Is this internet libel/defamation? I really need help.

[goosemeister]

What is the name of your state? Indiana

here is the situation:

i follow a yahoo! message board. there is a poster there who spouts very disgusting and vile things. this same poster has also listed several accomplishments and even the town in which he lives with his family, as well as the city in which he works. i, then, googled some of the person information that he mentioned and, after some deduction, arrived at the conclusion that there is above a 90% chance that he is this specific person. i, then, posted his name on the message board, asking him whether he is that person. he denied it. i also emailed some of his vile posts to a career acquaintance of his. this person responded, stating that she was as well disturbed and claiming that i was correct in my deduction. i then forwarded some of the disturbing posts to an organization of which the original poster is a member (he told the board that he was a member of the organization). he assumed a position of importance within the organization, and there is a code of ethics that he may be breaching, as he teaches for the organization at a local college.


later on i emailed the person whom i thought the poster was (one of the websites had his email address listed), and he confessed to being the person i thought he was. he also said that i am likely committing libel/defamation of character by threatening his career and listing his name on the message board.

i have not posted anything that is untrue. while i did list private information (his name) on the message board, it seems that he has given up his anonymity by listing all of the personal information that he has.

please help me in determining whether he is correct in stating that he may have a case against me.

thank you.

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Quit acting like a spoiled brat running to mommy. And no, I'm not going to answer your question. Why? Because you have overstepped and you deserve whatever happens to you.

 

[PhiKappaPhi]

Yahoo

Message boards are notorious for people who "post vile things." If you do not want to read it, or it offends you, then you have the option of NOT reading it. You created the situation, and I find it ironic that you are seeking help for it. Stop whatever you are doing.

 

[goosemeister]

the two responses so far still do not address the matter at hand. i'll put in a simpler form:

is it libel/defamation to post someone's name on a message board without his or her consent, considering that the person supplied so much personal information as, possibly, to vacate his or her expectation of anonymity? is it also libel/defamation to forward information that was posted with the with expectation of anonymity to the poster's employer?

the subject matter of that person's posts is irrelevant. neither of you has addressed the issue of the libel/defamation, just that i shouldn't have done something. if you cannot discuss the legal matters, please do not respond.

 

[ongoingvoni]

As I understand the libel/defammation laws, if what you posted is true or you think it is true then there is no libel/defammation. BUT if you purposely post an untruth as truth and it can be proven that it is false, then it is libel/defammation.

But why would want to know anyway? what is the purpose?

 

[BelizeBreeze]

As I understand the libel/defammation laws, if what you posted is true or you think it is true then there is no libel/defammation. BUT if you purposely post an untruth as truth and it can be proven that it is false, then it is libel/defammation.

But why would want to know anyway? what is the purpose?

And you understand incorrectly. As for goose-idiot, pay for an attorney to tell you. We're not going to help.

 

[pogo_80]

What is the name of your state? Indiana

here is the situation:

i follow a yahoo! message board. there is a poster there who spouts very disgusting and vile things. this same poster has also listed several accomplishments and even the town in which he lives with his family, as well as the city in which he works. i, then, googled some of the person information that he mentioned and, after some deduction, arrived at the conclusion that there is above a 90% chance that he is this specific person. i, then, posted his name on the message board, asking him whether he is that person. he denied it. i also emailed some of his vile posts to a career acquaintance of his. this person responded, stating that she was as well disturbed and claiming that i was correct in my deduction. i then forwarded some of the disturbing posts to an organization of which the original poster is a member (he told the board that he was a member of the organization). he assumed a position of importance within the organization, and there is a code of ethics that he may be breaching, as he teaches for the organization at a local college.


later on i emailed the person whom i thought the poster was (one of the websites had his email address listed), and he confessed to being the person i thought he was. he also said that i am likely committing libel/defamation of character by threatening his career and listing his name on the message board.

i have not posted anything that is untrue. while i did list private information (his name) on the message board, it seems that he has given up his anonymity by listing all of the personal information that he has.

please help me in determining whether he is correct in stating that he may have a case against me.

thank you.

