h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1737444,00.html

And to think when I was labelled a Nazi by Oetzi I merely demanded an apology!

(admittedly he didn't give one, and eventually got banned, but I still didn't sue the bastard!)

Egon, I wonder if the participants in the argument were using their own names. It didn't say. And I got off lucky with Oetzie - he just called me stupid.

There is a reference to Mr Keith-Smith's solicitors petitioning a court to find out the identity of Ms Williams, which suggests that she at least was posting under an alter-ego (as most of us do, of course).

I do think it's an interesting legal precedent though, because as Neil Gaiman wrote on his wbsite last week "People on the internet calle ach other NAzis in much the same way as they nod causually to each other in real life"- people find it easy to dehumanise the person on the other side of the argument and slip into this deeply offensive terminology that you wouldn't get away with in real life, but they feel like they can online. It's nice to see some people get their comeuppance.

Interesting side point- what does Ms Williams' college think of one of their lecturers behaving this way, I wonder.



Egon, overly verbose after a night on beer and scnapps

I missed that reference when I read the story. I agree that people get way with too much on these discussions, but it seems like it would be harder to prosecute someone who is using an alias and who slanders someone else with an alias. It's nice that the man won.

And it's nice to have you back on site again.

Well, it's nice of you to say so.

I haven't been expressly avoiding the site, it's just that I don't have as much spare time as I did before I got a proper job, and I tend to spend them reading and listening to music rather than posting here.

That's interesting. Batty compared me to a member of the SS and didn't even get stripped of her ACE-hood.

That is interesting, EV. Perhaps an indicator of the level of standards officially sanctioned roles on sites such as this are held to?

*ruminates*

It's probably in everyone's best interests if you don't get me started on that one.

Consider yourself lucky, Oetzi wanted to be my friend! It took forever to convince him my kind words that were intended to get him listen to reason weren't really all that kind.

Yes, quite lucky. Oetzi created a Collective review about me. A2452790

I remember that Witty. The entire Oetzi experience was bizarre.

It wasn't just being called a Nazi though was it? It was being called a child abuser, and being told that his wife was a prostitute.

He is after all a poltician and it's important to his career that people don't think that's he's a child abuser when he's not. The other interesting thing about the article is that it's still a legal grey area whether or not a site such as the BBC is legally responsible for a libel posted by one of us.

If a similar libel was posted about me and I was a GP for instance - (not totally in the relm of fantasy) I would be reasonably concerned that it could be misinterpreted by a local newspaper for instance and generally blown out of all proprotion and cause concern in local parents. I of course am a caring proffessional only trying to do my job, and he being a Tory is the scum of the earth who deserves everything that he gets. But then again we do have to be equal before the law*


*Or at least until I take over the world.

*strokes Fluffy Cat*

I think there's limits - I for example am a Tory, however I choose to take Z's desciption as being tongue in cheek. Of course should he now start to post slander about me personally, we move into a different world.

I am not a political candidate, I do however hold a position of trust, and rely upon my good name for my job, and have to be security and CRB cleared.

Yes it was firmly tounge in cheek, (though I was stroking a fluffy cat).

The point I was making is that very many people rely on their good name to be allowed to do their job whether it's a Scout Master or as a Politician. I do think that it's only fair that we're all protected from false allegations under law.

That's OK Z - I was agreeing with you.

Incidently you may be comforted to know that, should your world domination plans fall through, I've been promised that come the women's revolution I'm first against the wall.

Apparently I'm being 'sued' for comments in my live journal. Despite the fact I have no money. Which sort of defeats the point of suing me from where I'm stood...

OK, go on, what the hell did you say to be sued for?

That funky new swear filter won;t let me say, but it's been sorted now anyway. That's my one on-topic contribution...

If you were to email richard dot lonsdaleporter at gmail dot com, such a swear filter might not apply, and one's inquisitive mind might be satisfied.

I will tomorrow.