Outed ‘Skank’ Blogger Says Victim Was Asking For It
Rosemary Port, the 29-year-old anonymous “skank” blogger who was outed by Google after a court order forced the company to reveal the identity of the person behind the blog “Skanks in NYC,” which attacked former model Liskula Cohen, feels exposed. Also angry at Google for violating her privacy. Port has apparently discovered the blogosphere is not so cozy without an anonymous handle to protect you! Not only that, according to Port, Cohen was asking for it.
Port, who has not enjoyed all the name calling the press has been firing her way since her outing last week, is now taking Google to court for revealing her identity, because the fact the the Founding Fathers wrote ‘The Federalist Papers’ under pseudonyms somehow means she should also be allowed to slander with anonymous impunity, but bear no responsibility for the outcome. Says Port to the Daily News:
“This has become a public spectacle and a circus that is not my doing…By going to the press, she defamed herself. Before her suit, there were probably two hits on my Web site: One from me looking at it, and one from her looking at it. That was before it became a spectacle. I feel my right to privacy has been violated.”
“By going to the press, she defamed herself.” If all else fails blame the victim! Especially if she is pretty. This from Port’s lawyer is also suggesting Cohen brought all this on herself:
“The pictures she posted are more scandalous than any words,” Strazzullo charged. “Ms. Cohen loves the spotlight. She brought this notoriety on herself. Then she used a PR circus to defame my client.”
This is basically the online equivalent of, she was wearing a short dress so she deserved it. The pictures he’s referring to, by the way are ones Cohen apparently posted of herself, fully clothed, at a private party “apparently simulating sex with a fully clothed man. (Cohen did post a slightly saucy shot of herself on all fours inside Cipriani’s.)” Really? If this argument had any legs to it than practically every person with a Facebook page is necessarily inviting the sort of name calling Cohen endured. Though now, thanks to Cohen, every name caller may now be inviting a court case!
At the moment, Port mostly just sounds like a sore loser, caught doing shameful things she was unwilling to publicly admit to, which is primarily the motivation behind most anonymous internet activity, come to think of it. And apparently Port should have read the fine lines in her Blogger agreement, which states the company can “share personal information if required by a legal action.” One imagines a lot of people are going to be reading that a bit more closely now. Interestingly, the most shocking part still seems to be the fact Cohen complained at all. There is a subtle how dare she, sort of amazement to be found in much of the coverage, not to mention Diane Sawyer’s interview the other day. Anonymous name-calling is regarded a way-of-life on the Internet. As such, it will be interesting to see whether Port’s case against goes anywhere. While Cohen deserves credit for having the guts to file the court case to begin with, too many internet users enjoy their anonymity too much to go down without a fight. How long till Port becomes the rallying point for the lonely, angry, and anonymous everywhere.
