[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by dilli-theclaw

Got your legal team ready then

The Government has cut back Legal Aid so much that people in your position no longer have any effective legal protection in many essential areas.

It's rather unfair that I should obtain free legal representation, whilst you now have to pay for any quality legal advice out of your benefits.

One can't even get help for a divorce now, unless domestic violence is involved.

Originally Posted by Gary L

They should be out there catching pedos and rapists.

not "troll-hunting”

No, all of these crimes should be investigated. People have committed suicide because of internet trolls.

---------- Post added at 17:34 ---------- Previous post was at 17:29 ----------

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

So at a time when there's less police we're going to have them sorting internet bullying and having far more of their time wasted then managing to do any good.

The simple answer is to reverse the cuts to the police force. The Government can afford to let companies off paying tax, write off the overpaid expenses by MP's etc, so they can obviously afford to protect citizens in this country.

Originally Posted by Damien

It really depends on what they mean by 'troll'. Those of us who've been on the internet for a long time define troll as someone who says something relatively harmless but designed to provoke a reaction, i.e. someone on a forum who intentionally spouts nonsense to get a rise out of people.

However the media has taken troll to mean someone who tweets, most often it's a tweet otherwise a Facebook comment/message, rape or death threats to someone. Whilst discussion on the internet used to be confined to random and anonymous people who largely knew what they were getting into it's now a part of life for 'normal' people who don't expect the abuse that comes with the internet because of the aforementioned anonymous people. They've quite rightly come to the conclusion that the way they're addressed is simply not on.

Go to a prominent woman's twitter account and see their replies, especially if they've posted an opinion on politics or feminism, it's awful. These people aren't trolls as we would know them but nasty, disturbed, people.

We should work on the assumption that if you wouldn't write it in a letter to someone or say it to their face then neither is it acceptable online.

Exactly Damien.

---------- Post added at 17:41 ---------- Previous post was at 17:34 ----------

Originally Posted by Gary L

As silly as it may sound.

you might not know their address to send them a letter or to travel to, to say it to their face.
so is it the acceptable online?

if not then why not. and then is it all down to whether the person is offended?

is it down to alarm and distress?

what alarms me may not alarm the judger.
what distreeses the judger may not distress the onlooker.

it's a bit like one may not not like Marmite. but another one does.
which one's right?

As I understand the legal position, if an individual deems a remark to be offensive, hate speech etc, then it has to be investigated on that basis.

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

I think the thing is the internet is a choice people make social interaction on the internet is a choice and one that comes with risks but i honestly cannot see how the police are the best organisation to work out real from hissy fit or bad mood. I've lost count over the years how many times I've been abused and threatened on the internet but i have never thought about reporting it or letting it get to me. I think too many people these days are way too thin skinned and even looking to be offended or upset and knowing the police have to take it seriously if reported is just asking for a whole lot of trouble.

Some people are naturally sensitive, mentally unstable, timid etc and need to be protected from bullies.

---------- Post added at 17:48 ---------- Previous post was at 17:41 ----------

Originally Posted by Stuart

I doubt the Police are concerned about someone on Facebook or a forum just posting some random crap to slightly offend people and get a reaction. They are annoying, but not really doing any harm..

The problem comes when people threaten death, rape or other serious injury online, and mere trolling becomes bullying. Remember Gamergate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_controversy)? That started with some people objecting on various forums to a game put out by a female developer, then escalated into people threatening to rape or kill her, as well as publishing her own personal details online.

I think the problem is that we have a generation of people that in some ways are so au fait with internet communications that they consider it the same as using the phone or speaking in person, but they are not aware (or don't care) that while they may consider what they are saying to be a laugh or a joke, not everyone does.

Another part of the problem is we still have a pack mentality. Some people see someone being abused online, and rather than think "that's awful", and report it, or question it in the thread, think "that looks fun" and join in.

A good moderating team should be able to spot that sort of thing, and take appropriate action, but the problem is that facebook and twitter (where a lot of this stuff happens) are effectively unmoderated.

We've even seen the sort of threats here, actually made against Russ. An ex member told Russ that if Russ ever went to Manchester, as soon as he got off the train, this ex-member would be waiting for him.

The only slight logistical problem with that is that, at the time, Russ didn't have a facebook account, and he hadn't uploaded any photos here, so the member would not have known what he looked like, what station Russ would have got off the at, or even when Russ was going to arrive. Bought to mind visions of a dishevelled ex member of the forum just randomly popping to the railway station beating up random Welsh people.

The "pack mentality" works both ways though. After being a member for many years I 'came out' as disabled. After a couple of members started harrassing me, the pack mentality kicked in and others followed like sheep.

Originally Posted by Maggy J

It's simple really.Read the article but don't bother with the 'debate' underneath.

As for forum trolls..if people stick to sites that have strong moderation you should be fine.

Facebook is notoriously bad for allowing bullying (and, in the main, not moderated).

I think that in time forums, social networking sites etc will have to be regulated.