Maximum sentence for internet trolls raised to 2 years in the UK.

[Ryme]

As a Brit, this is pathetic. Two years in jail, criminal record and life ruined if you dare to send someone an offensive message on the internet?

Absolutely pathetic.

[Kalis]

I have a more sophisticated command of the English language than my old housemate from London. So no, an Englishman who lives in Malta is not a source for the English language.

What does my location, or you having a dense ex-housemate, have to do with anything? Are you seriously saying you have a better understanding of English people than me?

[Zelk]

What a fucking joke.

[StayTuned]

What does my location, or you having a dense ex-housemate, have to do with anything? Are you seriously saying you have a better understanding of English people than me?

No.

But what do English people have to do with an evolving English language per say? I know how this sounds, but are you seriously suggesting that English language is only influenced by how people living in England talk? German by now has an increasingly ridiculous amount of English words which have started to completely substitute the original German word.

The meaning of the word "troll" will not change because ignorant media misuses it and teaches a wrong meaning to people who are even more ignorant about the meaning of the word.

[Cerus]

No they're fucking not, anyone with the slightest sense knows that internet threats are hot air and should be chuckled at and then ignored. If some says "I know where you live bitch I'm going to rape you and cut your throat" to you on the internet the correct answer is "lol cum at me then faget" or just ignoring them entirely, because they are just some bored twat in their room somewhere and they are no real threat to you or anyone else.

These stupid laws just stop people from being able grasp the thing they need to understand when dealing with anonymous people on the internet.

They are real threats as far as the law is concerned. You can't walk into someone's unlocked house and steal property anymore than you can connect to their unlocked wifi and use their internet. Both are a crime - makes no difference that one is digital. Walking up to someone and threatening them is no different than saying it online. The laws have been extended to the internet digital age long ago. Threats are threats.

[Dsonsion]

So, you can actually go to jail in the UK for insulting people online if their feelings were strongly hurt in the process?
Why hadn't I thought of that before? It's just plain brilliant! Now Brits will have to come up with even more clever ways of insulting people without them noticing, as if they weren't the masters of it already.
But I feel that they shouldn't stop here. I mean, what's the difference between real life and the internet? If you insult somebody in the office or on the road, and their feelings are hurt, you should go to jail for about two years, so they can no longer be afraid of being insulted by you.
I do think that threats are a serious matter, but the way it's worded makes it sound like it not only comprises threats.

I have never made any threats and scarcely have I insulted anyone on the internet or in real life, but I find this ridiculous.

[Cerus]

No.

But what do English people have to do with an evolving English language per say? I know how this sounds, but are you seriously suggesting that English language is only influenced by how people living in England talk? German by now has an increasingly ridiculous amount of English words which have started to completely substitute the original German word.

The meaning of the word "troll" will not change because ignorant media misuses it and teaches a wrong meaning to people who are even more ignorant about the meaning of the word.

Ignore him. He knows he's wrong. How a small portion of the population use a word isn't what defines it. The majority know that Internet trolling is simply harassing with the intent to cause grief and annoyance.

[Kalis]

No.

But what do English people have to do with an evolving English language per say? I know how this sounds, but are you seriously suggesting that English language is only influenced by how people living in England talk? German by now has an increasingly ridiculous amount of English words which have started to completely substitute the original German word.

We are talking about British law, so it is how the word is understood in Britain and how some German chap uses it is utterly irrelevant.

The meaning of the word "troll" will not change because ignorant media misuses it and teaches a wrong meaning to people who are even more ignorant about the meaning of the word.

It already has changed...in Britain.

People misusing words is often the reason their meaning changes, e.g. one day the phrase "per se" may even be replaced by "per say" due to the amount of people who use it, or even "i.e." may come to mean the same thing as "e.g.", considering how many people get that wrong as well.

[Zelk]

No.

But what do English people have to do with an evolving English language per say? I know how this sounds, but are you seriously suggesting that English language is only influenced by how people living in England talk? German by now has an increasingly ridiculous amount of English words which have started to completely substitute the original German word.

The meaning of the word "troll" will not change because ignorant media misuses it and teaches a wrong meaning to people who are even more ignorant about the meaning of the word.

The meaning of the word in the UK will be the words meaning for most people in the UK. At the moment that would be anyone who harasses people on the internet.

[Kalis]

Ignore him. He knows he's wrong. How a small portion of the population use a word isn't what defines it. The majority know that Internet trolling is simply harassing with the intent to cause grief and annoyance.

The majority of people in Britain are au fait with internet terminology? Yeah...no.

[StayTuned]

Now you are talking about abbreviations and spelling, not meaning.

