Law X.0

2d Circuit Hears Appeal Of Student Disciplined for Using Vulgar Slang in Blog Post

What! A Connecticut high school student used vulgar slang to describe her school's cancellation of an event in a blog post that was sent from her personal computer while at home and the school barred her from serving on the student council.  Adjunct Law Prof Blog has the story and legal analysis. [JH]

Legal Consequences of Co-Blogging

Interesting article from InformIT: "The decision to blog collaboratively can have significant legal consequences for the co-bloggers. In part 1 of a two-part series, Eric Goldman examines how current legal doctrines relevant to co-blogging can lead to unexpected (and possibly unwanted) results." See also: Legal Consequences of Co-Blogging, Part 2  and our earlier post on Goldman's Co-Blogging Law paper. [RJ]

A Portrait of Early Internet Adopters

A recent Pew/Internet survey asked early Internet adopters why they first went online. The majority of respondents noted "to communicate with colleagues." In other words, to network via a new communications medium. "Social networking is nothing new. Remember BBSs and Usenet, chat rooms and threaded discussions" writes Amy Tracy Wells in A Portrait of Early Internet Adopters: Why People First Went Online --and Why They Stayed. [JH]

More Chinese Dissidents Sue Yahoo!

Yahoo faces another lawsuit over its cooperation with the Chinese government. The claims include violation of international law including torture and prolonged detention, as well as unfair business practices, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and assault.

The allegations:

1. Yahoo provided information to the Chinese authorities that led to the 2003 arrest of Li Zhi, who has served about half of an eight-year sentence;
2. When the Li Zhi arrest came to light in 2006, Plaintiff Zheng Cunzhu was living in the United States at the time and lost his property in China when he did not return for fear of getting arrested for his pro-democracy activities; and
3. A second dissident plaintiff, Guo Quan, claims he lost business when his name and that of his garment company were blocked by the Yahoo search results.

Hat tip to Rebecca MacKinnon, RConversation (citing Business Week). [JH]

Free Fouad who is searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, public participation, and all the rest of lost Islamic values, and for Raghad and Khetab

Several "Free Fouad websites have popped up online and a group with the same name boasts more than 900 members on Facebook, all in support of Fouad al-Farhan, a Saudi blogger who was jailed late last year remains in prison more than two months later for unspecified charges. Al-Farhan — known on the Internet as the "Dean of Saudi Bloggers" — a 32-year-old father of two was arrested on December 10 shortly after one of his blog entries was critical of influential Saudi religious, business and media figures. His blog's slogan is: "Searching for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, public participation, and all the rest of lost Islamic values, and for Raghad and Khetab" -- a reference to his two children. CNN has the story. You can sign a petition calling for his release here. [JH]