From the article: Biondi wants to require that anyone "who posts written messages on a public forum Web site" be identified "by a legal name and address" that is either disclosed publicly or kept on file.
[news.com.com]

I don't know what chances the bill has, but it could affect our postings here.
This comes on the heels of Rick Ross winning against Landmark to protect the anonymous posts on this site.

Looks like the usual suspects don't like free speech so much after all. Once upon a time Boss Tweed railed against cartoons that made fun of him in the press... he was rumored to have belloed, "Stop them damn pictures!!!!!!!!!!"

Let us never forget WHY free speech is absolutely central to the exercise of democracy, nor why open, unfettered discussions are critical for social progress....

"Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely"
-Lord Acton

loved this quote from the article:

When news reports revealed that Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano appropriated more than $5,000 from a petty cash account to pay for his dry cleaning, the NJ.com posts were not flattering. One message from "nodoubletalk" called Provenzano a "thief, plain and simple," while one from "xyzzy" quipped: "That's what we get for voting Republican."

Peter Biondi Another local flap involved Stephen Obal, the Bridgewater, N.J. police chief criticized for spending two hours a day at the department's gym when he should have been at work. On NJ.com, "frenchtoast2" called Obal and the mayor "masters of deception, partners in corruption."

Others on NJ.com have taken potshots at Biondi himself, chafing at what "glennvl" labeled the assemblyman's "arrogance."

I do find it interesting that this bill is being introduced in NJ. Hmmm. Where is RRI based? Maybe our politician friend here is getting some encouragement from someone we know and love? I hate to be paranoid, but the timing is impossible to simply dismiss.

-lightwolf

My curiosity got to me -- I had to see the details. Here's a link to the bill:

[www.njleg.state.nj.us]
or
[www.njleg.state.nj.us]

Quote

The bill requires an operator of an interactive computer service or an Internet service provider to establish and maintain reasonable procedures to enable any person to request and obtain disclosure of the legal name and address of an information content provider who posts false or defamatory information about the person on a public forum website.

What due diligence within "reasonable procedures" would be required of the requestor -- i.e. would they have to show basis for the allegation in order to get the information or is just asking enough -- is where this could get real dangerous.


-lightwolf

Quote

is where this could get real dangerous.

To borrow from the movie Casablanca, "I'm shocked, simply shocked !"....

Hypocrisy ? In politics..... immmmpossible!

Do we notice a PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR here ?

1. Claim to have the highest of ideals. Embrace the values of an open society. Blurbble on about the wonders of diversity. It all about the CONVERSATION, baby....

2. Dissenting opinion is safely ignored, dismissed, given no airtime, or drowned out in the orchestrated roar of the media machine.

3. New technologies permit new forums to come into being where new conversations dance with new possibilities.... tryannies and dictatorships always have had a difficult time with new communication technology, especially when they can't regulate THE CONVERSATION....

4. Politician/tyrant/dictator/TopDog can't confront the new conversation head on without looking like a flaming H.Y.P.O.C.R.I.T.E., so then proceeds to option B...

5. (desperately) Try to reframe the conversation as an affront to Our Sacred Values WITHOUT addressing the real motivations for the conversation... The former Soviet Union had this manouver elevated to the status of a near-religious ceremony.... anyone who published *samizdat* materials was not a freethinker or a brave dissident.... uh uhh, he was a Hooligan! And Hooliganism was an official crime ! Roughly defined as not agreeing with those in power...

Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

One might also note that Assemblyman Peter J. Biondi will, in all probability, make an awful embarrassment of himself and the New Jersey State Legislature before he accomplishes anything concrete. These buttheaded attempts to stifle political discussion seem to generate powerful blowback...

This is interesting, I wonder what the motivation is? I suspect it's aimed at stemming slander/libellous claims (? is that even the right word? I'm not up on my legal jargon) that can't be counter-attacked. But still, I've never heard of a newspaper for example requiring that its journalists or people who write in disclose their full addresses to the public. It's not difficult to see why disclosure of full addresses would inhibit free debate -- I may have an important and totally truthful point to make, but it doesn't mean I want to provide details of my personal residence to any old crazy who might be trawling the net, nor do I necessarily want to entrust a stranger, however reputable and reasonable he or she may appear, to guard that information. I do wonder if the proposer of this bill full appreciates the ramifications with respect to free speech?

And if this bill did somehow get through, I wonder if newspapers and magazines would be the next target? Surely it is up to the host (or editor, or other responsible person) to ensure that opinions are not presented as facts and that their publication's content doesn't break any laws?

The word is out on this clown. His proposed legislation has made him a national laughingstock. Trying to stuff a dirty sock into the mouth of the Blogsphere (how's that for a mangled metaphor ?) is a 100% surefire way to nuke your credibility. You'd think they learn from Scientology's ummmm, public relations clunkers.... maybe Conan O'Brien will have him for a guest, Mayor McCheese's brother in law ? South Park ?

I can't see how something like that could ever get passed.