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The Courts Government News Your Rights Online

First Amendment Ruling Protects Internet Trolls 305

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "A recent ruling by the Court of Appeal of the State of California (PDF) in Krinsky v. Doe H030767 overturned a lower court ruling and decided that the First Amendment right to anonymous speech protects internet trolls, too. Specifically, the ruling said that 'this juvenile name-calling cannot reasonably be read as stating actual facts.' And, even though some of the statements were crudely sexual and accused Ms. Krinsky of being among 'boobs, liars and crooks,' the statements were held to 'fall into the category of crude, satirical hyperbole which, while reflecting the immaturity of the speaker, constitute protected opinion under the First Amendment.'"
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First Amendment Ruling Protects Internet Trolls

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  • We now have a Slashdot article on trolling? Holy crap, this is gonna be bad, really bad. Does this mean all trolls are now on-topic?
  • Feck Yeah (Score:2, Funny)

    by ObitMan ( 550793 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:29AM (#22345792) Journal
    I was going to FP but i was afraid of getting moderated "Troll"
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:31AM (#22345798)
    No, it just means that for only this article the posts will be modded +1 Troll.
  • by gnick ( 1211984 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:33AM (#22345806) Homepage
    I for one welcome all things troll friendly. The only thing keeping me from rejoicing completely is that this may interfere with internet censorship... Can we protect trolling, but still censor profanity and anything that may offend religious groups? Then I'll be happy and America will be safer. Those who oppose trolls but allow offensive religious speech hate America's freedom.
  • Obgtry... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Mantaar ( 1139339 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:35AM (#22345810) Homepage
    Let's welcome our new Beowulf Cluster of legal troll-overlords...


    ... the wave! The wave is coming, I can see it... heck, the earth is shaking!
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:38AM (#22345830)
    Slashdot's gone cold I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all / The morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all / And even if I could it'll all be gray but your picture on my wall / It reminds me, that it's not so bad -- it's not so bad

    Dear Rob, I wrote but you still ain't callin / I left my email, my ICQ, and my yahoo chat at the bottom / I sent two emails back in autumn, you must not-a got 'em / There probably was a problem with your sendmail or somethin / Sometimes I scribble email addees too sloppy when I jot 'em / but anyways; fsck it, what's been up? Man how's your boxes? / My boxes is linux too, I'm bout to be a compiler / once I learn gcc, / I'ma go on and compile for hours / I read about your Palm Pilot too I'm sorry / I had a friend lose his Palm over at the airport in Maradonna / I know you probably hear this everyday, but I'm your biggest fan / I even read all your bullshit Linux news and Microsoft's man / I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man / I like the way you sold your ass out too, that shit was fat / Anyways, I hope you get this man, hit me back, / just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan / This is Stan

    Dear Rob, you still ain't called or wrote, I hope you have a chance / I ain't mad - I just think it's FSCKED UP you don't answer fans / If you didn't wanna talk to me outside your Linux World / you didn't have to, but you coulda signed an autograph for Matthew / That's my Senior sys admin he's only 26 years old / We waited on a 9600 baud for you, / four hours and you just said, "No." / That's pretty shitty man - you're like his fsckin idol / He wants to be just like you man, he likes you more than I do / I ain't that mad though, I just don't like bein lied to / Remember when we met in Boston - you said if I'd write you / you would write back - see I'm just like you in a way / I never had a clue about shit either / I gcc'd shit with my wife then beat her / I can relate to what you're saying in your page / so when I feel like rmusering I read Slashdot to begin the rage / cause I don't really got shit else so that shit helps when I'm depressed / I even got a tattoo of slashdot across the chest / Sometimes I even packet myself to see how much it floods / It's like adrenaline, the DDoS is such a sudden rush of blood / See everything you say is real, and I respect you cause you tell it / My girlfriend's jealous cause I talk about you 24/7 / But she don't know you like I know you Rob, no one does / She don't know what it was like for people like us growin up / You gotta call me man, I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose / Sincerely yours, Stan -- P.S. / We should be together too

    Dear Mister-I'm-Too-Good-To-Waste-A-Packet-On-My-Fans, / this'll be the last packet I ever send your ass / It's been six months and still no word - I don't deserve it? / I know you got my last two emails / I wrote the @ signs on 'em perfect / So this is my payload I'm sending you, I hope you hear it / I'm on my modem now, I'm doing 9600 baud so fear it / Hey Rob, I drank a fifth of vodka, you dare me to code? / You know the song by Deep Purple or Slayer / its irrelevant by playing on my linux player / while I write some php scripts and play some Dragonslayer / That's kinda how shit is, you coulda rescued me from drowning / Now it's too late - I'm on a 1000 downloads now, I'm drowsy / and all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call / I hope you know I ripped +ALL+ of your pictures off the wall / I love you Rob, we coulda been together, think about it / You ruined it now, I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it / And when you dream I hope you can't sleep and you SCREAM about it / I hope your conscience EATS AT YOU and you can't BREATHE without me / See Rob {*screaming*} Shut up bitch! I'm tryin to code / Hey Rob, that's my senior admin screamin from the comode / but I didn't cut the power off, I just rebooted, see I ain't like you / cause if rm -rf'd we'd suffer more, and then the boxes die too / Well, gotta go, I'm almost BGP bridged now / Oh shit, I f
  • by mangu ( 126918 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:41AM (#22345840)
    So, moderating a comment (-1, Troll) is unconstitutional? Cool!
  • by TheSpengo ( 1148351 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:43AM (#22345860)
    I can deal with that! You suck, the constitution sucks, everyone sucks except me because I'm awesome. :D
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08, 2008 @03:58AM (#22345942)
    I, for one, would not mind being "among boobs".

