# New York Senate bill seeks to end anonymous internet posting **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 24, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986 "2012-05-24T18:55:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/1 "2012-05-24T18:55:19Z")
[New York Senate bill seeks to end anonymous internet posting](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/york-senate-bill-seeks-end-anonymous-internet-posting-162549128.html) > [@](#): > > By Tecca | Today in Tech – 2 hrs 24 mins ago > > Anonymity is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the United States was founded, in part, thanks to Thomas Paine’s anonymously written, pro-revolution pamphlet Common Sense. On the other hand, 12-year-olds who post anonymously on the internet can be rather unpleasant and cause real problems by cyberbullying. Whether you think the good outweighs the bad, this news is troubling indeed: A far-reaching bill introduced in the New York State Senate could end the practice of posting online once and for all. * * * More Government in the home… ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/2 "2012-05-24T20:04:32Z")
Publius (aka, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay) are rolling in their collective graves. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/3 "2012-05-24T20:09:50Z")
It’s a horrendous and moronic idea, but just to put it in perspective, there is absolutely no chance this will ever happen. You have to remember that just because some nitwit introduces a bill in a legislature doesn’t mean there is any chance it will become law. O’Mara is young enough that you would think he would not be completely computer phobic (he’s 48), but he may be. Or maybe he’s just playing to his constituents with what he thinks will be a nice anti-internet-bullying proposal. I don’t know. I won’t lose any sleep over the idea that this could happen, but it’s frustrating when people who know nothing about the internet at all are in a position to regulate it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/4 "2012-05-24T20:13:26Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > More Government in the home… You seem awfully concerned about government in the home. My tsk tsk tsk. _CONCERNED_. I would have supported the dems but one dude in New York said something rude! As opposed to those GOP people who don’t want government in the home. ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/5 "2012-05-24T20:20:38Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You seem awfully concerned about government in the home. I am. I dont want the Government to dictate to me stuff that isnt thier business > [@](#): > > My tsk tsk tsk. _CONCERNED_. You should be. > [@](#): > > I would have supported the dems but one dude in New York said something rude! As opposed to those GOP people who don’t want government in the home. It was a GOP Politician that is trying to pass this law. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/6 "2012-05-24T20:23:00Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > You should be. Not really. Like I said, it’s an idiotic proposal, but it’s never going to happen. If there were ever a chance it would pass a chamber of the state legislature, you would see an overwhelming response from companies and private citizens. You cannot possibly know anything about the internet and support this idea, so this isn’t going to get passed. It has “died in committee” written all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/7 "2012-05-24T20:23:34Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > You seem awfully concerned about government in the home. My tsk tsk tsk. _CONCERNED_. I would have supported the dems but one dude in New York said something rude! As opposed to those GOP people who don’t want government in the home. This is why it sometimes pays to read the article before commenting. > [@](#): > > Introduced by New York State Sen. Thomas F. O’Mara (R—Big Flats), S6779 would require… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/8 "2012-05-24T21:07:51Z")
For the record, I was ready to declare this absurd even before I saw the party affiliation. On a practical level, though, how anonymous is anonymous? I mean, I post here under a pseudonym, but I’ve never actually made any effort to hide my identity, and anyone with a few minutes to spare could easily find out my real name and a host of other information about me. Would I be afoul of this law? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/9 "2012-05-24T21:31:08Z")
The reason a law like that will never pass is simply because it’s a logistical nightmare that would close down half the internet. Few companies, and no private site owners, are going to be willing to devote the resources that would be needed to verify people’s identities. If your website content model depends on posts, no more website. If this turkey has even a hint of a chance of passing, you’ll see massive lobbying and protest against it. ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/10 "2012-05-24T22:38:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Not really. Like I said, it’s an idiotic proposal, but it’s never going to happen. If there were ever a chance it would pass a chamber of the state legislature, you would see an overwhelming response from companies and private citizens. You cannot possibly know anything about the internet and support this idea, so this isn’t going to get passed. It has “died in committee” written all over it. Some said the same thing about the Patriot Act. How many Rights got stomped on there? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/11 "2012-05-25T00:19:00Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > Some said the same thing about the Patriot Act. Who said that about the Patriot Act? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/12 "2012-05-25T00:24:46Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > This is why it sometimes pays to read the article before commenting. > > Introduced by New York State Sen. Thomas F. O’Mara (R—Big Flats), S6779 would require… First, Big Flats? What kind of name is that for a city in New York. Is this guy really from Montana or something. Second, he must think the capital of New York is Beijing. I remember the good old days when Republicans were anti-Communist, not trying to imitate Communists. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/13 "2012-05-25T00:25:02Z")
I lost all my anonymous user-names in a boating accident. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/14 "2012-05-25T00:25:04Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > Some said the same thing about the Patriot Act. > > How many Rights got stomped on there? How many? You tell us. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/15 "2012-05-25T00:42:04Z")
Trolls, Tremble! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/16 "2012-05-25T00:49:19Z")
O’Mara claims that until today nobody had even mentioned to him of constitutional issues. Oy… Let’s face it, what they want is that if they say or do something stupid all you’ll see are two or three letters to the editor, that nobody reads, in the local paper, instead of it going viral all over half of the Western World. Good job, dudes (28 Reps co-sponsored the bill in the Lower House). Way to make your point. In any case, the majority of casual users who are not specifically interested in anonymity/hacking are hardly secure in their online pseudo-identity and someone who really knows what he’s doing can dig up the facts behind the 'nym. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/17 "2012-05-25T02:53:25Z")
“You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” – Scott McNealy ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/18 "2012-05-25T03:49:28Z")
> [@dngnb8](#): > > Some said the same thing about the Patriot Act. Cite please. > [@Miller](#): > > Who said that about the Patriot Act? Nobody. (Sorry, **dngnb8** , you weren’t supposed to read that part.) Some people said it wasn’t as big an idea as it was made out to be or that it was worth it, others said it was a flat out terrible idea. I never saw anyone say it was not going to pass, and this bill absolutely won’t. However I see we found out why this bill came into being: > [@](#): > > The Bill originated with assemblyman Dean Murray, against whom anonymous online commenters had spread rumours in 2010, alleging that he was guilty of domestic violence against his ex-wife and son. The charges were apparently false, and it’s terrible when something like that happens. But you can always count on a state legislator to find a cure that is worse than the disease. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/19 "2012-05-25T04:14:03Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > First, Big Flats? What kind of name is that for a city in New York. Is this guy really from Montana or something. Big Flats is in Chemung County, right next to my hometown of Elmira (from which it was formed), and is the home of Harris Hill, known as the Soaring Capitol of the World (gliding). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986/20 "2012-05-25T17:20:46Z")
Outlawing something for being “rather unpleasant”? That kinda sounds Canadian, actually. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-york-senate-bill-seeks-to-end-anonymous-internet-posting/622986.md?page=2)