Hopefully this will slow down internet trolls

[sumi]

I was actually looking for a story about a guy who did get sentenced for trolling when I found this:

http://gizmodo.com/5898585/itll-soon-be-illegal-to-troll-in-arizona

 

[bluenkimchi]

Wowzer, didn't know people can get punishment for internet trolling. That would show em or at least get their(trolls) attention.

 

[Capvin]

That will be one hard law to enforce!! Certainly communicating threats and harrassment is the easy part. It would be enforced the same as making a threat over the telephone. However, almost everything else is going to come into a very grey zone. I think we need to be careful of knee jerk reactions especially when we are talking about free speech. That liberty is already under fire in other countries and in the UN where certain dignitaries have suggested that the United States limit free speech when it comes to denegrating religions. This comes, of course, as a reaction to that dumb movie about muslims. A real slipperly slope to play on.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Really don't think it will be helpful in the area of trolling. There are already federal harassment laws that have successfully covered Internet matters. The wording of the AZ law is very vague (to the point of stepping on the toes of free speech), and I'd imagine there will be issues applying a state law to the Internet. Guess we'll just have to see how that plays out.

 

[bakerjw]

The courts would throw that law out in a heartbeat.

 

[OldGuy43]

Quote from the cited article:
I have serious objections to this type of legislation. Where am I guaranteed that I will never be annoyed of offended? The Constitution? The Bible? The Koran? Seems to me that this law is doing the very thing that it is written to stop. Its intent is to "terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, and annoy" those who speak their mind in a forceful manner. Some people, politicians particularly, need to be terrified, intimidated, threatened, harassed, and annoyed. It's the only way to get their attention.

What wimps we have become.

 

[Stumpy]

Free speech is already under fire in this country, IMO.

 

[Ferrret]

Well the wording is certainly vague enough to warrant shutting down much of the internet.

Seems like an ineffective way to stop bullying as well, since this sort of behavior merely encourages the seediest of trolls. It presents a challenge to them, to prove how asinine they can be, and once they've got a target it's fairly hard to deter them with threats of punishment.
The best way to get rid of a troll is to ignore them. Block them from viewing your profiles, messengers and anywhere else and simply deny them the chance of a response from you. That's the only thing that keeps them going, as long as you respond, they'll keep the game going. End the game by not playing.

This law seems like a safety blanket that won't achieve anything more than making the supporters feel warm and cozy.

 

[sumi]

They knew what to do with this one, at least:

http://socialtimes.com/internet-troll-jail_b78165

 

[Mike Winters]

the problem is this is the WORLD wide web not the united states. when you are on here you are in a world wide superhighway and not bound by laws. that's how the Arab spring was able to take out leaders that were not aware of how powerful the Internet can be. that's why America tryed to pass that SIPA law or what ever it was called because you cant go ten minutes on the Internet with out finding something that may offend someone and info is free as the air. rules on the Internet hold no merit when you can be anyone and do anything you ever wanted to do.