What is an 'internet troll'?

[Lyall]

Not sure how intelligent a government would be to sacrifice the rights of the many because of the targeting of the few.

The way they see it (or at least sell it) is they aren't, they're only legislating ways to punish the minority of idiots if current laws aren't working.

You and I - and most people - know very well there are boundaries, but some clearly don't.

Sara Payne isn't just an individual, she represents an interest group. So do the feminists who have been similarly targeted. Most of those targeted are probably women, and that's of course one of the most powerful interest groups.

They will be lobbying.

[Alice Purjorick]

The way they see it (or at least sell it) is they aren't, they're only legislating ways to punish the minority of idiots if current laws aren't working.

You and I - and most people - know very well there are boundaries, but some clearly don't.

Sara Payne isn't just an individual, she represents an interest group. So do the feminists who have been similarly targeted. Most of those targeted are probably women, and that's of course one of the most powerful interest groups.

They will be lobbying.

There will always be a hardcore minority who will do things regardless of laws to prevent them.
Most laws will only deter people who are fundamentally honest and decent. imo

[Eleanor]

The way they see it (or at least sell it) is they aren't, they're only legislating ways to punish the minority of idiots if current laws aren't working.

You and I - and most people - know very well there are boundaries, but some clearly don't.

Sara Payne isn't just an individual, she represents an interest group. So do the feminists who have been similarly targeted. Most of those targeted are probably women, and that's of course one of the most powerful interest groups.

They will be lobbying.

This is true.  I don't need the right to Free Speech because I never abuse it.

[Carana]

What I object to is people who claim to be "the voice of Madeleine" in the name of "truth" and "justice".

Everyone wants truth and justice for Madeleine...  aside from the person or persons who were responsible for her disappearance.

There are those who claim to know the "truth", that has apparently been "censored" by the UK press. It wasn't: some of the UK press had to pay dearly for repeating allegations...

Why? Because they couldn't be substantiated.

For some, the "truth" appears to be primarily based on initial propaganda, the interim report, later spoutings by someone with an agenda, and that anything else subsequent to that is whitewash.

In what way is that different to declaring that the Holocaust never happened and that Hitler won WWII?

[Lyall]

There will always be a hardcore minority who will do things regardless of laws to prevent them.
Most laws will only deter people who are fundamentally honest and decent. imo

Grayling thinks the prospect of two years in prison might deter them. Who knows &%+((£

The Bill is just waiting for the monarch to stay up all night for a week reading it before she signs (as she always does naturally )

[faithlilly]

What I object to is people who claim to be "the voice of Madeleine" in the name of "truth" and "justice".

Everyone wants truth and justice for Madeleine...  aside from the person or persons who were responsible for her disappearance.

There are those who claim to know the "truth", that has apparently been "censored" by the UK press. It wasn't: some of the UK press had to pay dearly for repeating allegations...

Why? Because they couldn't be substantiated.

For some, the "truth" appears to be primarily based on initial propaganda, the interim report, later spoutings by someone with an agenda, and that anything else subsequent to that is whitewash.

In what way is that different to declaring that the Holocaust never happened and that Hilter won WWII?

Not good analogies Carana. Both your examples  have been proved to have happened, an abduction hasn't.

[Carana]

Not good analogies Carana. Both your examples  have been proved to have happened, an abduction hasn't.

The child still hasn't been found. In the context of the analogy, WWII isn't over and Hitler's supporters are still out there.

[Lyall]

What I object to is people who claim to be "the voice of Madeleine" in the name of "truth" and "justice".

Everyone wants truth and justice for Madeleine...  aside from the person or persons who were responsible for her disappearance.

There are those who claim to know the "truth", that has apparently been "censored" by the UK press. It wasn't: some of the UK press had to pay dearly for repeating allegations...

Why? Because they couldn't be substantiated.

For some, the "truth" appears to be primarily based on initial propaganda, the interim report, later spoutings by someone with an agenda, and that anything else subsequent to that is whitewash.

In what way is that different to declaring that the Holocaust never happened and that Hitler won WWII?

People are free to think and say both, but not free to act just as they may wish based on those beliefs.