    And i guess that goes for most of us here. :)
  • by slyn ( 1111419 ) <ozzietheowl@gmail.com> on Friday February 08, 2008 @04:39AM (#22346118)
    I was expecting 500 Anonymous Coward posts saying something along the lines of "yea thats right you UID bitches, go fuck yourselves."

    It must be past his bedtime or something.
  • by dintech ( 998802 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @05:49AM (#22346440)
    Very insightful comment but yet with an unpopular view point. Hmmm. If I had mod points, I'd mod you down.
  • by joss ( 1346 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @05:51AM (#22346450) Homepage
    No, for almost certain death in hick towns just wear something
    which mixes the two genres..

    Jesus loves...
    to suck cock

    That'll do it
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08, 2008 @06:11AM (#22346518)
    Whenever I get a package of plain M&Ms, I make it my duty to continue the strength and robustness of the candy as a species. Taking two candies between my thumb and forefinger, I apply pressure, squeezing them together until one of them cracks and splinters. That is the "loser," and I eat the inferior one immediately. The winner gets to go another round.

    I have found that, in general, the brown and red M&Ms are tougher, and the newer blue ones are genetically inferior. I have hypothesized that the blue M&Ms as a race cannot survive long in the intense theatre of competition that is the modern candy and snack-food world.

    Occasionally I will get a mutation, a candy that is misshapen, or pointier, or flatter than the rest. Almost invariably this proves to be a weakness, but on very rare occasions it gives the candy extra strength. In this way, the species continues to adapt to its environment.

    When I reach the end of the pack, I am left with one M&M, the strongest of the herd. Since it would make no sense to eat this one as well, I pack it neatly in an envelope and send it to M&M Mars, A Division of Mars, Inc., Hackettstown, NJ 17840-1503 U.S.A., along with a 3x5 card reading, "Please use this M&M for breeding purposes."

    This week they wrote back to thank me, and sent me a coupon for a free 1/2 pound bag of plain M&Ms. I consider this "grant money." I have set aside the weekend for a grand tournament. From a field of hundreds, we will discover the True Champion.

    There can be only one.
  • by somersault ( 912633 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @06:16AM (#22346548) Homepage Journal
    +----------+
    |  PLEASE  |
    |  DO NOT  |
    | FEED THE |
    |  TROLLS  |
    +----------+
        |  |
        |  |
      .\|.||/..

    Teehee
  • by TapeCutter ( 624760 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @06:42AM (#22346666) Journal
    "...to be modded down (soul crushing as it was)"

    Makes me wonder what a '+1 whinny' would do to ones soul?
  • by TapeCutter ( 624760 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @06:50AM (#22346708) Journal
    "That is the most interesting and informative description I've seen..."

    Actually the settings page is far more informative, but I agree it's kinda dull.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08, 2008 @07:15AM (#22346840)
    >Makes me wonder what a '+1 whinny' would do to ones soul?

    Give it a sudden craving for oats?
  • by TaoPhoenix ( 980487 ) <TaoPhoenix@yahoo.com> on Friday February 08, 2008 @08:18AM (#22347116) Journal
    When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one person to separate himself from the association of the other members of a learned discussion, and to assume among the trolls of the earth a separate and equal station, it becomes incumbent upon the troll to enumerate the reasons for his separation.

  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08, 2008 @08:49AM (#22347276)
    I have a t-shirt saying "FUCK CEN***SHIP"

    how about them apples?
  • by ELProphet ( 909179 ) <davidsouther@gmail.com> on Friday February 08, 2008 @10:02AM (#22347772) Homepage
    You know, this protects flamers too...

    "Hey, douche! Man, get off my Slashdot if all you're going to do is waste my time with 'FIRST PROST!!!!' Comments! Asshole!" ;) Though the 1st amendment may not protect my karma...
  • by Reverend528 ( 585549 ) * on Friday February 08, 2008 @10:03AM (#22347788) Homepage
    I'm just glad to see the courts are upholding our frist amendment rights!
  • by clickety6 ( 141178 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @10:14AM (#22347878)
    There's another flaw. He's only using M+M candies which is useless for breeding purposes. He needs to find a packet of M+F candies.
  • by torkus ( 1133985 ) on Friday February 08, 2008 @11:58AM (#22349344)
    And just to keep in line with the ruling, the judge called the blogger Crude, Immature and Hyperbolic.

    And yes, I know what i wrote. You didn't get the joke perhaps?
  • by WilliamSChips ( 793741 ) <full...infinity@@@gmail...com> on Friday February 08, 2008 @09:40PM (#22356730) Journal
    We all know that Darwin hated those blue people.

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