[Vision2020] Bill Moore - First Step Internet

[ML394]

Okay, so let's assume that First Step Internet has no interest in
airing out the dirty laundry from the V2020 forum.  Now that it's 2011
and so much internet information is being tracked and assigned to
people's names - what can First Step Internet do to help protect forum
members and non-members from having slanderous comments affecting
their "internet reputation?"

My suggestion is simple, and it would help the forum now and in the
future:

Put a disclaimer like this at the top of every post:
"The identities of forum members and their comments have not been
checked for accuracy."

Simple.
On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 5:54 PM, Darrell Keim  wrote:I am
not going to bother looking it up.  You may well be right legally.
Regardless, proving actual harm done would be difficult.  I stand by
my
comment:
 "There are untold public bulletin boards, etc. where nasty comments
are
made on a daily basis.  If there was money to be made sueing them, I'm
sure
lawyers would be doing so.  Capitalism is highly efficient in that
regard!"

Again, I applaud your courageous anonymous stand.
On Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 4:13 PM, ML394  wrote:

> Darrell:
>
> This is a very good, thoughtful response, but it is not accurate:
Most
> online bulletin boards, Google groups and online forums do not
promote
> posts which slander real people.
>
> Here's the distinction: If someone on this forum says, "ML394 is a
> criminal," then that's not slander.  But if someone says, "BILL
MOORE is a
> thief," that is actually slander.  And the hosting company which
promotes
> that slander become liable in a court of law for the content of its
posts.
>
> If a hosting company makes its forum posts private, however, then it
is
> not legally responsible for slanderous content.
>
> Again, look it up.
>
>
>
>
> On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 5:06 PM, Darrell Keim <
> keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I've been familiar with 21st century privacy (or, more specifically
the
> lack thereof) for some time, ML394. My snarky response was because I
find
> it quite ridiculous that anyone would be upset that remarks made on
a
> public board might be read by-gasp!-the public.
>
> UI see no need for 1st Step to change how V2020 works. Anyone making
a
> judgement solely off what is written here would be extremely
foolish.
>
> I don't think 1st Step has anything to fear RE slander. There are
untold
> public bulletin boards, etc. where nasty comments are made on a
daily
> basis. If there was money to be made sueing them, I'm sure lawyers
would
> be doing so. Capitalism is highly efficient in that regard!
>
> Anyone who wants to look up what I have written on a public forum is
free
> to do so. That is why I attach my name to my musings.
>
> Glad to see you remember my name from the Chamber. Your memory is
> excellent, as I left them some time ago. In fact they are looking
for
> another director, again, even as you read this.
>
> On Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 3:48 PM, ML394  wrote:
>
> > Darrell:
> >
> > I'm glad that you're getting educated about 21st century privacy.
And I
> > meant it when I said that I heard First Step Internet is going out
of
> > business. A lawsuit for slander could put any small company like
First
> > Step Internet out of business.
> >
> > Also, I didn't know that the Moscow Chamber of Commerce hires
snarky
> staff
> > members like yourself. But that's good for business, right? But
when the
> > Moscow chamber is promoting our town, a quick search through the
2020
> posts
> > can find out what you have to say, how sarcastic you are to
others. "When
> > did 7th graders take over the chamber of commerce?" will be the
big
> > question businesses ask when they decide on taking their business
> elsewhere.
> >
> > Good job, darrell.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 4:28 PM, Darrell Keim <
> > keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Ya mean to say that people can read the things I writ and are
written
> 'bout
> > me on a public board!?!
> >
> > Well, shucks. I am mighty glad you took this courageous anonymous
stand,
> > ML394!
> >
> > *Shame* on First Step for providing us with a valuable free
service, and
> > not doing it how y'all think is *proper.*
> >
> >
> > It is good of you to eddycate us po' innocent rubes about the
danger of
> > postings on the internut.
> >
> > And you were so clever by starting with your own fake post about
First
> Step
> > to make your point!
> >
> > I sure hope your occupation turns out as well as the others!
