Re: levels of privacy on the internet

From: Hiram Gonash <okfreddy_at_hotmail.com_at_hypermail.org>
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 22:12:51 -0000

If the IP is being tracked, it's a start. BUT if the IP is dynamically
allocated at connection time (like with Earthlink Dialup) then you
have to trace from the blogsite to the ISP and subpoena their records.

And so on - trace and subpoena.

As for a commenter admitting to a crime, it depends on the crime and
the country from which the commenter posts. For example, if Joe
Schlobotnik posted on Little Ms Attila's site that he had sex with a
border collie that's admitting to a crime according to U.S. standards.
But what if Joe lives someplace where sex with an animal is legal? You
can't tell where he lives from his post so is it a crime or not?

Or, another example, DeCSS - posting the code that decrypts DVDs. It's
illegal to have this code in the U.S. because of the stupid,
shortsighted, self-serving, bogus, DCMA law (or whatever the hell
acronym it is). But in other countries it's not illegal. So if a
website in, say, Amsterdam has the code and you view it, you're
breaking the law becuase the very act of viewing means a copy of it is
now on your computer.

Meaning you won't know you've broken the law until you break it.

Any of this make sense?

-H.G.

--- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "toughslush"
<jmmccann_at_s...> wrote:
>
> From a friend; let me know if you can help.
>
> "I have a story idea about a blogger that commits a crime. . . .how
would a cop find the
> blogger? Who would they subpoena? I know hackers and virus writers
stay out of sight but
> how?"
>
> I imagine the records of a place like Blogspot or tBlog would be
subject to subpeopna, but
> beyond that, the issue of electronic privacy is interesting.
>
> What if a commenter at a blog admits to a crime?--could the cops
find someone based
> only on their IP?
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> --J
Received on 2005-01-26 14:13:03