Can You Say Anything

You Want on the Net?

 

As published in the New York Law Journal

Friday, October 2, 2009

Expert Analysis

 

By James C. Goodale

 

There’s a popular notion that you can say anything on the Net and get away with it.  Not so.  Libel cases are on the rise. 

In the three year period ending this December, 95 new cases have been filed nationwide against bloggers.  That’s a 216 percent increase over the previous period, according to the Media Law Resource Center.

Libel cases never amounted to more than 15 percent of the cases brought in the past.  In 2009, 60 percent have been libel claims. 

 

Continued at http://www.jamesgoodale.net/images/184.doc

 

If you have homeowners insurance, you may have coverage against libel suits; so there's the deep pockets that the lawyers salivate over

^ Does coverage apply if the insured's intent is to cause harm?

Probably depends on your policy. I, personally would want to avoid such a situation anyway.

 

What amazes me is that people think emails, texts, etc. are private.  Then they post tons of personal information on facebook and myspace, then wonder why everyone knows their business.

^I can't believe people post their address on their Facebook account and then post updates like "woohoo, looking forward to my two-week trip in Europe!!!"

Shoot, I post my address.  Then again there's no imaginable way someone could get into my place.

^I can't believe people post their address on their Facebook account and then post updates like "woohoo, looking forward to my two-week trip in Europe!!!"

 

something is happening to our utes nowawdays to where common sense is fading away ;-)

I've never seen anyone post their address outside of a dormroom.  I think it's weird enough that people leave their cell numbers on there.  If one of the randoms from my past wants to contact me, that's what Facebook is there for.

 

Edit: So I can feel better about myself for contributing to this tangent conversation.

 

It's great to hear about the libel suits.  Quite possibly the early signs of Blogging becoming serious business, instead of just the junk food that killed the newspapers, and corrupted cable news.

I've never seen anyone post their address outside of a dormroom. I think it's weird enough that people leave their cell numbers on there.

 

Freshmen in dorms get sh!tfaced drunk and drop their phones in the toilet on a weekly basis. They need to get phone numbers back very frequently.

I think if I lived in a house or small apartment building I'd take it down, but I live in a highrise building, so posting address make sense for locating at least what block I live on in a city.  As David mentioned (in an extreme type of example) friends of mine are always losing or breaking phones.  And keep in mind they are Real Friends, the select view that have the privacy rights to actually see that info.  I don't know why you'd hide that info from these people, unless you are that easy in adding people that are merely acquaintances.  I suppose the other option is people keep their profiles available for the public to see?  Well, now see that's weird.

Phone numbers, addresses and employer information is not something that i'll put out on the web if i can help it.  i know it's out there anyway in some form...but i don't want to make it easier for people.

 

I think that libel suits are good if they're used to cut back on the incivility and lawlessness of the internet...but they will probably be used maliciously instead of only going after people that are actually causing harm.  I find the lack of morals to be rather entertaining at times...if it is not really causing any real harm, of course.

Why is this in Forum Issues/Site Input section??  :wtf:

Hey, this section needs the hits LOL!

Hey, this section needs the hits LOL!

 

Here's a "hit"

^ Have you ever considered some counseling for your agressive behavior?  Nobody's been slapped while you were gone!!  ;)

^ Have you ever considered some counseling for your agressive behavior?  Nobody's been slapped while you were gone!!  ;)

 

I'm a firm believer in "spare the rod, spoil the child" and "spanking that a**"!

 

Some people need to be hit!  It motivates them.