Timothy C. May writes:
Indeed, I support the elimination of concepts such as "slander" and "libel" precisely because they cause more harm than good. Currently, there is an illusion among ordinary citizens that "if that was untrue, you could sue him for libel!" despite the fact that this is rarely practical. In that way, the law actually adds credibility to what should be an incredible claim. Eliminate libel suits, and you've eliminated any presumption that because it's been spoken or is in print, it's likely to be correct.
Reputation performs this function very well, and without expensive litigation. That is why there is really no clear and present danger posed by inacurate information on the Net. Governments shield themselves far better by promoting conspiracy theory as a recreational activity than they ever could by prosecuting people who expose their activities. Drowning signal in noise effectively obscures it without lending credence to material one cannot easily debunk. As they say on X-Files, "The Truth is Out There..." (Somewhere) -- Mike Duvos $ PGP 2.6 Public Key available $ mpd@netcom.com $ via Finger. $