World of Suck

There is a Kentucky legislator, Tim Couch, who has a very bad idea. Because he's a legislator, he gets to make his bad ideas into bad bills.

He feels that there is a serious problem out there. Online bullying.

And he's got a solution. Of course he does. He wants to ban anonymous posting. Every post online would require it to have a real name, real address and real email associated with it. The real name would be displayed with the post. The web site owner would be liable for ensuring that his site was in compliance ($500 first offense, $1000 each additional).

Beyond the idiotic enforcement problems, this is still an moronicly stupid law. Right now, u235 would owe $500 for themself, and $1000 for each of the other contributors to this blog. Then, on top of that, another $1000 for each visitor reply.

Very quickly, you're well over 10 grand in fines from this site alone because some numbnut lawmaker doesn't like online bullying. This level of stupidity is on the order of Ted Steven's comments about tubes. Frankly, people that far out of touch with the reality of the internet shouldn't ever be in a position to make bills that regulate it. Even if those bills have a snowball's chance in hell of passing properly.

Beyond that, we really don't want MORE information about people being easy to trace online. To be honest, the government should be making more of an effort to educate people about how to protect their privacy online. Identity fraud is a big enough problem without making it easier for the thieves.