On 5/5/05, Stan Shebs shebs@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