Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Yale Students' Lawsuit Unmasks Anonymous Trolls

Posted by timothy on from the hate-is-such-an-ugly-word dept.

palegray.net writes "Two female Yale law school students have used the courts to ascertain the identities of otherwise anonymous posters to an Internet forum, with the intent of prosecuting them for hateful remarks left on the boards. At a minimum, the posters' future legal careers are certainly jeopardized by these events. While I'm not certainly not supporting or encouraging hateful speech online, these controversial actions hold potentially far-reaching consequences for Internet privacy policy and free speech." According to the linked Wired Law article, "The women themselves have gone silent, and their lawyers — two of whom are now themselves being sued — are not talking to the press."

10 of 668 comments (clear)

  1. :x by cushdan · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't feel comfortable posting a comment.

    1. Re::x by SoundGuyNoise · · Score: 5, Funny

      You should have posted as Anonymous Coward.

      --
      You never expect irony, do you?
      Want to be a professional wrestler? Visit www.iyfwrestling.com
      @iyfwrestling
  2. oh yeah? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Women named Jill and Hillary should be raped.

    What now?

  3. Slashdot sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Slashdot sucks and all it's users deserve to be raped. Before you mod me flamebait, consider the implications of such an action. Ordinarily, on the internet, people are able to ignore the trolls. And we've all seen how many times non-troll comments get modded troll for reasons only apparent to the moderator. Although this comment is clearly flamebait, there are other cases where it isn't so black-and-white. I think this kind of decision by the court could allow abuse by anyone who wants to supress speech critical of them. I could see Apple's lawyers trying to use this as precedent to unmask people complaining about their iPhone development policies, for example.

  4. Re:Internets... by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sister Bernice always warned me that things were going to Go On My Permanent Record.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  5. Re:Stupid bitches by martin_henry · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dear Sir, We almost have your identity. Sincerely, Nosy Lawyers

    --
    www.purevolume.com/martyd
  6. Re:You can't harrass women online or anywhere else by taustin · · Score: 3, Funny

    I would submit that you are the new poster child for the pussification of America.

  7. Re:Supid girls by lysse · · Score: 4, Funny

    The net is virgin territory

    Well, it was. Now, of course, it's fucked...

  8. Re:The posters deserve to be unmasked by Hyppy · · Score: 2, Funny

    That depends on who you ask. All it took was one nutjob with a shoebomb to delay security checkpoints another 10 minutes for the barefoot populace.

  9. Re:Internets... by moderatorrater · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wait a minute. THE Sancho fucked a goat? I've gotta go tell my friends!