...uh...doo-doo (so sorry, hope I didn't annoy anyone with that). I will be so fu...uh...screw...uh, hmm...in trouble (whew!) if they decide to actually enforce this dam...uh...darn...law.
That really is bad news but I can't imagine it being upheld under too many cases. If it is, though, I will need to cancel my internet lest I wind up behind bars.
Maybe I should move to Canada. Oh heck, who wants to live there anyway? Ooops, forgive me AndyC, I truly hope I didn't annoy you with that!
Maybe Australia is the place to be. Nah, why would I want...perhaps I should quit now.
ASHTHECAT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some people find me annoying...
No way, you mean it? Seriously?
> others have hailed me as a genius.
Ok, this I find really hard to believe.
I believe the distinction here is the intent to annoy. You must be setting out to deliberately bother someone, not just naturally annoying (you're safe, Odinn), although it seems really vague.
I could almost see something like this for dealing with the most persistent of trolls and stalkers, but it would require some fairly specific terms and definitions.
It probably won't make any huge difference, because it seems like it would be a nightmare for anyone to actually enforce. It's probably just going to be a handy charge to slap on troublemakers who can't be pinned down to any other specific crime.
Hahahaha, you all suck! I hate you all!!! I find all of you absolutely lacking in any personal hygiene!
Oh wait, I use my real identity, so it doesn't matter anyway, darn, now I can be annoying as much as I like and not have any trouble anyways...
Yeah Dean...that and...YOU'RE IN AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not one to troll/flame, and I find trolls/flamers as annoying as most everyone else does, but I wouldn't legally restrict anyone from acting out in such a trival manner.
President Bush sure does hate our freedoms, doesn't he? ...Should I expect to be going to prison now for typing that?
Also, if you annoy someone and don't use your real name, how do they know who to prosecute?
The Amazing Criswell may have said it best................................
(http://www.evil-pumpkin.com/jake/criswell/iamcriswellsmall.jpg)
Criswell: Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here. And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts of grave robbers from outer space?
(http://www.tompiccirilli.com/criswell.JPG)
Criswell: [narrating] ... All of us on this earth know that there is a time to live, and that there is a time to die. Yet death is always a shock to those left behind. It is even more of a shock when Death, the Proud Brother, comes suddenly without warning. Just at sundown, a small group gathered in silent prayer, around the newly-opened grave of the beloved wife of an elderly man. Sundown of the day; yet also the sundown of the old man's heart, for the shadows of grief clouded his very reason... The funeral over, the saddened group left the graveside. It was when the gravediggers started their task that strange things began to take place.
(http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/images1/criswell1.jpg)
I'm going to file the first case under this new law against someone from this board... and I'm not telling who. You'll just have to wait until the court summons arrives for "Mr. X" and his 'annoying' mentality.
Some people find Woody Allen annoying. Is there a case against him if he decides to publish a work under an annonymous pen name?
Seriously, is there even a small faction of our lives that doesn't have a maze of laws to navigate through in order to do it legally? Sheesh.
Man, . . . that . . . that beautiful Criswell bit. Oh, man . . . I"m in tears . . .
thankyou
peter johnson/denny crane
On some of the blogs I read they are saying that this law only pertains to telephone calls and was updated to include VOIP. But the way it is written is very ambiguous. I'll wait to see who in government attempts to use it against their political enemies.
"Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."
It doesn't apply to me either, but I feel bad for US Internet users. This law is so stupid, poorly argumented and hastily designed that it could be used virtually against anybody and for anything.
Amazing.
Some would view the thickening web of laws as a natural consequence of individuals refusing to govern themselves. Many of us will be considerate of one another because it's the right thing to do. But more and more people are doing whatever the hell they want, regardless of how it affects others, as long as it has no personal or legal consequences for them(sometimes even when it does). And the internet is very much free of real consequences.
It's like Edmund Burke said:
"Men are qualified for civil liberty in direct proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites."
One of the many problems with this kind of law is that I can see someone who is a real nuisance using it against people justifiably attacking him. Where these laws do the real damage is when they interfere with a society's natural enforcement of its unwritten rules. That just makes the problem worse.
Of course, the internet also circumvents much of this. If we were all living in a physical community, I would have to get along with all of you. Here, I could well p**s all of you off, get kicked off the board, and just find another one. I'd never have to face any of you. Or I could just get on a different computer, take a different name, and come back to work more mischief. This is where more control is needed, and if it doesn't come from within, it's going to come from without.
