Facebook sued over fake page

A judge has ordered the social networking site Facebook to turn over information identifying the person who set up a fake profile in the name of a high school dean.

[Tony]

I think it is defamation because its basically in print and can be distributed to millions of people (Just like a blog). Whomever has been defamed has a right to sue and collect damages from the offender - from their parents if it is a juve.
These sites should do more to validate identity and have a responsibility to also validate age.

[PJR]

IT'S IN PRINT!!!!

So are bathroom walls.

People so utterly freak out over anything new (like the Internet). Get over it!

[Sir Digby Chicken Caesar]

Ha ! Little do they know that my Facebook page is completely fake. That bit about graduating High School? Fiction. I am not, in fact a rocket Scientist as the page says, and I put a photo of Brad Pitt up there and said it was mine. I have lots of friends, tho.

[JPA]

How is this identity theft? Defamation Yes, theft No.

[Sharp Shooter]

Aren't most of those "profiles" fake?

[Elroy]

PJR wrote:

IT'S IN PRINT!!!!
So are bathroom walls.
People so utterly freak out over anything new (like the Internet). Get over it!

I'd venture that the internet is a bit more accessable and detailed than a single bathroom wall. This guy has rights not to be defamed. Personally, I would look for money, I'd sneak up on the kid after dark and punch him/her in the face.

[Elroy]

JPA wrote:

How is this identity theft? Defamation Yes, theft No.

He posed AS the dean thus, stealing his identity.

[Chicago Bear]

Elroy wrote:

<quoted text>
I'd venture that the internet is a bit more accessable and detailed than a single bathroom wall. This guy has rights not to be defamed. Personally, I would look for money, I'd sneak up on the kid after dark and punch him/her in the face.

Yeah you know it's amazing that I'm friends with George Halas and Frank Sinatra. Last time I checked, those two have been dead for years and I don't see Nancy Sinatra or the McCaskey family after Facebook

[Tim Puntarelli]

Tony wrote:

These sites should do more to validate identity and have a responsibility to also validate age.

And how exactly are they supposed to do that? I suppose the same way this newspaper does.

[Cosmo]

I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. I've seen many fake pages.

[Cosmo]

Tony wrote:

... These sites should do more to validate identity and have a responsibility to also validate age.

But then Facebook would have to charge a monthly or annual fee so they could pay people to research. And then there's messaging to consider. Would Facebook also have to research the messages that people leave on someone else's page?

[Reality]

PJR wrote:

IT'S IN PRINT!!!!
So are bathroom walls.
People so utterly freak out over anything new (like the Internet). Get over it!

Unfortunately, future employers, corporations and the like actually use Facbook and MySpace to check on existing and potential employees (unlike the bathroom wall). I know of a few instances where someone didn't get a job offer due to a picture or something on a social networking page (nothing risque either).

That said, people have the right to protect themselves. An inappropriate page, fake or real, could come back to haunt this dean later in life should he ever find himself looking for employment.

[JFD]

They will just make a myspace account.....

[Rootsman]

Impersonation is NOT identity theft.

Elroy wrote:

<quoted text>
He posed AS the dean thus, stealing his identity.

[pookid]

halolalam najajahaha

[pookid]

r u talkin about girlz:0

[roncalli sophomore]

excuse me.. but none of you ahve the right to say that he needs to drop it. Someone made a facebook acount, made him look like him, filled out the info on it look like his... then sent out innapropriate message and picture to students. how is that not identity theft. i dont think any of you realize the damage this has done to such a wonderful dean. HE has to go to school everyday(along with his son) knowing that someone in his school tried to make appear as innapropraite being. Time Ountarelli is the most respectable man you could ever meet in you life, and his identity was stolen. I don't think you realize the impact it has also had on us students, especially the one's the fake puntarelli "contacted." Please just watch what you say, and realize that this IS a big deal, and he has EVERY RIGHT to sue facebook to get the people's identities. I sinceerely doubt you would all feel the way you do about this if it were your dad, your brother, your husband, your uncle, your teacher, your dean, or YOU
thank you,
Roncalli High School Sophomore

[KenS]

So typical and not surprising of the little monsters that have been raised as a result of pumping kids full of self esteem and being a weak parent. Parents, what are you doing? Pay attention to what your kid does online. Forget the scumbags and cyberbullies (though this is certainly a form of it); protect your malicious little teens from themselves. Monitor their activity with www.PCPandora.com and be a parent. Knowledge is power… be a powerful 21st century parent and enforce rules. Don’t idly sit by and think your kid is an angel.

[Your English Teacher]

roncalli sophomore wrote:

excuse me.. but none of you have the right to say that he needs to drop it. Someone made a facebook acount, made him look like him, filled out the info on it look like his... then sent out innapropriate message and picture to students. how is that not identity theft. i dont think any of you realize the damage this has done to such a wonderful dean. HE has to go to school everyday(along with his son) knowing that someone in his school tried to make appear as innapropraite being. Time Ountarelli is the most respectable man you could ever meet in you life, and his identity was stolen. I don't think you realize the impact it has also had on us students, especially the one's the fake puntarelli "contacted." Please just watch what you say, and realize that this IS a big deal, and he has EVERY RIGHT to sue facebook to get the people's identities. I sinceerely doubt you would all feel the way you do about this if it were your dad, your brother, your husband, your uncle, your teacher, your dean, or YOU
thank you,
Roncalli High School Sophomore

SPELLING TEST:

inappropriate

don't

every day (should be two words)

sincerely

ones (should be plural, not possessive)

< > < > < > < > < >

Next week we'll cover proper capitalization and sentence construction.

[another rhs sophomore]

thank you to the other roncalli sophomore who also wrote in. i don't know who you are but thank you i agree with everything you said and thanks for standing up for Mr. Puntarelli. i really don't have any thing to add but i second everything you said!