You could never stop people thinking the McCanns know what happened to Madeleine. The problem is there are so many who do, and that's because this case is so unique in the UK. If it weren't not so many people would be so interested. But it is and there's nothing anyone can do about that.

[Carana]

People are free to think and say both, but not free to act just as they may wish based on those beliefs.

You could never stop people thinking the McCanns know what happened to Madeleine. The problem is there are so many who do, and that's because this case is so unique in the UK. If it weren't not so many people would be so interested. But it is and there's nothing anyone can do about that.

I have no problem with what people think, unless they were so convinced that she is dead that they wouldn't even think of reporting a sighting (and yes, I'm aware of the tabloid excess that really hasn't helped).

ETA: And, yes, I do have a problem with people who attack this family, based on nothing other than opinion, in itself fuelled by others with an agenda.

But what about potential strange noises coming from a cellar somewhere? If you were convinced that she was dead, would you bother reporting it? Would you think that it is just a child playing and therefore of no importance?

That is how other children have been found.

Cops were SO close to finding two of the Dutroux victims alive... but they dismissed the cries that they heard as irrelevant. How sad is that?

[Alfred R Jones]

Not good analogies Carana. Both your examples  have been proved to have happened, an abduction hasn't.

Not as far as Holocaust deniers are concerned they haven't - and there are literally millions of those in the world.

[Lyall]

I have no problem with what people think, unless they were so convinced that she is dead that they wouldn't even think of reporting a sighting (and yes, I'm aware of the tabloid excess that really hasn't helped).

ETA: And, yes, I do have a problem with people who attack this family, based on nothing other than opinion, in itself fuelled by others with an agenda.

But what about potential strange noises coming from a cellar somewhere? If you were convinced that she was dead, would you bother reporting it? Would you think that it is just a child playing and therefore of no importance?

That is how other children have been found.

Cops were SO close to finding two of the Dutroux children alive... but they dismissed the cries that they heard as irrelevant. How sad is that?

It's very sad. But in a similar situation now or in the future if someone had suspicions a child may be somewhere, they wouldn't dismiss it based on their opinion of the McCann case would they. They'd have no idea who the child may be, as unfortunately many more children go missing than just Madeleine. Almost all of whom we never hear about because they aren't British, but everyone knows trafficking etc. goes on. So I don't think opinion on this case makes any difference to how people would act if they saw or heard something.

[faithlilly]

Not as far as Holocaust deniers are concerned they haven't - and there are literally millions of those in the world.

There is overwhelming evidence that the Holcaust happened. Unfortunately the same can't be said for Madeleine's abduction, unless of course you know differently ?

[faithlilly]

The child still hasn't been found. In the context of the analogy, WWII isn't over and Hitler's supporters are still out there.

Now you're just being silly Carana.

[Carana]

It's very sad. But in a similar situation now or in the future if someone had suspicions a child may be somewhere, they wouldn't dismiss it based on their opinion of the McCann case would they. They'd have no idea who the child may be, as unfortunately many more children go missing than just Madeleine. Almost all of whom we never hear about because they aren't British, but everyone knows trafficking etc. goes on. So I don't think opinion on this case makes any difference to how people would act if they saw or heard something.

Propaganda can make quite a difference, even in this case.

In the Dutroux case, cops were sent to investigate a potential lead in the case of these missing kids... but it didn't occur to them that the cries that they heard could have been two of the little girls that they were supposed to be looking for.

These were cops!!!

Not just a passerby who may have had a fleeting thought and dismissed the possibiity, particularly if they had been led by the press to believe that there was no hope of finding them alive anyway.

[Lyall]

Propaganda can make quite a difference, even in this case.

In the Dutroux case, cops were sent to investigate a potential lead in the case of these missing kids... but it didn't occur to them that the cries that they heard could have been two of the little girls that they were supposed to be looking for.

These were cops!!!

Not just a passerby who may have had a fleeting thought and dismissed the possibiity, particularly if they had been led by the press to believe that there was no hope of finding them alive anyway.

Then those cops were idiots. Most people if they heard something would act on it because the child or children could be from anywhere, or be children not even missing (noise or cries could be coming from a family home).

You wouldn't hear something and dismiss it because of your opinion on this case, or other well-known cases.