Trolls lurk carefree behind Internet’s wall of anonymity

[LoZoccolo]

As in every age, college students can't wait to pursue greatness and find their destiny.

But before they can walk among the immortals, many are compelled to wear the trappings of an Internet troll.

Like those who cruise the College Anonymous Confession Board and mercilessly trash their classmates, identifying them by their full names.

Their targets include a poor young woman, identified by her full name and ridiculed for her constant eating and abortions. Or the young man similarly identified, along with his male sexual partners — even if he doesn't have any — and his girlfriend, who is said to like threesomes.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0416-20100415,0,5201402.column

[msongs]

1. websites that host slander and libel should be accountable legally nt

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. That is not the way the law works...and the law is correct

Hosts can not reasonable be held accountable for every site they host
Sites can not reasonably be held accountable for every post or comment

[KonaKane]

8. Wrong.

ISPs should be as responsible as radio stations or TV stations are for what they allow to be broadcast either in sync with or in violation of the public trust. The internet is a fusion of publication and broadcast medium and shouldn't be exempt from the same responsibility.

[LoZoccolo]

9. "should"... n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. ISP are not licensed by the government nor are they using intrinsic public resources like spectrum

Websites are effectively private printing presses and the current bedrock of the First Amendment. ISP are where "we" the public get our access to the Internet. Hosting providers are where the content is from. Many ISPs do both.


Also there are adequate libel and slander laws in place which properly hold the author responsible for the speech.

[Clintonista2]

7. Nope

eom

[Forkboy]

2. They sure do.

[Bluebear]

3. You bet they do.

[Cha]

5. kr

[Canuckistanian]

6. What?

There are people called "trolls" who like to disrupt websites and tell lies?

Why wasn't I informed?