It's a craze that hits almost every Yalie at one point or another. It can be an addiction, a diversion, or just an easy way to meet people. It is 'surfing the Internet.' This pastime is quite popular on campuses throughout the nation, but some feel that it is beginning to get out of hand.
Female computer assistants (CAs) working for Yale have recently complained of sexual harassment on the Internet, such as anonymous postings on their sexual appeal and private lives. In response to these and other similar charges, New Haven State Representative Pat Dillon has proposed two bills aimed at eliminating the threat of on-line harassment and prohibiting any computer communication "with the intent to harass, annoy, alarm, or terrorize another person."
Dillon's first bill would make it a crime for users to harass anyone over the system. Similar laws apply to other forms of communication, but so far Michigan is the only state to make electronic stalking a crime. Dillon says that state legislation needs to be updated in order to keep up with the times.
The second bill, which has proved extremely controversial, addresses the problems posed by Internet anonymity. Currently, Internet users can opt for total anonymity, making it impossible for authorities to discern who is actually committing the acts. Due to the lack of evidence that this situation creates, multiple cases against stalking or harassment over the Internet have had no consequences. Dillon's second bill proposes to address this problem by assuming that anonymous users intend to harass. Her bill states: "Any person who signs on to a computer network with a false or fictitious name shall be presumed to be doing so with intent to injure or defraud another person."
This level of regulation does not exist with any other form of communication. Opposition to the bill contends that it will limit freedom of speech. Mike Godwin, staff counsel for an electronic civil rights organization, told the New Haven Advocate that the bill "is wholly unconstitutional.... The Supreme Court long ago recognized that you can't force people to disclose who they are when what they are engaged in is communication."
Others hypothesize that this bill could hurt forums that depend on anonymity such as those for sex abuse survivors or AIDS patients. "The appeal that these groups will have to the public and to the people who need them will be decreased drastically.... Many people won't be able to get the help they need because they will be afraid of letting others know who they are," said a Yalie who wished to remain anonymous.
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