I do intend to come to Michigan at some point and deal with the charges Amanda has made. Unfortunately, I can’t afford too at this point. An attorney that I consulted with suggests legal fees to reach as much as 10 thousand dollars. That’s most of my annual income! Amanda will have managed to ruin me financially. What more does she want?

The Federal Communications Decency Act Sect. 120 establishes that internet service providers shouldn’t be held responsible for the behavior of its users. This is a fundamental tenet of the internet as we know it today, else we would have no ISPs in this country at all.

Of course, who constitutes a “service provider”? It’s legitimately arguable that anyone who participates on the internet could be argued to be a service provider. For example – Social news websites are dependent on users for content, therefore contributors to said site are also service providers. In the broadest sense then, FCDA S.120 establishes that an individual cannot be held responsible for the activities of another individual.

What it comes down to is that it’s unbelievable you didn’t have a hand in getting criminal charges pressed against this guy, and that’s pretty much all that matters. Doing so is just pure maliciousness, as even under a Hammurabian eye for an eye philosophy a few days of inconvenience do not compare to the months or years, and costs, of a trial.

There is a saying, though who said it or what its exact words are I cannot remember, that is applicable in situations like this: On things closest to use, we have no perspective. Just because you’ve made this whole thing out into a pity party for yourself, don’t expect others with a broader view of the situation to join in on it.

That 3rd post, was someone elses doing. The news stations the local press and the local radio stations all contacted me. I did not want more media, though in the end it did help me to get the support I needed.

To accuse me of not doing the steps of instantly blocking them, and preventing further messages by blocking unknown users and sending mail from unknown people into my spambox. very untrue. I did, and yet there were people who were able to get around the security that I had done. The phone calls, well that was a whole nother issue, actually in the beginning Phil did not post my phone number or address, he posted that of some friends of mine. That was what Phil was also charged for. When people finally realized that I did not live there, they found my PARENTS phone number and address. Mind you for people to say they looked up my name in the phone book and got that information, not possible, I have never had my name in a Michigan phonebook, or for that matter any phonebook. My parents had that phone number for over 20 years, people asked me why didnt you change it? my answer, Its not my number, and why should my family have to make changes in THEIR LIFE just because of an unwise action of someone hundreds of miles away?

To call me what was it? a Manipulative Hag now have you ever met me? No, what do you know of me except from a pretty much one sided story. Nothing. What changes alot of this is I am bi-polar, and even some slight changes in my life can be huge things for me, recieveing phone calls at all hours of the day? Having people outside of my house? Now really if you had someone outside of your house whom you did not know what would you do? Mr. or Ms. writer do you have children? I don’t but my 10 month old neice lives at that house. She happends to sleep in the living room area. If someone were to break into that house she would be the first one affected. I love my family, and when my neibors are telling me people are outside watching my house! Your damn right I am going to call the police. It is at THAT point where it crosses the virtual line and becomes REALITY.

You are right Phil is not some Charles Manson authoritarian. Phill is a great guy, Yes I do hold some anger at him for what he had started, but one should be held accountable for their actions or what may come of their actions. For example, say a bartender serves a minor in the bar or club, and later that night that minor gets into a car accident and kills someone. That minor will be charged with the crime but the bartender will also be charged because of their actions which led to a person dying. There is no difference between those laws and this relitively new law. Phil, as of Aug 31st 2007 has not come to Michigan to face his crimes, and honestly I don’t know if he ever will. When and if he ever does, I will gladly speak at his trial and sentencing. Phil is a kind a wonderful person, I personally believe that he should not see jail time. The only things I will request is to pay my friends the amount of money that it took to change there phone number and to pay my co-payments for care that I recieved due to my mental health.

Oh and to say I should die? What for? Protecting my family? OK, whatever…

Have a great day, and keep going on with what you do! Making statements to which you are not totally knowledgable about, or at least next time… Ask the people involved!

However, no one can claim that the Internet passively enforces its rules. Unlike society, it’s anonymous, so there’s no emotional blackmail to keep you on the straight and narrow. But regulation is an impossible solution, considering the questions of jurisdiction and enforceability. In the end, the only solution is common sense and manners.