Slashdot Mirror
Canada's Wayne Crookes Sues the Net
newtley writes "Wayne Crookes, the Green Party of Canada's ex-financier, is in effect trying to sue the Internet. He's going after the Wikipedia, Google, and openpolitics.ca (run up by federal Green Party activist Michael Pilling) claiming he's suffered, 'an immense amount of frustration and emotional distress' over postings. Some 15 others may also have been targeted. "Mr. Crookes seems to be 'trying to unwrite history,' Pilling says. 'He was a central figure in the growth of the Green Party. His actions were highly controversial and if we have freedom of speech in this country, people should be allowed to talk about them.'" Newtley adds in a posting submitted 121 minutes later: "Literally 15 minutes after I posted [the foregoing], there was a knock on my door. It was a writ server telling me I, too, have been named in a lawsuit launched by Wayne Crookes..."
And you're a goofball that apparently can't read.
Thanks for playing.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
As you have probably discovered by now, the Internet is a consequence-free zone. I can post anything I want about you or anyone else and it will never, ever come back to bite me.
This article is about a guy suing Wikipedia because they can't get at the original posters. If Wikipedia doesn't have a legal disclamer already, I'd be surprised. No, they aren't responsible for material contributed by others. Neither is Slashdot. And since the posting isn't identifiable, it is free game to say or do anything.
If the Internet wasn't so anonymous and free you wouldn't have half the spam and phishing that goes on. Maybe none of the phishing. Would you like to be the child of the spammer that advertises penis patches the day it became known in school? So we have the anonymous nature of the Internet to thank for the very freedoms we cherish. Also, the amount of money made using the Internet wouldn't be as much without this anonymous nature so there is big money behind keeping it every bit as anonymous as it is.
Since you have been attacked, you know how it works. Yes, you get frustrated but you then find out there isn't anything you can do about it. If someone decides to wreck your life, well you shouldn't have pissed them off. If they are a dangerous nutjob, this goes double - don't piss off dangerous nutjobs with Internet access.
The best thing is there are plenty of people that believe everything they read on the Internet. This makes it really nice when someone publically attacks you because you discover there is now a crowd of people that is on their side and against you.
Again, the Internet is a community. Have some community spirit. Don't piss people off. Be well liked. Or else.