What online bullies and victims do, and steps taken to curb cyberbullying:

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To the Guilty," GET A LIFE for GOODNESS SAKES!!!"

please lah, if you can't take the heat of a cyber forum, you are not ready to face the realities of life...don't be a nerd...take the heat like a man and soldier on. report,shame and blame what???

Waaah Waaah! Someone called me a poopyhead on the internet and now I'm traumatised.

Seriously, how fragile are kids today? I've been called all sorts of names (and said all sorts of names too) and I grew up just fine.

Look on the bright side. Everytime you get flamed, you learn a new word or new way to use words. See free English vocabulary tuition. :)

Also, this way you know how to flame back. Rule no 1 of a flame war. Never be afriad to flame back and escalate. Mothers are usually a good target.

Flaming is nothing on the internet. What we have to deal with are comments that are defamatory. For example, posters who post irrelvant posts that contain malivious fictitious accounts of another's job etc.

There are posters who call someone else on the Internet a prostitute and even give vivid albeit fictitious descriptions about her profile. Such descriptions are ruinous to the victim's reputation. The ST should consider revealing the perpetrator, not so much to shame him, but more to let him face any legal defamatory charges.

the should be 'malicious fictitious accounts....'

sorry for the slip of the finger from the key 'c' to 'v'.

Helena,

We're on a forum that doesn't show any relevant private information of the posters.

FYI that in order to defame someone, the person being defamed has to be described in a way that a third party can identify him.

Unless the flamer knows the flamee in real life or has information that can identify (Real name, knowledge of where he works etc, ) Defamation doesn't occur.

You can defame a person, but not a persona.

Example. User X calls User Y a terroist prostitute.

Unless User X knows for sure that User Y is from Company Y and reveals his real name or other infor hinting at his real identity, User X cannot be sued.

Why? Because User Y is not real and unless he unmaskes him self so to speak User Y (the identity, not the person) is not real but simply an online moniker.

I have been monitoring these board. Names have been revealed. There are numerous imposters(eg. limboonbee, herswedishhusband etc.) on these boards, and they try to spout disgusting remarks while using these 'fake' monikers. Such acts could ruin the reputation of the original poster, who could be a decent person that would never utter such disgusting remarks.

The ST forum editor should take note of the dire consequences to the reputation of other posters, if these imposters continue their malicious ways unimpeded. I suggest handing the names of these people to the police for investigation. If it hasn't been done before, it's time we did.

Helena,

You've brought up two seperate issues here. Revealing a name and then defaming the person is one thing.

Impersonating another poster which I've already stated is an online moniker without legal protection is another. Like I said, online monikers are not covered under defamation since they're not a legal identity.

The other reason why the ST has wisely chosen NOT to give the names to the police is simply because defamation is NOT a criminal case. The police will take the names. MAYBE summon the person (90% they won't bother) and tell the aggrieved body to get their own lawyer if they are really upset.

Also, any poster upset enough CAN get a lawyer to issue a wirt to demand the names.

The ST forum editor is not your nanny. Get your own lawyer if you feel the damage done to your reputation is substantial.

Jay,

Well, some monikers happen to be real names (eg. Lim Boon Hee/Lim Boon Bee). As such, any disgusting acts by an imposter could ruin the reputation of the original poster.

I recently even came across someone who revealed a name on these boards (eg. vincent c). Even if that poster being attacked was not vincent c, it would ruin the reputation of the real vincent c out there.

These malicious imposters/flamers have not scruples at all and are acting irresponsibly. Yes, I know you said that online monikers are not covered under defamation. That's why I said it's time we did.