Reality, virtual or otherwise

"Cyberbullying". There have been campaigns against it in both the UK and the US. Both are aimed at young people. The UK government's website is through the Need to Know young people site. The US website is more explicit, stating: "Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying." The strict minor-only definition of cyberbullying does not appear stand in the UK, as model Liskula Cohen used the phrase to the Independent that she was cyberbullied by a blog.

The tagline from one of my favourite websites is: "It's just a website!" meaning that people shouldn't take what is said on the forums so seriously all the time. Och, people just take things so seriously online. And yet at the same time, seem to forget that at the other end of the computer connection is another human being. Selfish selfish selfish.

But the line between libel and bullying is thin. Both the US and the UK are strongly against libel (I'm not sure which one more so). I suppose that's one upside to all this cyberbullying stuff:

The case has helped to clarify which terms of insult are libellous, such as "ho", which are merely wounding, like "skank"....
The court sided with Cohen, citing defamation "concerning her appearance, hygiene and sexual conduct".

Ever wanted to know the difference between a skank and a ho? Well, thanks to the New York courts, we now know.