Dear Sen Turbak Berry,
I have serious reservations about both these bills. The language is not very specific -- who is the "provider" is my main concern.
My blog is on blogger.com - a South Dakotan is going to sue Google? Or me? Re the tracking required by 1278, I have absolutely no way to track who leaves anonymous comments on my blogs using blogger, even if I wanted to. I also don't see how you would ever get IP addresses for anonymous commenters about South Dakota issues on Daily Kos (or Free Republic) for that matter.
I honestly find these bills a solution looking for a problem. Internet speech is both weak and powerful because of the anonymity it provides. There are issues here - but I don't think a state law along these lines can help -- largely due to technological barriers to compliance.
These bills just don't address a problem I find pressing... is there an epidemic of slander in the South Dakota blogosphere?
I think these two articles make some very good points.
http://madvilletimes.blogspot.com/2010/02/hb-1277-south-dakota-legislature.html
http://capjournal.com/articles/2010/02/05/blog/behind_govt_lines/doc4b6ca149d650e913650035.txt
Curtis Price
108 E Centennial St
Rapid City SD 57701
605-390-3053
Robbinsdale Radical blog
http://rr57701.blogspot.com
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5 days ago
Good Job! Take it to the source and directly to the point. I'm glad to see you got an answer.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I was encouraged to write into the Argus on behalf of the indoor pool at Drakes Springs in SF. I shied away from it because it was such a heated issue and putting my name to it just seemed to be asking for my house to get egged. Now that I am more familiar with writing and now that I am a stronger member in my little part of the city, I would do it with less reservation. My point is maybe the shift toward blogs happened because of the requirement to stop using an alias in the newspaper.
Thanks again for taking to the source and wanted to let you know I read it.
April