There is a sad story out of London that is a commentary on the mutating influence of anonymity on the Internet. Brenda Leyland killed herself after being confronted about her online abuse of the parents of the missing girl Madeleine McCann. Sky News tracked her down as the troll responsible for thousands of hate filled messages to Kate and Gerry McCann, whose three-year-old daughter went missing in Portugal in 2007.
What is interesting is that she faced a criminal investigation. We have previously discussed the worrisome trend in England in criminalizing different forms of speech. While Leyland (writing as @Sweepyface) was vicious, the 63-year-old was also engaged in what appears to be free speech. She is an online bully — something that we all have had to deal with on blogs as a constant reality. Some people find anonymity intoxicating — unleashing the most vile and hateful sides of personalities. It is truly chilling to think that some many people actively repress such impulses until they find a vehicle to attack others without accountability. However, I have serious concerns over the criminalization of speech.
Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has made clear that social media could be a criminal offence if they contain “credible threats of violence” or target an individual in a way that “may constitute harassment or stalking”. It is the harassment element that can be highly ambiguous. The prosecutors have said that “Grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false” messages can be a crime if a “public interest” case. That creates a huge chilling effect on a wide range of speech that some might see as offensive or untrue. As one of the greatest vehicles for free speech in the history of humanity, these prosecutions threaten to curtail a significant resource for free speech.
The article below cites a study by Canadian researchers that concluded that “Both trolls and sadists feel sadistic glee at the distress of others. Sadists just want to have fun… and the Internet is their playground!”
The glee turned to a nightmare for Leyland when her true identity was revealed.
Source: Yahoo
Darren, you deleted me when I merely made a joke about stalking a few days ago. Now Spinelli claims I’ve stalked him on this thread. Will you delete him for what he says seriously about me stalking him here? Will he be allowed to get away with it when I wasn’t, when I said it jokingly?
“I believe the CIA shot Giancana” is official and dispositive?? Read I Heard You Paint Houses. You do love those govt. officials.
Annie:
And we’re the whiners?
Giants win the pennant! Giants win the pennant!
Omg, again with the “stalking”. Sounds like projection. I hope everyone here finally saw what I’ve seen in him for two years.
You got a lot of momo in you I agree but since no one really knows who shot him, my version, supported by official CIA testimony, is every bit as good as your romantic gangland fable.
mespo – are you really silly enough to believe that official CIA testimony is the truth?
Bye, Nick. I’ll leave you to live with yourself. That’s the best punishment for guys like you.
Marilyn Monroe quotes?? Married to a strong woman. Moved twice for her career. Walked the walk. Anything else? You’ve been wrong a lot lately. Want to tell me more about Momo? LOL.
Nick, we have deleted two comments. Do not engage in personal attacks when instead the topic at hand can be debated.
A strong man doesn’t have to be dominant toward a woman. He doesn’t match his strength against a woman …. He matches it against the world.
-Marilyn Monroe
Keep talking bully. You prove my point– and Marilyn’s — with every syllable.
mespo – “Who do I have to fuc* to get off this film” – Marilyn Monroe.
LOL!!!!
WTH, now he’s saying I’m looking for a man?! Why does Darren allow this crap? I’ve had a couple of excellent men in my life, much much better men the the likes of the town bully.
She won’t find one with you. See men don’t insult women. It’s beneath them as vile and base. You Nick insult women.
mespo – if women want to play in the sandbox, they have to expect to take some punches. This is not the 1950s when you didn’t hit girls regardless. Women have equality. Equality means being insulted just like men. They are no longer delicate flowers to be protected. And they are not special snowflakes either. Didn’t you get the memo from the Feminist Studies Department?
Nick:
Memo to Nick. You’re not in charge here. You’re just the guy who thinks he is.
mespo – for someone who was noticeably absent to backup Darren, you seem to be throwing weight around you don’t have. Your reappearance seems to have been to defend Annie.
Annie:
I think its called a homily then.
Wait, it is the 63 year old divorcee troll thread. Never mind. Troll away you lovely couple.
We normal folks get off the toxic thread and it oozes over here.
“You guys? LOL. You have become a caricature. Your buddies @ the echo chamber need you. You are irrelevant here.
Mespo, maybe David M can make it be his first blogpost when he becomes a weekend guest blogger.
Nick:
Delete this little bit of heaven? Why? It keeps the cargo cult that is the fundies away from anything serious and provides lots of laughs for the rest of us. Watching you guys flail around trying to reverse history and avoid demographics is better than anything. Plus why would I deny folks with a brain, the chance to see bretheran of yours like John Hagee who blames Ebola on who else? Obama. And tells us it’s Gods wrath. Just waiting for the day Davidm parrots that one. It’s coming. Here’s the good fundie on the topic. Prepare to be amused:
http://youtu.be/J_rjKxuJzTM