I can see this law being an attempt to deter people. There is now an answer if a troll asks "what are you going to do about it?" It's there to hang over people's heads, or an excuse to grab troublemakers who have managed to skirt other laws, but as I've said before, it's virtually unenforceable on a large scale.
***Scottie, pal, I'm sorry for anything I've ever done, said, or implied that may have been offensiver or annoying to you. Please accept my humle apologies.
You're not really going to turn me in, are you?
***Hey, anyone notice Menard hasn't been here since this was brought up? I bet he's changed his name and appearance and has gone into hiding.
***One other thing, the government is so concerned about this...why don't they jump on the real problem: SPAM.
Also, what about those scammers from Nigeria that I have fun with? Can't do anything to them on this law because, well because they're not in this country. Yes, let's worry about someone annoying someone else like on a school playground (play nice kids!) but we'll overlook the real problems.
What worries me is that Internet is being used as a scapegoat by many administrations, which don't doubt to pass extremely harassing laws for faults or crimes that, did they took place on the streets (software and movie piracy, for instance), would be judged by far more relaxed standards. Not that the net is exactly safe or family friendly, ask me to sign ANY law against child porn or scams (like those Nigerian letters odinn7 mentioned) and I'll do it at once, but the more I think of the real motives behind some of those laws, the more worried I am.
So far the Internet has been one of the strongholds of free information, thinking and opinion, and looks like some people don't feel very confortable with the idea. Anyway, we'll probably know what those people really want when we see the first people getting arrested in application of this new law.
So... anybody ready to fight for the citizen's rights yet? Or are we going to wait another couple of years? This should be a wakeup call, wether you are ready to heed it or not, depends upon your character.
Rights? We still have rights? I thought they were slowly removing those from us while we weren't paying attention and now we have none left.
Well... *looking around* I'm sure there's still.... Ah! here we are (clears throat):
"All citizens of the United States still have the right to buy any and all products that give a protion of their proceeds back to the American Government."
Let's see... lots of mumbo jumbo about freedom from fear, though what that has to do with pirating a DVD is beyond me... oh, and here's another one...
"All citizens have the right to have anything- be it product, service, or baseless unfair judgements- enforced upon them by those who earn more capita a day than they earn all year..."
I think we found a place to start reworking the whole system of government here!
But seriously people, the ruse is over, we no longer need our government to tell us what to do. If we are capable of becoming a responsible and willing democracy- not an imperial theocracy- than we can not only overthrow the absurdly myopic power brokers who currently hold sway, but further more, make it a certainty that the need for them never again surfaces in our future. The time is immediate. There will be no tomorrow if we don't begin thinking over this matter today. Start telling others, start telling the world. Wake them up! We must learn to govern ourselves. What say you? Are you ready? Are you willing? Speak up!
Okay, I started this as an informational thread. Let's not let it devolve into argument or anything.
*grins* or a tangent? Agreed.
Just Plain Horse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> But seriously people, the ruse is over, we no
> longer need our government to tell us what to do.
> If we are capable of becoming a responsible and
> willing democracy- not an imperial theocracy- than
> we can not only overthrow the absurdly myopic
> power brokers who currently hold sway, but further
> more, make it a certainty that the need for them
> never again surfaces in our future. The time is
> immediate. There will be no tomorrow if we don't
> begin thinking over this matter today. Start
> telling others, start telling the world. Wake them
> up! We must learn to govern ourselves. What say
> you? Are you ready? Are you willing? Speak up!
Which movie is that from? jk ... :)
ulthar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just Plain Horse Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > But seriously people, the ruse is over, we
> no
> > longer need our government to tell us what to
> do.
> > If we are capable of becoming a responsible
> and
> > willing democracy- not an imperial theocracy-
> than
> > we can not only overthrow the absurdly
> myopic
> > power brokers who currently hold sway, but
> further
> > more, make it a certainty that the need for
> them
> > never again surfaces in our future. The time
> is
> > immediate. There will be no tomorrow if we
> don't
> > begin thinking over this matter today. Start
> > telling others, start telling the world. Wake
> them
> > up! We must learn to govern ourselves. What
> say
> > you? Are you ready? Are you willing? Speak
> up!
>
> Which movie is that from? jk ...
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> ----------------------------------------------
>
> Professor: I noticed you stopped stuttering.
> Student: I've been giving myself shock
> treatments.
> Professor: Up the voltage.
>
> --Real Genius
>
>
>
> Edited 1 times. Last edit at 01/10/06 07:56PM by
> ulthar.
Off the top of my head, but it does make me think of Oliver Stone's JFK. I do go off every once in a full moon, it's a gift.