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Culture

by Mike Masnick

Fri, Dec 23rd 2005 11:27am





Web Shaming: Punishment For The Digital Era?

from the oh-the-shame-of-it-all dept

Earlier today, we noted that a new law in Finland would, among other things, let the recording industry take out newspaper ads with the names of those caught file sharing. With the comments to that story suggesting that at least some people would wear that as a badge of honor, it's worth wondering how effective the "name and shame" punishment plan is. However, it seems to be becoming much more popular. While by no means new, it appears that more states are planning to get back at tax evaders by putting their names on the web. Still it does make you wonder how effective these plans are? While the Finnish plan appears to be in newspapers, and not on the web, how many people actually go read these "shame lists?" The web-based ones may show up in search engines, obviously, and that could cause problems when (for example) someone is checking you out for a job or for a date. However, it does raise questions about what happens to the person who is falsely accused -- or for people who have the same names as a tax cheater.

6 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Dec 23rd, 2005 @ 12:17pm

    Mistaken Identity

    A co-worker of mine claims he has been turned down for several jobs because another texan with the same name is a registered sex offender, and comes up when you do an online search with his name. The registered sex offender list has pictures and it obviously isn't him, but if a 3rd party company is hired to do background checks they wouldnt know the difference (because alot of times they dont meet you personally)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Beck, Dec 23rd, 2005 @ 12:51pm

    Re: Mistaken Identity

    I wonder if it would help or hurt your friend to put a preemptive note on his resume?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Rikko, Dec 23rd, 2005 @ 12:57pm

    Re: Mistaken Identity

    LOL.. "Note I am not the registered sex offender found in the Texas registry. I have never been apprehended, convicted, or registered as a sex offender."

    And let the implication that you're a mighty clever perv go over a few heads.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Dec 23rd, 2005 @ 3:23pm

    No Subject Given

    Grand Theft Auto: 5 Years in Prison and Up to $50,000 in Fines.
    Downloading a movie: 25 Years in Prison and Up to $250,000 in Fines.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Dec 23rd, 2005 @ 3:44pm

    No Subject Given

    However, it does raise questions about what happen to the person who is falsely accused -- or for people who have the same names as a tax cheater.

    Easy to avoid if you include other identifying information.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Patriot, Dec 26th, 2005 @ 1:59am

    No Subject Given

    Sure – go ahead and tell me where to find the guy who has noting left to loose, an ax to grind, and a history of distributing music files.

    PLEASE DO THIS.

    It will take all the leg work out of figuring out who has the good files.

    Didn’t ANYONE read Nathanial Hawthorn in high school? THIS is why the cliff notes aren’t worth it people.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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