Web site owner goes to court to force 'troll' offline Chris Seper, Plain Dealer Reporter A local pest-control Web site is trying to exterminate what it believes is a specimen of one of the Internet's most bothersome creatures: The Message Board Troll. GIE Media is suing an Arkansas man who the company says is constantly leaving obnoxious and offensive messages on its Internet bulletin board and then, after he is banned from the site, sneaking back using fake names. Many public message boards are plagued by users - often referred to as trolls - who spew personal attacks, emit racist invectives or yell an online version of 'fire' in a crowded theater. Many companies ban users, delete posts and even change locations to avoid abusive users. But GIE's suit against Ronald Huckaby in U.S. District Court is one of the more extreme attempts yet to control chatter on Internet forums. GIE is alleging trespassing, breach of contract and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. It is seeking at least $5,000 from Huckaby. The company also wants the judge to bar him from visiting PCT Online. The suit says Huckaby's exchanges cut traffic to the Web site and as a result hurt advertising revenue and sopped up staff time required to bar him and his comments. Huckaby regularly violated the rules of the forum - it bars abusive, hateful or vulgar language - and Huckaby repeatedly was asked to stay away from the site... http://www.cleveland.com/tech/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/104288693631280.xml Question Who's Online | Find Members | Private Messages
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384 hits Rate me! Share Favorite | Flag 19 years ago by KikiPeepers

Should this web site owner win his lawsuit against the `troll` who won`t leave his site? See story.
Web site owner goes to court to force `troll` offline

Chris Seper, Plain Dealer Reporter

A local pest-control Web site is trying to exterminate what it believes is a specimen of one of the Internet`s most bothersome creatures: The Message Board Troll. GIE Media is suing an Arkansas man who the company says is constantly leaving obnoxious and offensive messages on its Internet bulletin board and then, after he is banned from the site, sneaking back using fake names.

Many public message boards are plagued by users - often referred to as trolls - who spew personal attacks, emit racist invectives or yell an online version of `fire` in a crowded theater. Many companies ban users, delete posts and even change locations to avoid abusive users. But GIE`s suit against Ronald Huckaby in U.S. District Court is one of the more extreme attempts yet to control chatter on Internet forums.

GIE is alleging trespassing, breach of contract and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. It is seeking at least $5,000 from Huckaby. The company also wants the judge to bar him from visiting PCT Online. The suit says Huckaby`s exchanges cut traffic to the Web site and as a result hurt advertising revenue and sopped up staff time required to bar him and his comments. Huckaby regularly violated the rules of the forum - it bars abusive, hateful or vulgar language - and Huckaby repeatedly was asked to stay away from the site...

http://www.cleveland.com/tech/plain...

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19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Thursday 2/6/03 - 7:23:32 PM EST (GMT-5)
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I think that the more important question is: "Why does a local pest control site need a messageboard?"
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/8/03 - 3:33:23 AM EST (GMT-5)
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If only buddy could sue some of the trolls that keep coming back here.
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/8/03 - 10:10:20 AM EST (GMT-5)
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I think it should be the law, if you are banned from a site and you try to repeatedly come back, you should be charged with trespassing. But that's an almost impossible law to enforce - there needs to be SO many laws made on the internet. It really should almost have its own governing body, or at least set up a cabinet post or something that oversees online activity. As it is now, if you get into legal tangles online, you have to search for one of the very few internet lawyers there are in the country and hope they know the laws that seem to change every day. It's kind of a sticky situation. But I feel sorry for web owners like this, that have their business and life affected by some psycho playing games online :P
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/8/03 - 10:26:21 AM EST (GMT-5)
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its own governing body? now thats something the internet SHOULD NOT have.
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/8/03 - 12:19:29 PM EST (GMT-5)
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Why not?
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Friday 2/14/03 - 5:06:00 AM EST (GMT-5)
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because, IMO, censorship of the internet would follow.
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Friday 2/14/03 - 5:08:21 AM EST (GMT-5)
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I agree with Kiki
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Friday 2/14/03 - 9:00:19 AM EST (GMT-5)
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What do you think would be censored G.? I'm sure it would still have to be Constitutional if it was an American body, which is most likely would be.
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/15/03 - 4:41:37 PM EST (GMT-5)
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Why can't people just not go where they're not welcome
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/15/03 - 4:43:32 PM EST (GMT-5)
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this goes back to freedom of speech, and the trolls have it.
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/15/03 - 9:42:53 PM EST (GMT-5)
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Not necessarily. Sites can easily be moved from servers in one country to servers in another (for the sake of argument, lets say from USA to Sweeden). The content stays the same, but US laws no longer apply.
19 yrs ago, 3 mos ago - Saturday 2/15/03 - 11:43:39 PM EST (GMT-5)
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I say hire a really good " hacker " to cause the Troll damage beyond belief to his puter. Then they can shrug their shoulders and say " who us ? " We dont do that kind of thing.
19 yrs ago, 2 mos ago - Thursday 3/6/03 - 12:15:18 AM EST (GMT-5)
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Rant's comment is pretty interesting, considering he keeps coming back to this site after being banned.
19 yrs ago, 2 mos ago - Thursday 3/6/03 - 12:57:54 AM EST (GMT-5)
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hehehe i didn't know that!! yes i can see that there could be some kind of 'restraint order' that doesn't generally stop freedom.
19 yrs ago, 2 mos ago - Thursday 3/6/03 - 1:01:46 AM EST (GMT-5)
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me? troll?
19 yrs ago, 2 mos ago - Thursday 3/6/03 - 8:18:24 AM EST (GMT-5)
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This is a good question because internet law is so new. Law, the internet and freedom of speech will be girls in a cat-fight for many years to come. As for the troll? Boot him and fine him. I think it should be handled as tresspassing, like at a Mall. It's a kind of public venue - but when the owner says leave, you leave.
19 yrs ago, 2 mos ago - Thursday 3/6/03 - 8:22:45 AM EST (GMT-5)
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The "governing body" specific to the internet proposed above isn't really the answer, particularly the suggestion that it would most likely be an AMerican organization. Each country can easily extend it's laws concerning intellectual and physical properties to the internet with slight modifications. Amishboy is right, the person is trespassing on intellectual AND physical property, and should be fined accordingly.
19 yrs ago, 1 mos ago - Wednesday 4/16/03 - 6:20:24 AM EST (GMT-5)
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looks like I'm in trouble.
18 yrs ago, 10 mos ago - Tuesday 7/1/03 - 11:53:49 PM EST (GMT-5)
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18 yrs ago, 10 mos ago - Tuesday 7/1/03 - 11:56:06 PM EST (GMT-5)
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as long as the troll has a way in, its his game to play. its up to the site to ban his IP address, its the only way.
18 yrs ago, 10 mos ago - Wednesday 7/2/03 - 12:25:04 AM EST (GMT-5)
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Even when you ban an IP, it's rather easy to change. My IP will rotate every so often, because it is the way my ISP handles business. There's no real effective way to handle this sort of behavior consistantly, constantly, and effectively without getting the law involved. In my opinion, the company should win the suit. It would be like if a person was barred from an establishment by the owner, but continued to return repeatedly.



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