Pirate's Cove

Well, thanks to Sen. Arlen Specter, we have this travesty (first heard through Duskie)

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

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."

Lord, I hate to agree with the ACLU, but, if you give a monkey enough darts, he will hit the center ring once in a while. Yes, this would be a major violation of First Amendment Rights.

BTW, my real middle name is William. Law doesn’t say how much of real identity must disclose.

Meanwhile, don’t piss off Beth.

Ace has much more.

Say hello to my little friend, Arlen