Investigation into McCann internet trolls launched by police

[stephen25000]

Fair enough - but I would much rather live in a society with a free press.

The other two questions -

Is there an absolute right to freedom of speech? (to be able to say whatever you want.)

And do individuals have a right to anonymity?  (To write or post under a pseudonym)

I watched Sky News briefly this morning when someone suggested that for social media, that peoples' real  names and addresses should be made freely available as well.

Now that would be a recipe for disaster.

Now imagine if some of the nutters on twitter took offense to someone's posts ?

[Wonderfulspam]

As usual the press and media are spinning the latest anti troll measures into something it isn't.  Trolls are for the most part harmless but like most things there are the idiots who take it too far.  Abusive troll is the correct term.

A more precise defenition of 'Troll' is required, in fairness, from the wumming little trouble makers like myself, to those who threaten to rape Richard & Judy's daughter, etc.

[Benice]

I have no argument with the M....... handing the dossier to the police. It does however suggest a closeness between the couple and the individuals who compiled the dossier and harassed Brenda before her death, a closeness that the M...... have been at pains to deny. What they shouldn't have done however is either disclose it's contents, or let them be disclosed by a third party, to the media.

Disclosing the details of individuals included in the dossier to Sky would almost certainly have made any resulting prosecution impossible ( how would Brenda Leyland have got a fair trial after her exposure and subsequent vilification in the MSM ? ) but of course by that time I'm sure the M........ ( who don't forget would be the only ones receiving information from SY as it was them who handed over the dossier ) would have known there was going to be no prosecution so forced to do something like giving the go-ahead for one of their minions ( deniability always ) to give it to Sky.


[edited as per forum rules]

A lot of speculation going on in your post imo Faith.   How do we know how many copies of the dossier there were - or whether copies were sent to other people apart from the McCanns?   

 How do we know that the McCanns had any idea that a dossier was being compiled - until they received it?   

 I have no doubt that people (probably relatives or close friends) were monitoring the net - and I would expect that in view of the menacing content of some of the posts on there.     Forewarned is fore-armed.

How do you know that the people who compiled lists of posts which broke the law ever harassed Mrs Leyland?   For all we know their only interest may have been to collect the evidence and they never posted at all themselves.

What we do know (assuming media reports are correct)  is that when the McCanns received a copy of the dossier - they quite correctly handed it over to the police - and that is all we know about their involvment at the moment.   Anything else is pure speculation IMO.

[Alfred R Jones]

how do you know that those who complied the dossier harassed Brenda...its a gross assumption

There are so many gross assumptions in her post in fact that it is simply one big, rather gross assumption.  I'm supposed to be ignoring her but when you quote her ridiculous posts I have no option but to read them unfortunately...

[John]

I watched Sky News briefly this morning when someone suggested that for social media, that peoples' real  names and addresses should be made freely available as well.

Now that would be a recipe for disaster.

Now imagine if some of the nutters on twitter took offense to someone's posts ?

Maybe if Twitter and Facebook took responsibility for their members and acted on the abuse notifications then this sort of abuse could never proliferate in the first place.

 

[Brietta]

If it hadn't been passed to the media you wouldn't know of its existence.

  ... and does it matter who passed it to the police?

  ... and does it matter who passed it to the media?

I think the fact that it exists at all is what should be under discussion here. 

No doubt I will be challenged on this but it will be repeated no doubt throughout the day ... this morning I caught the end of an interview on Sky News with a woman who had to go to the High Court to get the police to take action under existing legislation on the abuse? or stalking? she had been suffering.

Perhaps the release of the dossier to the media was to ensure that the police would have to take action; it has been my opinion they have been tremendously lax in allowing the abuse of the McCanns to continue unhindered; but it seems they are not alone if at least one other victim has had to raise an action in the High Court to have her complaint addressed by the police.   

[Benice]

Maybe if Twitter and Facebook took responsibility for their members and acted on the abuse notifications then this sort of abuse could never proliferate in the first place.

I completely agree John.     Maybe the promise of a few hefty fines might get their attention. 

[John]

I completely agree John.     Maybe the promise of a few hefty fines might get their attention.

Social media sites have a responsibility to their users, there is no reason why they cannot delete the accounts of abusers but apparently commercial interest is more important to them.

[Eleanor]

A more precise defenition of 'Troll' is required, in fairness, from the wumming little trouble makers like myself, to those who threaten to rape Richard & Judy's daughter, etc.

Do you think that being a self confessed, wumming, little trouble maker is acceptable?

[John]

Members are reminded that posting personal messages attracts an instant ban.  If you are sent an abusive message by another member let me know or copy it to an admin or global moderator.

We all can do things in haste and sending personal messages with questionable content is one of them.  Once you press the send button it is too late to take it back so please think twice before doing so. TY

[Wonderfulspam]

Do you think that being a self confessed, wumming, little trouble maker is acceptable?

In short, yes.

[Benice]

Social media sites have a responsibility to their users, there is no reason why they cannot delete the accounts of abusers but apparently commercial interest is more important to them.

Agreed.  I'm surprised that this aspect of the problem has not even been mentioned  in the media so far (unless I've missed it).      Twitter and Facebook should be held more accountable for allowing ongoing abuse - despite it being reported.         I suspect to remedy that would entail the employment of more staff - and so they will resist taking on that extra expense for as long as they can get away with it.      Profits first and people last - and all that........

If they knew they could end up paying out thousands of pounds in fines - they might change their attitude.

At the moment it would appear that they are happy for the police (and therefore us) to be bearing the cost of their lack of action.


     

[Angelo222]

A more precise defenition of 'Troll' is required, in fairness, from the wumming little trouble makers like myself, to those who threaten to rape Richard & Judy's daughter, etc.

Troll is being wrongly defined as criminal when that is completely false.  Trolls can most certainly be mischievous, devious, playful and bloody downright annoying but they are here to stay.  Abusers are something else and can be found everywhere.

Is Kate McCann an abuser by publishing the comment "f..k1ng tosser... f..k1ng tosser" towards a Portuguese policeman?

[faithlilly]

how do you know that those who complied the dossier harassed Brenda...its a gross assumption

I have posted the tweets which revealed Mrs Leyland's place of residence. Only the compilers of the dossier, or those close to them would know, or care, where she lived.

[Wonderfulspam]

Troll is being wrongly defined as criminal when that is completely false.  Trolls can most certainly be mischievous, devious, playful and bloody downright annoying but they are here to stay.  Abusers are something else and can be found everywhere.

Was Kate McCann an abuser by publishing the comment "f.....g tosser... f.....g tosser" towards a Portuguese policeman?

I could tell, quite well, just who you were alluding to there.