On 5/5/05, Stan Shebs <shebs(a)apple.com> wrote:
I would say anybody who posts to Usenet automatically
becomes
a "public figure"; you can hardly spew your thoughts and opinions
into a million computers around the world, then try to claim
"privacy". If you want to be private, start by keeping your
mouth shut, eh?
It's an interesting point, whether sitting in your own home typing
material onto the Web should in and of itself make you a public
figure. I'm not aware of any relevant case law. Using your real name
would certainly make it harder to argue that you'd intended to retain
your privacy.
Sarah