Jade Goody website 'troll' from Manchester jailed

**Maggy** · 29-10-2010, 23:01

Troll beware!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-11650593

Quote:

An "internet troll" who posted obscene messages on Facebook sites set up in memory of dead people has been jailed.
Colm Coss, of Ardwick, Manchester, posted on a memorial page for Big Brother star Jade Goody and a tribute site to John Paul Massey, a Liverpool boy mauled to death by a dog.

Quote:

He was charged under the Communications Act 2003, for sending malicious communications that were grossly offensive.

So Trolls beware.

Flyboy · 30-10-2010, 01:54

I wonder what the "I'll-Offend-Anyone-I-Want-League," will have to say about this.

iFrankie · 30-10-2010, 02:21

I didn't know there was such a law!, courts would have a feel day on youtube, the website where trolls live.

I hate trolls, i just don't see what they get from it.

Kymmy · 30-10-2010, 08:28

They do it purely for the reactions.. It's why the mods/admins don't bite when a troll appears and we just remove them..

The best defence is to just put them on ignore and you then take away all of their power and they're left looking like the idiots they are.

It is though very interesting to anyone who runs an internet site that allows posts/comments/submissions from the public as to how far the law is now prepared to go in recognizing abuse like this

Gary L · 30-10-2010, 08:52

Quote:

he sent residents on his street photos of himself saying he was an internet "troll".

I wonder how the courts would deal with a 'troll' posting only to paedo, terrorist, BNP sites?

---------- Post added at 09:52 ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

It is though very interesting to anyone who runs an internet site that allows posts/comments/submissions from the public as to how far the law is now prepared to go in recognizing abuse like this

It would be covered by the persons internet providers T&Cs?

there's a facebook site I know of for someone who got knocked off his motorcycle and died. there's one comment on there that has 'offended' some people. and in a way I kind of agree with what he or she says.

but because the others are offended by it, is he in the wrong enough to be charged?

Kymmy · 30-10-2010, 08:54

You're missing the point as to what this troll said which caused the offence..

**Chris** · 30-10-2010, 09:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

but because the others are offended by it, is he in the wrong enough to be charged?

The law is carefully worded to set the bar quite high. In legal terms, 'grossly offensive' is a difficult test to meet. We edit stuff on this board all the time but IMO very, very rarely do we have to deal with anything that might fit the description of 'grossly offensive'.

Gary L · 30-10-2010, 09:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

You're missing the point as to what this troll said which caused the offence..

That is my point (what he said)
there's one kind of troll and there's another kind of troll.
both post to get a reaction. but only one type deserves to go to court.

punky · 30-10-2010, 09:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyboy

I wonder what the "I'll-Offend-Anyone-I-Want-League," will have to say about this.

Considering people have killed people and molested children and have got a smaller sentence I find the judgement utterly ridiculous.

**Chris** · 30-10-2010, 09:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

That is my point (what he said)
there's one kind of troll and there's another kind of troll.
both post to get a reaction. but only one type deserves to go to court.

If I didn't know better, I'd say you seem worried, Gary.

Gary L · 30-10-2010, 09:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

The law is carefully worded to set the bar quite high. In legal terms, 'grossly offensive' is a difficult test to meet. We edit stuff on this board all the time but IMO very, very rarely do we have to deal with anything that might fit the description of 'grossly offensive'.

Agreed Chris. I've seen comments where people compare the two and make them the same.

---------- Post added at 10:07 ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

If I didn't know better, I'd say you seem worried, Gary.

Kymmy · 30-10-2010, 09:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

That is my point (what he said)
there's one kind of troll and there's another kind of troll.
both post to get a reaction. but only one type deserves to go to court.

Yet as anyone who runs a forum (and I've seen it on three different forums) will tell you that sometimes one kind of troll turns into the other kind of troll (complete with violence and/or death threats) when you don't play their little game and remove them from the site..

Gary L · 30-10-2010, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by punky

Considering people have killed people and molested children and have got a smaller sentence I find the judgement utterly ridiculous.

That would go with this quote.

Quote:

Jail for just words? Quite a lot of jail, not suspended. Not even threatening
words, just gross & offensive words?

Kymmy · 30-10-2010, 09:25

Yet if he's said the same on another public medium like TV/Radio/newspapers there would have been a public outcry..

Strange how the internet is further reaching and possibly even more public yet seen very differently...

watzizname · 30-10-2010, 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Yet if he's said the same on another public medium like TV/Radio/newspapers there would have been a public outcry..

Of course, all of those mediums have measures in place, specifically designed to prevent him or anyone else from having a platform to cause this level of upset.

I think perhaps the problem lies with the owners of said sites being a little naive, when it comes to running a website.

If these sites are short on moderators, then they should have in place the tried and tested measure for assured moderation, and manage all post, before they're allowed to be made public.

The internet is full of anonymous nutters, that's a given..