Here is a generalized definition for "slander' and "libel" as it applies to
communications on the Internet. Overall, it is all basically the same act
that give a cause of action against defamations made in any published form.
Many people seem to think that just because they post things "anonymous"
and even go to the lengths to either "hide" their IP's or use a "proxy", you
are still traceable.  

Think about it for a second. Do you think that technology will provide us
with something as complex as an Internet and automatic tracking safe
guards NOT be in place to track people down? I mean, come on. We all
know that Big Brother always wants to stick his nose in our business. Big
Brother would love nothing more to be able to press a button and there
we pop up on a damn grid. I'm afraid that those days are quickly become a
reality.

Here's an example we can try...

Try using any gadget, method or anything else you can think of and I will
bet you $10 that you cannot use the Internet to state a threat against
the president. We all know that we do not even kid around with words
like that. But my bet would be that IF this sort of threat was made against
a president the "anonymous" threatener would probably have his door
kicked in before he got done masturbating to his whacker threat
sensation.

You people can go right ahead and threaten, lie, cheat and say all sorts
of stuff about other people, not me. Everything i every say is TRUE or i do
not post it. That's it in a nut shell. However, many of my postings sure may
piss people off because they do not like reading the truth. This is rampant
for crooks that somehow get elected into a public office in addition to
the crooked nepotism of giving everyone in the family a damn job. Geeez
Ussss.

In any event, here is a quick overview explanation for slander and libel.  

Slander:

A type of defamation. Slander is an untruthful oral (spoken) statement
about a person that harms the person's reputation or standing in the
community. Because slander is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person
can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. If
the statement is made via broadcast media -- for example, over the Internet,
radio or on TV -- it is considered libel, rather than slander, because the
statement has the potential to reach a very wide audience.

Libel:

An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through
broadcast media, that injures the person's reputation or standing in the
community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can
bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is
a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is
spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).

Yes, you can be sued for libel for something you write on a forum.

If you write something defamatory about a person who is recognizable
and identifiable
, the person you defamed can file a suit against you. If you
are "anonymous" online, the person will file a "John Doe" lawsuit and the
court will order the website to reveal your real identity so that the
lawsuit can proceed against you. You will generally be notified about the
court order prior to your identity being revealed, so that you have an
opportunity to respond to the lawsuit before your identity is revealed. In
any event, you will be required to respond to the lawsuit within the
alloted time or lose by default.

Remember there is, quite frankly, no real anonymity on the Internet, so you
must be careful what you write.

If what you wrote is true, that would be a legitimate defense to any libel
action brought against you, but it does not prevent a lawsuit from being
filed in the first place. You would use "truth" as your defense in court -
and to use truth as your defense, you would have to prove that what you
wrote was, in fact, true, or was reasonably believed by you to be true.

Truth will NOT protect you against an invasion of privacy action,
however, if you reveal information about someone that is true but
confidential or true but potentially embarrassing for the individual.

The "punishment" for libel varies.

For any defamation action, the individual defamed would have to
demonstrate reputational injury suffered as a result of the comments
made. Because reputations do not come with a price tag, an individual
defamed will ask for a
LOT of money to compensate for his injury. Money
awarded for injury to a reputation is called compensatory or general
damages. Pecuniary damages can also be awarded - these are actual
monetary losses suffered as a result of the defamation, occurring from
the loss of a job or the loss of a promotion, for instance. Additional
damages can be awarded for pain and suffering, although this is not
common.

Soon I will be posting my lawsuit that I am in the very early stages of
filing against a person who has enjoyed getting "his rocks off" at my
expense. Feel free to copy and paste the entire complaint and use as a
template. Confer with me and I will answer any question i can. I am NOT an
attorney and have posted disclaimers everywhere in this site to make
certain that I do NOT offer legal help. I can't, remember, I'm not a lawyer.
But we all can talk, communicate and help each other in a common cause.

You will find that it isn't the "winning" of a particular subject matter, it is
how we address the subject matter. You can lose something and still end
up winning it in the end. For example, if a school yard bully flips your ear
at recess everyday and you cry, well, get ready to have red ears and pain
every day because the bully only bullies what he knows he can. However,
if a bully flipped your ear at recess and you turned around and mashed his
mouth as hard as you can then guess what?

Yep, you may, or may not, get the hell beat out of you but one thing for
certain the bully will not bully you anymore. If the bully is stupid enough
to flip your ear the next day then by all means resort to being stupid
enough to bust his mouth again, regardless of the outcome.

In the end you will find that you will win, but maybe won at some sort of
cost to you. This is my intent, to sue this scared coward for all he is
worth and IF you lose, so what...For a few bucks in a court filing fee you
at least will learn the jerk offs name, right?

See, in the end it all comes to the surface.
Anonymous Online Slandering and Libel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Getting even is often as painful as a $60
filing fee
Wolf Eagle