Remembering Ortman

Just to put things in reference, I've been around guys like Thompson since I've communicated with others via computer.

Back in the old days before this Internet fad started, heck ... before QuantumLink which begat AOL, I was a constant fixture on Illinois Bulletin Board Systems. These old BBS setups were community forums, file swapping shares and multiplayer games all rolled into one. They were really pretty fun.

Starfleet BBS was run by a guy named Terry Ortman. Terry also would frequent other boards in the area. Apparently a cliche shut-in Trekkie, Terry was a bit of ... crank. This guy could start a flamewar in an ice storm. And he often ended it in a similar way. By threatening to sue the pants off of anyone who disagreed. And that's how some people just roll. They can't really win by logic or facts, because they're never in their favor, so they rely instead on the empty threat of legal action. It's quite possibly the wussiest form of fronting known to humankind.

The important thing to remember is - they're full of hot air. It's all a pack of lies. And there's no better illustration of this fact than the fact that Jack Thompson didn't even bother faxing his potentially fraudulent letter to the actual Seattle Police. Potentially fraudalent? What else would you call using your law degree to perpetuate a hoax? This whole bit about paying for a violent video game, withdrawing the charity money and now threatening Penny Arcade is nothing but a series of lies by Mr. Thompson. Just one big hoax.

In response, the fans of Gabe and Tycho have alerted the Florida Bar Association of his activites, and potentially sparked an investigation. Jack losing his law degree over his childish actions is probably too much to hope for ... but more on this later today.

Back to Terry Ortman. With the advent of the Internet, he went on to bigger and better things. He was nominated for the 2004 Usenet Kook of the Year award, presumably for his work trolling the Traci Lords groups. In reality, Ortman wasn't all that bad. Just a troll. Mostly harmless and sometimes entertaining.

Thompson takes this kind of behavior to a whole new level. He's more insane. He effects a national debate. He lowers everyone whenever he talks. But he's cut from the same cloth. Harmless unless he is in front of a microphone. Anyone who makes a legal threat to everyone but the people responsible for enforcing it is nothing more than an empty threat.