Why don't you read Yahoo's TOS. You'll find your answers there. Why are you stalking and harassing this person? Why does an annonymous person on a message board consume so much of your time? What a loser you must be to track down this person and call a co-worker of his. And yes he could sue you, if not for defamation (don't know all the facts), then for harassment and stalking. You should also read up on the new terrorism laws. Or you can continue your childish antics and wonder every night if you've gotten away with something.

 

[goosemeister]

reading through the reponses, it does not appear that any of the replies are those made by attorneys. except for two replies, it appears that the responses are purely efforts to flame. the more that i think about posting a question here, the more i realize that those who are attorneys would not spend their free time looking through these questions and answering queries for free. but anyway...

i have read yahoo's terms of service, and there is no mention of the matters i have listed. yahoo values the privacy of the information that yahoo collects and stores, but yahoo mentions not the privacy of the information or the information gleaned from other information by those who use the message boards. as far as stalking or harrassing, one email does not constitute either. as one poster did mention, the information that i have released is true.

again, as far as spending so much time with this matter, as a poster stated, the concern does not address the legal issue at hand. the particular poster who assumed that i spent a lot of time with this matter is assuming without adequate information. it takes very little time to google information and forward it to an email address.

 

[pogo_80]

reading through the reponses, it does not appear that any of the replies are those made by attorneys. except for two replies, it appears that the responses are purely efforts to flame. the more that i think about posting a question here, the more i realize that those who are attorneys would not spend their free time looking through these questions and answering queries for free. but anyway...

i have read yahoo's terms of service, and there is no mention of the matters i have listed. yahoo values the privacy of the information that yahoo collects and stores, but yahoo mentions not the privacy of the information or the information gleaned from other information by those who use the message boards. as far as stalking or harrassing, one email does not constitute either. as one poster did mention, the information that i have released is true.

again, as far as spending so much time with this matter, as a poster stated, the concern does not address the legal issue at hand. the particular poster who assumed that i spent a lot of time with this matter is assuming without adequate information. it takes very little time to google information and forward it to an email address.

Yahoo's TOS

You agree to not use the Service to:


upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;

harm minors in any way;

impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, a Yahoo! official, forum leader, guide or host, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;

forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any Content transmitted through the Service;

upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that you do not have a right to make available under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements);

upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights ("Rights") of any party;

upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation, except in those areas (such as shopping rooms) that are designated for such purpose (please read our complete Spam Policy);

upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any material that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;

disrupt the normal flow of dialogue, cause a screen to "scroll" faster than other users of the Service are able to type, or otherwise act in a manner that negatively affects other users' ability to engage in real time exchanges;

interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks connected to the Service, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Service;

intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, including, but not limited to, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any rules of any national or other securities exchange, including, without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ, and any regulations having the force of law;

provide material support or resources (or to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, or ownership of material support or resources) to any organization(s) designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act;

"stalk" or otherwise harass another; and/or

collect or store personal data about other users in connection with the prohibited conduct and activities set forth in paragraphs a through n above

You are in violation of the TOS agreement. You stalk, harass and invade another member's privacy. You said it yourself. You took information from this member and used Google to track him down, posted his real name, called his co-worker and are now threatening to contact an organization he belongs to. All because someone has gotten under your skin. Why don't you call an attorney in your area and ask what the minimum sentence is for cyber-stalking.

 

[BelizeBreeze]

POGO will you STOP entertaining this idiot? And by the way, the answer to his question does NOT lie in yahoo's TOS.

In fact, it has nothing to do with the legal aspects of his case.

 

[pogo_80]

POGO will you STOP entertaining this idiot? And by the way, the answer to his question does NOT lie in yahoo's TOS.

In fact, it has nothing to do with the legal aspects of his case.

Sorry Belize. It just irks me that this goose is out to get this person, takes it off the board and starts threatening his livelyhood then comes here and asks 'What did I do wrong?'