InterNot Free Speech
from the flaming-goes-to-court dept
Mary E. Day, who appears to be a major player in this whole story writes in to tell us "This recent article in Silicon Valley's Metro newspaper is a great summation of the Varian SLAPP against Internet free speech and what is at stake when corporations believe they alone can determine what can and cannot be said on the World Wide Web." The article basically summarizes a series of lawsuits involving Varian, former employees of Varian, and (possibly) a friend of someone at Varian threatening the lives of the former employees at Varian - all because of some (admittedly) "often offensive and occasionally vile" series of posts on some stock message boards. Seems like an awful lot of trouble over some hurt feelings.
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No Subject Given
They went way, way over the line when they started publically posting the names of the children of their adversaries, and giving the neighborhoods where they might be found. Jail is too good for them.
It seems like some poor fool with a Don Quixote complex injected himself into the fray and also went over the line. Too bad for him. His intentions were good, his methods were unacceptable. Let's hope he gets off lightly.
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Read
First of all let me say, I enjoyed the book. Varian is certainly not a place that I would ever consider working at and the story is much more than just about hurt feelings. Varian allowed employees to be harassed by managers notably a Susan Felch and George Zdasiuk. These two Varian managers went so far as to videotape employees going to the bathroom and fabricate an incidence of laboratory sabotage. While some parts of the 400+ page book are especially humorous, one thing is clear, Varian made a mistake suing these two!
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Re: Read
Cancer: We Live and Die by Radiation is available @ http://www.mobeta.com
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Thanks4your2cents
The great thing about this country is the freedom to state our opinions and views freely without fear of repercussion or repression. It is supposed to work that way - last I heard anyhow.
"They deserve all the evil that happens to them"?!? A little scary and that combined with your anonymity gives little weight to your opinion. Isn't the internet cool? You can thank Delfino & Day for fighting for your constitutional right to post anonymously and cowardly hurl insults. At least Mike and Mary were not ashamed to sign their names .
A blessing:
I pray that Day and Delfino truly will receive everything they deserve and more
A Curse:
I pray that Varian and others of its ilk also get "what they deserve."
And you can decide either way anonymous poster, but I will pray that you to get what you deserve.
As for me, I thank the good lord for his grace in giving me all the wonderful things I don't deserve and his mercy for withholding all of the terrible things I do deserve.
Time to go hit another windmill -
Love Sancho
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This Varian SLAPPer PAID BIG TIME!
damages are awarded as follows:
$87,323.00 collectively to both plaintiffs; $200,000.00 to each plaintiff for general damages; and $300,000.00 to each plaintiff for punitive damages.
Date: April 18, 2005
signed Robert A. Baines
Memorandum of Costs $12,780.94, filed April 19, 2005
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Loads & Loads
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Thank you Mike and Mary!
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