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From CNet.com

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.

"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."

I love the good 'ol US OF A

This should be moved to serious discussion. Because this is serious stuff! We want to be able to send annoying webmessages and emails. Oh right! I'm not in the US.

Rommaster wrote:This should be moved to serious discussion. Because this is serious stuff!

I may have missed out on some serious sarcasm here ... but I think I'll move it anyway.

I can't seem to find this article on CNET.com though. Find it, link it, paste it ....

Then we can discuss :D

Until the link is up and we can verfiy its truth, please don't reply (unless you're going to paste the link, that is :)

I can`t believe somethink like that! It`s not real! How can a state like USA where freedom of speech is constraigned! What? If you sign your bad mail it`s ok? Whats going to come whith the world?

http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance,+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html

A very quick google for the words annoy prohibit law bush brought it up as number 1. am i good at google, or am i good at google?

It honestly doesn't surprise me one bit. The Act is about Violence Against Women, OMG NO! SAVE TEH WOMENS! *signs*

He probably didn't even read any of it at all, he just signed it for PR, and honestly, no where near enough intelligent people are going to see this for it to turn around on him.

link can be found HERE

IT'S ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD THOUGH.

Oh this is foolishly i heard something like this, that there will be tax on e-mail`s but i dont believe its just the next foolishness...

shadowlabs wrote:IT'S ABOUT 6 MONTHS OLD THOUGH.

Yeah, you may want to mention that the next time you quote the words "Last Thursday ..." People with three brain cells tend to think that it really does mean "Last Thursday" if you put it like that, doofus.

Oops! Did I annoy you? ;)

SlicerSV wrote:It honestly doesn't surprise me one bit. The Act is about Violence Against Women, OMG NO! SAVE TEH WOMENS! *signs*

Seriously, what bullshit. Women don't need any "special protection status" from the law, and anyone trying to pass this off on them is cheapening them by making them think they're inferior.

Of course, that's completely beside the issue here, seeing as this bill has nothing to do about "violence against women" (or are women the only ones to be annoyed by people on the internet?).

I'm annoyed by the fact I can't annoy people.

al_tyranny wrote:Yeah, you may want to mention that the next time you quote the words "Last Thursday ..." People with three brain cells tend to think that it really does mean "Last Thursday" if you put it like that, doofus.

Oops! Did I annoy you?

YES. WHAT IS YOUR NAME, PHONE NUMBER, HOME ADDRESS, YOUR 1ST GRADE TEACHER'S NAME AND THE NAME OF YOUR PET GOLDFISH. IM GOING TO REPORT YOU TO THE AUTHORITIES BECAUSE YOU'RE A TROLL. KEKEKEKEKE.


But yeah, i should've mentioned it was a bit older than "last thursday". my bad. Fact remains, stuff like this is why the US is the bread and butter of Satirical writers/cartoonists.

i have to say, even though it is 6months old, its still makes no sence, because if you disclose your real name and you annoy someone that much couldnt they just come to your place of residence and mug you and steal your computer?

shadowlabs wrote:From CNet.com

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.

"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."

I love the good 'ol US OF A

well that just takes all the fun out of it. Thats like killing all of the internet. and deinfe ANNOYING.

Well, at least I now know that I have committed a LOT more illegal acts than I previously thought that I had.

I'll be sure to sue anyone that doesn't agree with me from now on.

shadow wrote:i have to say, even though it is 6months old, its still makes no sence, because if you disclose your real name and you annoy someone that much couldnt they just come to your place of residence and mug you and steal your computer?

I believe something along those lines happened when celebrity residences were listed awhile back ... some crazy went to her house and killed her (no, I don't have a link, don't ask for one).

It's obvious that some nutball is going to go and kill someone over stupid words if they're given an address. It happens when they get cut off on the highway or someone just "pisses them off".

People are dumbfucks.

Hmm now I'm not too sure about this law but I seriously doubt that it will be enforced. The Internet is a free-wheeling, barely regulated anarchy, but that's what makes it so great, and what makes a silly law like that impossible to enforce. But anyways, our legal code is full of dumb laws that no one cares about or even pretends to enforce (remember the "Blue Laws"?).