"Judge says paper must reveal details about online commenters"

[The Bread Guy]

Commenters beware - shared with the usual disclaimer.....

A Nova Scotia judge has ordered a newspaper and Google Inc. to cough up whatever details they possess about the identities of people who posted comments anonymously about Halifax's top firefighters.

Halifax fire Chief Bill Mosher and Deputy Chief Stephen Thurber are considering a lawsuit against people who posted critical comments about them on the website of the Coast, a weekly newspaper.

The comments were in a discussion forum and were related to stories published in the paper about racism in the fire department.

They are also considering a lawsuit against the author of e-mails about them who used a Gmail account.

Justice Heather Robertson of Nova Scotia Supreme Court quickly granted the uncontested application by the lawyer for the firefighters.

Judge Robertson says people who post comments anonymously have to be held to account for their actions.

Kyle Shaw, editor and co-founder of the Coast, says his newspaper will comply with the order and provide the names and e-mail addresses of the commentators once a formal request is received.

 

[vonGarvin]

This makes sense, and removes the supposed anonymity of person who wish to make scandalous or libellous remarks.  In effect, if you wish to put pen to paper, and simply to speak your mind, that's one thing.  If you wish to hide and throw barbs, well, that is another. 

 

[Retired AF Guy]

This makes sense, and removes the supposed anonymity of person who wish to make scandalous or libellous remarks.  In effect, if you wish to put pen to paper, and simply to speak your mind, that's one thing.  If you wish to hide and throw barbs, well, that is another.

Agree with you about slandering/libeling someone. However, from the first report it says Mosher and Thurber are considering suing people who made remarks critical of them - big difference. Unfortunately, the article doesn't mention and I have been unable to find any article's that actually publish what these anonymous comments actually consisted of.

May be there are some people here who are familiar with this case and can provide some background info.

 

[Tyson Fox]

I can't remember what town it was, but in the paper a while ago there was a story about a horrible (volunteer?) fire department that was fining people and stuff for complaints. They were doing stuff like using the town vehicles to mow their lawns and poor response times that cost a lot of houses. There are two sides to every story.

 

[SeanNewman]

All of you have my written and implied consent to write whatever you would like about me, including libelous and slanderous comments, to include falsehoods to include baseless accusations of witchcraft.

It kind of makes me stronger, like Hulk Hogan in the 80s when the more you punched him...plus I have a devastating leg drop.

 

[vonGarvin]

All of you have my written and implied consent to write whatever you would like about me, including libelous and slanderous comments, to include falsehoods to include baseless accusations of witchcraft.

It kind of makes me stronger, like Hulk Hogan in the 80s when the more you punched him...plus I have a devastating leg drop.

:rofl:
I heard that Petamocto was the mysterious "grassy knoll shooter" and took out Kennedy.  :sniper:

He also doesn't like cats.  In fact, he hates them! 

 

[SeanNewman]

He may also have dozens of confirmed skunk kills on the Petawawa north PMQs, which served to allow everyone to open up their windows at night and not get their garbage torn apart.

 

[Michael OLeary]

He may also have dozens of confirmed skink kills on the Petawawa north PMQs, which served to allow everyone to open up their windows at night and not get their garbage torn apart.

I didn't realize that small lizards were such a problem there.

 

[vonGarvin]

I didn't realize that small lizards were such a problem there.

They aren't anymore! ;D

 

[SeanNewman]

Haha, touchee.  Thank god I can edit my posts once again!

 

[mariomike]

May be there are some people here who are familiar with this case and can provide some background info.

I just know what I read in the papers:

"Black firefighters enraged":
http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2010/03/10/black-firefighters-enraged

"As black firefighters press their claims, a women ( sic ) steps forward to say she too was discriminated against by the Halifax fire department":
http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/hfds-old-boy-network/Content?oid=1104720

"Human Rights complaint":
http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/black-firefighters-file-human-rights-complaint/Content?oid=1101991

"CBC: Halifax fire service faces racism complaint":
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/04/08/ns-firefighters-racism.html

Comments:
http://www.networkmirror.com/nhCUFWGpg5DOp0HB/www.thecoast.ca/gyrobase/black-firefighters-file-human-rights-complaint/Content%3Foid=1101991&show=comments.html

"APOLOGY:
On March 10, 2010 The Coast posted an article on our website entitled "Black firefighters enraged." As with all of our stories, readers were invited to comment on the article. Unfortunately, several readers took this opportunity to write defamatory comments about Halifax Regional Municipality Fire Services Chief Bill Mosher and Deputy Chief Steve Thurber.
These comments were completely unsubstantiated and have harmed the reputations of Chief Mosher and Deputy Chief Thurber. The Coast sincerely apologizes to Chief Mosher and Deputy Chief Thurber for the damage to their reputations and the pain and suffering they have endured as a result of the defamatory comments which The Coast permitted to be posted on its website.
The postings have been removed from our website. As a consequence of the abuse of our comments policy, further comment posting in respect to this story will not be accepted."