End to anonymous posts

[billbenson]

While I understand the intent of ending anonymous information on the internet, do you really want to be required by law to put your real name and address on everything. This is a crooks dream:


New York Senate bill seeks to end anonymous internet posting | Today in Tech - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/york-senate-bill-seeks-end-anonymous-internet-posting-162549128.html)

[vangogh]

I came across that earlier today. Clearly it's coming from someone who doesn't really get the internet. I think if the bill passes you'll just see most sites with comments removing them since it would be far too much work for both site owner and commenter. It's crazy that this guy thinks in order to leave a comment you need to verify your physical address. Did someone say stalker? Also he wants to verify people by their IP address, which isn't exactly verifiable.

Hopefully the bill doesn't go anywhere after coming across the desk of someone with a clue.

[KristineS]

That's just crazy! There's no way in the world I would put my address out there every time I made a comment. Plus, if I'm the site owner, how to I verify that? I think that bill is just nuts, and I really hope people are smart enough not to pass it.

[Harold Mansfield]

The whole thing screams of arrogance and paranoia and fits right in with the political climate of today.
I can think of at least 3 ways to beat of circumvent this, quicker that you can name that tune.

How about a bill that tells the people who actually writes bills. You want transparency and truth? How about letting the people know which lobbyist wrote these rediculous bills that you keep telling people are yours.

I'll beleive in this when politicians start telling thier constituents the truth and stop lying to further a personal cause or promote the party line.
This is just another "Do as I say..." bill.

[GreaterVisibility]

Cool! Maybe in the next bill these morons can tell us what to post as well. Seriously, how can anyone be that out of touch?

[vangogh]

It probably stems from something that happened, like cyber bullying by an anonymous person. I'll give the benefit of the doubt and assume the bill comes from good intentions. Still it's completely out of touch and would be impossible to enforce or comply with. If a bill like this passed the only realistic way to comply would be to prevent anyone commenting on your site others than you.

[ReganP]

Does the author of this bill have zero staffers who have ever been on the internet? Also, how would this even work if it only passed in the New York State Senate?

[vangogh]

Apparently the bill's author has never seen the internet or met a person who has. :)

Again I'll assume good intentions were behind this, though the mechanism to enact a solution is extremely flawed. On the bright side as more time passes, more and more of the people in government will have considerable experience using the internet and actually understand the implications of bills like these. A few years after and most people in government will have grown up with the internet.

[AccountantSalary]

I wouldn't worry. I'm sure the NY senators who like to post nasty criticisms of their opponents' efforts while praising their own would like to continue to do so anonymously. They'll vote it down ;)

[vangogh]

Funny. If we remove anonymity our whole government would fall apart.