Arrested for trolling?

[gergbot]

Where do people sand in terms of being arrested for internet trolling in serious circumstances?

Take this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14898564, people being arrested for about 4 and a half months for writing offensive comments on internet sites.

What I want to know is how far do you have to go down the line to become 'overly offensive' about someone to lead to you being arrested? Where do you draw the line on commenting? I don't agree with mocking people because they've died, don't get me wrong, but prison sentences? Nah.

[AllNightDayDream]

This is beyond fucked up.

After researching "flaming" - the term for trolling in the early days of the internet

A hint that there is a level of cluelessness about all this.

"One guy tweeted from his work account that he hoped my kids die of cancer. I let the MD of the firm know and the guy was fired. I felt no guilt, he should have gone to prison."

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

The fact this is even up to debate is really disheartening.

[gergbot]

The fact this is even up to debate is really disheartening.

yeah i know this could come off either way, and i want to stress again that i don't condone any of the messages (obv), but is there no other punishment than just sending people to prison? i'm not saying bring back the death penalty, but no matter how harmful these comments make people feel, do they really deserve a prison sentence? is there not another, perhaps more practical solution to it, say, get these people into counselling?

[AllNightDayDream]

The fact this is even up to debate is really disheartening.

yeah i know this could come off either way, and i want to stress again that i don't condone any of the messages (obv), but is there no other punishment than just sending people to prison? i'm not saying bring back the death penalty, but no matter how harmful these comments make people feel, do they really deserve a prison sentence? is there not another, perhaps more practical solution to it, say, get these people into counselling?

I don't see the point in punishing them at all. If I leave a note on your doorstep saying I think you're a worthless piece of shit, I don't understand how or why you could take legal action against me. That kind of attitude says more about the "victims" than the offenders if you ask me.

plus I love how the writer acts as if trolling is some mysterious thing no one understands. It's anonymity, plain and simple. Some people use it for good and others use it to be dicks. That's life.

[jrisreal]

Beyond ridiculous. Freedom of speech, for one thing. Also, these 'victims' should suck it up even if they don't realize they're just being trolled, not kill themselves or take legal action!

[wub]

Freedom of speech, for one thing. Also, these 'victims' should suck it up even if they don't realize they're just being trolled, not kill themselves or take legal action!

It's one thing to take the piss out of people on the Internet in a light hearted manner when you at least part know them; it's another thing altogether to crash into people's tribute pages and start giving their friends and family shit just because you can.

[jrisreal]

Freedom of speech, for one thing. Also, these 'victims' should suck it up even if they don't realize they're just being trolled, not kill themselves or take legal action!

It's one thing to take the piss out of people on the Internet in a light hearted manner when you at least part know them; it's another thing altogether to crash into people's tribute pages and start giving their friends and family shit just because you can.

good point, but still freedom of speech. it shouldn't be legal to arrest somebody for that...not saying that I agree with harassing a dead person, but seriously.

[wub]

How can you argue freedom of speech when you're mocking a dead person (who you've never met) to their family & friends?

[jrisreal]

Any and all people have the right to say whatever they feel like whether it makes other people feel good or bad...I don't think its a nice thing to do to mock a dead person, but there are unalienable rights against punishing this troll for doing so.

[wub]

Any and all people have the right to say whatever they feel like whether it makes other people feel good or bad...I don't think its a nice thing to do to mock a dead person, but there are unalienable rights against punishing this troll for doing so.

Freedom of speech has it's limitations; ever heard of the Harm Principle?

[jrisreal]

crap I just lost, didn't I?

[AllNightDayDream]

Still don't understand how anyone can think a rational solution is to jail them. I mean the westboro church has every right to protest soldier's funerals but they still have regulations about where they can do it (outside the funeral). It really isn't that expensive, difficult, or time consuming to moderate a web page.

[wub]

Still don't understand how anyone can think a rational solution is to jail them. I mean the westboro church has every right to protest soldier's funerals but they still have regulations about where they can do it (outside the funeral). It really isn't that expensive, difficult, or time consuming to moderate a web page.

