Troll a blog, go to prison.
Can’t Congress think of anything else better to do? CNET’s Declan Mc Cullagh comments:
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.
Read the entire op-ed.
What if I leave a lot of snarky, “annoying” comments on your blog and sign them “Acidman?” Am I guilty of a crime?
I’m sure relieved that Congress and the President moved swiftly to attack this problem. The last thing we need during a war on terror is anybody becoming annoyed at a rude email.