At what point do we say that the ability to say what you want on the internet is

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   Compliance Doctorposted 12 years ago

   At what point do we say that the ability to say what you want on the internet is fair and right?
   
   I know that we have the freedom of speech but how far can one go with this freedom?  I know of people that have their lives destroyed by what people have to say, enemies, competitors, and just haters in general.  Should they be allowed to destroy these lives?  Even when there is civil lawsuits that can be engaged for the false statements, how do you pursue those lawsuits when the person has lost their job or refused more work because of these bogus statements found on the internet?  It is a true problem for more people than you realize especially in this economy.

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2. 72

   backporchstoriesposted 12 years ago

   Freedom of speech is a political right indeed, however I agree with your concern.  There should always be a moral responsibility to the opinions and statements.  Where to draw that line is a good question and probably a different place for each individual, for we all have different levels of tolerance.  When that moral line is crossed we should object....however, whose morals do we go by?

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3. 78

   Draxposted 12 years ago

   Always..! the old saying 'sticks and stones can break my bones but words do nought to hurt me' applies here.
   
   There will always be haters and refuskniks and those manipulating the truth or just telling downright lies for gain or for spite. In order to achieve progress in this area effort would be much better spent on teaching the young the old rhyme and instructing them on how to ignore the haters or the spiteful. The most effective way to deal with this is always to ignore it. The problem with the law is that on all sides are professional liars - the individual can never win in this arena.
   
   There is an old Chinese saying;-
   
   'you cannot do good business with bad people'
   
   so if you work for someone who removes you on hearsay and unsubstantiated lies you have to ask yourself were they ever good people. On the other side of the coin are public representatives and those working for the people. The internet is a remarkable tool for the spread of knowledge and information about life, about how to live. Any form of censorship of the internet will inevitably be skewed to protect those in power who have things to hide and so must be resisted at all costs.

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