Free Speech and Blogs Can Equal Court Fees

Just because we have a computer and a blog (Define) doesn’t mean we don’t have to be careful in what we choose to say. Recently a Florida woman was awarded 11.3 million dollars for a defamation case, which reportedly was the largest amount ever won in a judgment over slighted Internet posts.

Is this the beginning of a trend? What constitutes as defamation and righteous outrage? Blogs, message boards, and forums freely exist on the Internet and are arguably as old as the net itself. But because these tools are readily available to anyone, the sheer statistics of defamation to reappear in these channels is highly likely.

In the midst of posting what we believe is necessary to even our differences, we sometimes forget the legalities of our actions, especially when someone else’s reputation is on-line. Believe it or not, free speech on the Internet is a weapon that can’t be taken for granted, so for your own sake, make sure you chose your words wisely.
[tags] business blogging, blogs in court, defamation, Carey Bock [/tags]