First step in removal of free speech
Kallayan Thuch
Issue date: 9/10/09 Section: Opinion
One of the main comforts people can enjoy on the Internet is anonymity. Not anymore.
Canadian model Liskula Cohen was displeased on being listed on the blog, "Skanks in NYC." She was called psychotic, a ho and a skank. Cohen succeeded in having a judge order Google, the host of blogger.com, to hand over the blogger's identity on grounds of defamation.
Cohen claims the images and commentary on the blog cost her many employment opportunities.
First of all, anyone can create a blog for free and pass off lies as a fact. Blogs are hardly a reliable source of information and were originally online diaries nobody read. Secondly, skank, ho and psychotic are merely a derogatory opinion to express dislike of Cohen. Elementary school insults are no different than what people say toward politicians all the time. People would be millionaires if they sued for every time someone else called them names.
Third, a quick skimming of Youtube.com comments and any other Web sites with comments enabled will make mankind come off as a vile plague that needs to be wiped out. While such comments are likely just written to incite anger, we do not need law enforcement tied up in coming after millions of people online just because an individual gets offended.
Don't like what you see online? Exercise self-governance and push the X at the corner of the window. Don't want to be made fun of online? Then don't do idiotic things or partake in drama. Life always has more sides to a story and victims are often far from being the victim.
The blog entry was hardly defamation and the judge made a frightening decision in what is supposed to be a free country. The consequences ordered by the judge pretty much says people are not allowed to have an opinion online since thin-skinned people with unwarranted self-importance keep getting their way. People should be able to express themselves without fear.
Now with the assumption of being anonymous, people tend to be cowardly and say things that would get them beaten to a pulp if done in person. People should probably not be like the blogger, but people still have a right to be idiots. If we were exclusive on who gets free speech, it stops being free speech. After censoring all the "bad," the "good" opinions will eventually be censored too since all the sensitive control freaks will run out of targets to silence.
Next time when someone wants to whine about employers, landlords or teachers, they best keep their blogs private. People should not attach their name to offensive and childish remarks if they don't want to be sued. People should also not name anyone they are venting about. As for Cohen, she did not want to be a skank to the three people who read the blog. Ironically, Cohen's choice to go after the blogger made her off as a drama queen on a Jihad against free speech. The above is worse than being a skank to some cockroach online, in my soon-to-be-revoked right to an opinion. Good luck getting a job now, Cohen.
Canadian model Liskula Cohen was displeased on being listed on the blog, "Skanks in NYC." She was called psychotic, a ho and a skank. Cohen succeeded in having a judge order Google, the host of blogger.com, to hand over the blogger's identity on grounds of defamation.
Cohen claims the images and commentary on the blog cost her many employment opportunities.
First of all, anyone can create a blog for free and pass off lies as a fact. Blogs are hardly a reliable source of information and were originally online diaries nobody read. Secondly, skank, ho and psychotic are merely a derogatory opinion to express dislike of Cohen. Elementary school insults are no different than what people say toward politicians all the time. People would be millionaires if they sued for every time someone else called them names.
Third, a quick skimming of Youtube.com comments and any other Web sites with comments enabled will make mankind come off as a vile plague that needs to be wiped out. While such comments are likely just written to incite anger, we do not need law enforcement tied up in coming after millions of people online just because an individual gets offended.
Don't like what you see online? Exercise self-governance and push the X at the corner of the window. Don't want to be made fun of online? Then don't do idiotic things or partake in drama. Life always has more sides to a story and victims are often far from being the victim.
The blog entry was hardly defamation and the judge made a frightening decision in what is supposed to be a free country. The consequences ordered by the judge pretty much says people are not allowed to have an opinion online since thin-skinned people with unwarranted self-importance keep getting their way. People should be able to express themselves without fear.
Now with the assumption of being anonymous, people tend to be cowardly and say things that would get them beaten to a pulp if done in person. People should probably not be like the blogger, but people still have a right to be idiots. If we were exclusive on who gets free speech, it stops being free speech. After censoring all the "bad," the "good" opinions will eventually be censored too since all the sensitive control freaks will run out of targets to silence.
Next time when someone wants to whine about employers, landlords or teachers, they best keep their blogs private. People should not attach their name to offensive and childish remarks if they don't want to be sued. People should also not name anyone they are venting about. As for Cohen, she did not want to be a skank to the three people who read the blog. Ironically, Cohen's choice to go after the blogger made her off as a drama queen on a Jihad against free speech. The above is worse than being a skank to some cockroach online, in my soon-to-be-revoked right to an opinion. Good luck getting a job now, Cohen.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
lgc
posted 9/10/09 @ 4:53 PM PST
I don't know if The Long Beach City College Viking is a reliable news source, judging by this article, I will assume not.
Since you clearly like numbering your points, let me do the same. (Continued…)
Kallayan Thuch
posted 9/11/09 @ 2:35 AM PST
Here is more information for those who are curious about the "libelous" blog. It has been shut down since but here are quotes I managed to save:
"I would have to say that the first place award for "Skankiest in NYC" would have to go to Liskula Gentile Cohen. (Continued…)
G. Neblina
posted 9/11/09 @ 6:56 AM PST
I do have to wonder if Long Beach City College is an educational institution which actually teaches civics or if Kallayan Thuch is purposefully being obtuse. (Continued…)
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