Two reasons

a) It sends a clear message to not act like a c.unt

b) These people are grieving...why should they have to spend time moderating a Facebook page when they've just lost a loved one?

[AllNightDayDream]

Still don't understand how anyone can think a rational solution is to jail them. I mean the westboro church has every right to protest soldier's funerals but they still have regulations about where they can do it (outside the funeral). It really isn't that expensive, difficult, or time consuming to moderate a web page.

Two reasons

a) It sends a clear message to not act like a c.unt

b) These people are grieving...why should they have to spend time moderating a Facebook page when they've just lost a loved one?

a. I don't know precisely how similar our governments our, but it's perfectly within our constitutional right to act like a c.unt, with certain limitations.

b. It takes less than 2 seconds to delete a facebook comment, and if there's a specific site hosted for the tribute, the webmaster can simply add a small line of code to block IP access.

Going the lengths to send shit talkers to jail is just a ridiculous waste of tax money.

[wub]

with certain limitations

Crux of the argument right here. Where does the limitation get drawn?

[AllNightDayDream]

with certain limitations

Crux of the argument right here. Where does the limitation get drawn?

Same way a it's drawn everywhere else. You can yell "fire" wherever you'd like, just not in a crowded theater among other places. In school, you're given certain times to speak so as not to disrupt the teaching process. You can call your ex girlfriend a blood belching thundercunt, just not at her funeral or on her tribute page.

Even if you are caught violating something like this, the most the government should be allowed to do is slap you with a fine.

[Mr Hyde]

Prison seems a bit harsh (and as the looters in prison is now showing- costs a lot of money and often just turns people into bigger criminals). I think a few more imaginative sentances should be given out- ban him from owning anything that can be used to go on the internet for starters but then get him to dress as a troll and clean graveyards or something.

[gergbot]

Any and all people have the right to say whatever they feel like whether it makes other people feel good or bad...I don't think its a nice thing to do to mock a dead person, but there are unalienable rights against punishing this troll for doing so.

Freedom of speech has it's limitations; ever heard of the Harm Principle?

the harm principle only has power when it's a law. otherwise it's just an argument.

[magma]

Freedom of speech, for one thing. Also, these 'victims' should suck it up even if they don't realize they're just being trolled, not kill themselves or take legal action!

It's one thing to take the piss out of people on the Internet in a light hearted manner when you at least part know them; it's another thing altogether to crash into people's tribute pages and start giving their friends and family shit just because you can.

This. Just because it's on the Internet doesn't make it any less disgusting... yeah, it's easier to wind people up on the Internet - does that make it ok to wind up the grieving families of suicide victims?

If you strolled into a funeral and started pissing on the coffin or you walked into a hospital cancer ward and started leaving insultingly doctored photos of the patients around, you'd be arrested and probably jailed for a bit... and you'd deserve it. I'm not sure I see a difference here...

[magma]

a. I don't know precisely how similar our governments our, but it's perfectly within our constitutional right to act like a c.unt, with certain limitations.

We have freedom of speech, this guy was charged under malicious/obscene communication law - the same laws that make it illegal to send someone a death threat or an evelope full of dogshit... or to phone them up and laugh at them about their recently deceased daughter.

I'm not sure why people see electronic communication as so different to physical... and I'm really not sure why grieving parents who's teenage daughter has just killed herself should be expected to moderate a Facebook page about her. If they really are expected to, there's something wrong with our fucking society.

Dude's a cowardly dick who thought he'd found a safe way to be as unpleasant to his fellow man as possible. If he'd done this physically, in public he probably would've been given a kicking by strangers. Prison almost seems lenient.

Edit: If he'd made a picture and posted it on a forum or something, I wouldn't have a massive issue with it. But he went out of his way to make sure the friends and parents saw this. It's utterly disgusting behaviour. I can't believe anyone can stick up for it?!