Stop trying so hard. You constantly repeat yourself and claim that Troll has already changed in English language, yet you do nothing, not even the smallest attempt, to provide hands on evidence, other than "I'm British, so I know".

Why the fuck are we even talking about it? The original issue is that the UK has introduced a law that forces people to be nice to each other.

[Kalis]

Now you are talking about abbreviations and spelling, not meaning.

Stop trying so hard. You constantly repeat yourself and claim that Troll has already changed in English language, yet you do nothing, not even the smallest attempt, to provide hands on evidence, other than "I'm British, so I know".

So where did the majority of people get their understanding of what an online troll is then?

[Rabblexthree]

Dumbest thing I have read so far today. GG UK.

[StayTuned]

So where did the majority of people get their understanding of what an online troll is then?

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/trolling


The media takes one part, possibly the smallest, and makes it out to be the only thing trolls do.

Anyway, the law is pretty damn clear about the fact that it is not just a law to stop people from sending death threats. It's not even a law to prevent cyber mobbing. In worst case, its loose definition (something causing anxiety...??) makes it a clear path for actual lawsuit trolls.

[Kalis]

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/trolling


The media takes one part, possibly the smallest, and makes it out to be the only thing trolls do.

And take a guess where the majority of people in the UK would get their understanding of the word troll from.

Anyway, the law is pretty damn clear about the fact that it is not just a law to stop people from sending death threats. It's not even a law to prevent cyber mobbing. In worst case, its loose definition (something causing anxiety...??) makes it a clear path for actual lawsuit trolls.

Once again, British law doesn't care how YOU interpret it from an online summary - otherwise Piers Morgan would be in prison now just due to the amount of Arsenal players that hate him, let alone the fans and other people he winds up.

[Sathnick]

People misusing words is often the reason their meaning changes, e.g. one day the phrase "per se" may even be replaced by "per say" due to the amount of people who use it, or even "i.e." may come to mean the same thing as "e.g.", considering how many people get that wrong as well.

I see you are already practicing how to cope with the new legal Situation upon your return

[Kalis]

I see you are already practicing how to cope with the new legal Situation upon your return

Best thing about trolling in the classic sense is that it's not covered by UK law, I can troll but not troll.

[StayTuned]

Once again, British law doesn't care how YOU interpret it from an online summary - otherwise Piers Morgan would be in prison now just due to the amount of Arsenal players that hate him, let alone the fans and other people he winds up.

Interpretation of an online summary? I quoted linked you to an official government website

[AngryLakitu]

No they're fucking not, anyone with the slightest sense knows that internet threats are hot air and should be chuckled at and then ignored. If some says "I know where you live bitch I'm going to rape you and cut your throat" to you on the internet the correct answer is "lol cum at me then faget" or just ignoring them entirely, because they are just some bored twat in their room somewhere and they are no real threat to you or anyone else.

These stupid laws just stop people from being able grasp the thing they need to understand when dealing with anonymous people on the internet.

This post right here demonstrates exactly why we need policies and laws that govern etiquette on the internet just as we require them in real life. The fact we have individuals who still think that things on the internet are inherently meaningless is why we are having this conversation to begin with. It's disgusting to think there are people out there who believe and agree with the horrible sentiments expressed by this individual because while you think the sentiment of what this poster tried to get at -- and failed miserably I might add -- was that words on the internet carry less meaning than in real life, the fact of the matter is it says something much more disturbing: this person thinks that it is ultimately okay to speak like this.

I'll undoubtedly get called thin-skinned (in much more derogatory terms) for speaking against this, but if you honestly think "I know where you live bitch I'm going to rape you and cut your throat" is anything other than unacceptable, you are wrong. There are kids out there that think this is okay and their parents are probably completely oblivious to how they conduct themselves online.

There are adults out there who believe Hitler was a righteous man. There are cults out there that believe black people should burn or be hanged. There are groups out there who believe non-heterosexual people are demons. I'm not pointing this out to equate verbal assaults to some of the atrocities these people partake in, I'm pointing it out because if you think that we shouldn't have -- or worse, don't need -- the same protections in place on the internet against people like this, you're living in a fantasy.

I know the majority demographic of the internet that perpetrates these actions is between school age and young adult, and I admit that, in retrospect of my own life during that time, verbal confrontation was in a much different realm of understanding; text based communication even more so, but the reality is the internet should not be an unsafe place for people.

While you may disagree with the wording used in the article, please don't let people use it as a tool to cry out things like this into a topic that desperately needs some attention. Sure, have a debate about whether it is too strong, too vague, what-have-you. But we should all be able to agree that "I know where you live bitch I'm going to rape you and cut your throat" is not acceptable and people such as the poster above should be informed as such throughout these threads.

[Deleted]

What's wrong with being nice to each other?