Legal Implications Of Blog & Forum Postings
by Terry S Vostor
Should ISPs, webmasters and host-masters be held legally and morally responsible for posts or even comments made
by the blogs and web-sites that they host and administer ? Which comes first the chicken or the egg ?
Libel can be said to be "defamation" expressed in oral, written, printed or any other audible or visual form. It
used to be that printing and disseminating a message or viewpoint was a major procedure of consequence . In the
same manner that the Gutenberg printing printing press revolutionized the dissemination of the printed word to the
masses , the internet affords almost everyone worldwide with a most easy means of effectively publishing their
message , at low if not zero cost , with great rapidity and distribution easily , quickly and effectively. Add
"Open Source" software to the mix that is intuitive , easy to use and almost no cost - save for a considerate
Paypal donation to the software writer , designer and coder - whether it on a website, in a forum or blog and
perhaps even in private emails.
It is not always possible 100 % to determine what is and what is not libelous and slanderous. In many , if not most
cases the matters are agreed to between the parties outside of court. That is if inflated egos do not get in the
way of rational compromise - the inconvenience and costs suffered by the alleged perpetrator are not. It is often
noted that two lawyers in a town or in a divorce proceeding greatly drive up professional costs and fees, greatly.
Anyone and everyone in any type of media or broadcasting must be fully informed and understand fully the concepts
and implications of the legalities of slander and libel rules , precepts and regulations.
It pays to be adroit and for administrators as well as those with commanding roles to be fully cognizant of terms ,
conditions and presentation.
Full knowledge as well as personal integrity are vital in such situations of potential charges of libel and
slanderous activities on their web hosts and blogs? Why should these "professionals", even if self employed, have
an understanding of the conditions and situations under which libel and slander can, may and do occur?
Nothing takes the place of proper and thorough research , not for a college paper , not for a published medical
journal , not for a lawyer preparing for his or her day in court as the prosecution or defense, nor a official
notice of reassessment from those nice people at the CRA revenue Canada or the I.R.S. Next in addition that in the
event of a libel suit being brought will provide the actual author, writer, web site owner or in the case of a
business or not-for- profit organization their business, executives as well as upper staff and supervisors, and in
the case of a private firm - If an agreement can be made between the parties quickly and quietly , and the
offending materials can be removed more than promptly from the websites , blogs ,forums or printed media - this is
by far the best situation overall. However in terms of internet publications - be it blogs , websites or in a forum
setting, often the search engines have "cached" and stored the offending matter. Once in a cache of Google , Yahoo
or MSN/Bing a promise of 100 % removal of the offending data can never be made as a one hundred percent assurance
and claim. Swift prompt action of removal of offending posts is always best by far.
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Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com
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