> > On Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 3:11 PM, ML394  wrote:
> >
> > > My name is John Q. Public. My name is the name of anyone who
gets
> talked
> > > about on this forum and has their reputation smeared on the
search
> > > engines. My name is your name, Tom. My name is OCCUPY VISION
2020,
> taking
> > > a stand against First Step Internet for promoting slanderous
comments
> on
> > > the internet and taking no responsibility for the harm that does
to
> real
> > > people.
> > >
> > > The truth is that corporations like First Step Internet need to
be held
> > > accountable for their actions and the use of its online
technology to
> > allow
> > > anonymous smears of real people.
> > >
> > > The Vision 2020 policy of having all posts tracked by search
engines
> > needs
> > > to be changed. First Step Internet can make sure that no search
engines
> > > track the forum posts. Why do people on the internet need to
have
> access
> > > to the local posts on the forum? That's not freedom, it is
slander with
> > > technology.
> > >
> > > Change the policy. Freedom of speech within the forum is fine,
but
> having
> > > the freedom to slander others across the internet should not be
allowed
> > by
> > > First Step Internet. All First Step has to do is simply make the
> forum's
> > > posts untrackable by search engines. Nothing else on the forum
would
> > > change.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 3:21 PM, Tom Hansen <
> > thansen at moscow.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > And your name is . . . ?
> > >
> > > Seeya round town, Moscow.
> > >
> > > Tom Hansen
> > > Moscow, Idaho
> > >
> > > "If not us, who?
> > > If not now, when?"
> > >
> > > - Unknown
> > >
> > > On Nov 30, 2011, at 2:16 PM, "ML394"  wrote:
> > >
> > > > What I heard about First Step Internet is this:
> > > >
> > > > Due to the way the forum posts are being tracked by Google
these
> days,
> > > anyone can come on this forum and claim to be a person who they
are
> not.
> > > Anyone can say anything about someone else (even slander them)
and
> those
> > > posts will be tracked by Google and connected to the name of the
> > slandered
> > > person.
> > > >
> > > > In fact, most of the email addresses used to post to this
forum could
> > > never be tracked or traced to the name on the forum post. There
is no
> > easy
> > > way to prove that any of the forum members are who they claim to
be.
> > > >
> > > > So, if someone were to claim on this forum to be BILL MOORE,
who
> loves
> > > to steal money, commit crimes and wants others to share in his
life of
> > > self-debasement, there would be no way to prove that BILL MOORE
did not
> > > author the post. And yet the slander remains online. And we all
know
> that
> > > Bill Moore of First Step Internet is hardly a degenerate. He is
one of
> > the
> > > most upstanding people in the area, a man who stands for freedom
of
> > speech
> > > and the freedom to slander people, too.
> > > >
> > > > First Step Internet assumes no liability for the posts on this
forum,
> > > but according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation hosting a
forum
> which
> > > enables members to slander people by name and not just by their
screen
> > name
> > > creates a legal liability for the hosting company. In this case,
First
> > Step
> > > Internet is legally responsible for actually promoting the
Vision 2020
> > > forum on Google and other search engines. First Step Internet is
> legally
> > > responsible for the slander its members write about others.
> > > >
> > > > The way I look at it, the longer First Step Internet lets
Google
> track
> > > the slanderous comments that have been made on the forum the
greater
> the
> > > liability. And First Step Internet would be out of business
quickly.
> > > >
> > > > While I appreciate how important First Step Internet has been
in the
> > > development of government-funded, rural internet access and the
> > development
> > > of Vision 2020, I am certain that First Step Internet would be
better
> off
> > > (from a legal standpoint) making Vision 2020 a private forum
that
> > promotes
> > > free speech but does not allow search engines to track the
content of
> its
> > > posts.
> > > > =======================================================
> > > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > > =======================================================
> > >
> > >
> > > =======================================================
> > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> > > =======================================================
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
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