CEO panned rival in anonymous Web postings

TalkBack 3 of 6:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

Anonymous Posting and Harrassment

There is nothing in the article stating that John Mackey gave up his US citizen rights of free speech when he took his job. Those rights extend to anonymous posting until the point where someone feels they are being harassed and asks for his real name. At that point if Mackey failed to identify himself and continued posting anonymously and was caught, he is subject to jail time under harassment laws.

This is the perspective of a US Citizen and not a lawyer. All US citizens are presumed to know and understand the law. And we are given the right to discuss legal matters (assuming there is no payment) even though we are not lawyers as well as represent ourselves in courts of law.

This is the way of the US and in drives Europeans nuts because it doesn't fit with the notion of POG (piece, order and good government). It is like anarchy. God praise the USA.

I take from the article that Mackay identified himself simply as a US citizen. Others connected him to his employer. Nonethless, his employer legally can pay no more attention to his internet rants than they pay to his voting record. If otherwise Mackay has been wronged by his employer and probably should be chatting with legal representatives about that. A recent Supreme court case established that every US citizen can speak freely to the press and can not be fired or punished by his employer for doing so. Think if Enron employees had done so. They might still be employed. The robber barrons can not operate - except in cultures of silence. That is not the US culture post Web 2.0. There is a reason POG doesn't apply.

The US does not protect its citizens as EU governments do from criminals and wrong doers. Instead the US expects citizens to operate their own presses and write freely - even falsely - even as a devils advocates - when they are compelled to. In this way US citizens are protected from not only private corporate wrong doers and mobsters but also the criminally minded public government elected and non-elected persons in authority. For example...

In Seattle the current police chief seeks to divert critics with restraint orders and did so. Today he claims harassment against an individual so restrained for two years. But this individual now cares less about that. So many of us would like the police chief to leave. He now says anything, even threatens the chiefs mother and daughter pays 150,000 dollar fines. POG relies on silence to make government look good when it isn't.

Huzzah to Mackey. I for one intend to shop at his establishment - unless I hear of employer retaliation. In that case - No

Posted by: mighetto   Posted on: 07/12/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Building the Virtualized Enterprise with VMware Iinfrastructure VMware VMware virtualization software has been adopted by over 120,000 enterprise ... Download Now
• Reducing Server Total Cost of Ownership with VMware Virtualization Software VMware VMware virtualization enables customers to reduce their server TCO and ... Download Now
• Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now