Save Your Conversation
28 05 2007ASL Video - Approx 3:54 Minutes Long
Bascially he asked couple deaf lawyers about it few years ago and it raised some interesting discussion. Right now, there’s really no law to prevent anybody to record the conversation however there’s few states that it is illegal to record conversations thru audio such as phone in general (Specifically hearing folks) — does it apply to deaf community too?
To view more Grant’s vlog — click here and scroll down. Thanks!
Grant W Laird Jr.
http://blog.grantlairdjr.com
Hi, You are right. I just spoke to a cyber lawyer recently. He said that there is no federal law to prevent anyone to record the conversation even if they didn’t warn other people that they were recording the conversation or exposing it to other people. There are some state laws that it is illegal to record the conversation. He explained to me that it is like people are allowed talk about it through their mouths even other people asked them to keep it private. There is no difference about recording the conversation.
Unfortunately I faced this issue because some people e-mailed me that someone else offered them to see the conversation that we had. One of them was appalled that the person would revise the conversation by copying them then pasting them on the MS words. That person would revise everything on MS words and make it look like it was original conversation but it wasn’t. I suggest people not to say anything to anyone who they don’t trust or don’t know this person that well. It is important for other people to have skeptical if it was original or made up conversation.
I am glad that you brought it up. Some crazy cruel people would abuse this and ruin other people’s reputation by making up the conversation and make it like it was original conversation. That is so sick…
People: It is important to protect yourself. Trust me on this because I had first-hand experience. I hate to see that it would happen to you.
Aidan
This is a very interesting issue, i would like to hear more of them since the hearies will say ‘ that’s not fair’ ?? will that happen to us that can become illegal? good point taken, good question… keep it up let us learn more about them only in the state of texas ? nationwide? does those deaf lawyers that u mentioned have a website or blog/vlog about illegal copying convos in some states etc? Thank u for bringing up this issue, in fact i haven’t no problems with copying convos whatsoever at all at this point.
I can understand why some will save IM or TTY message (I didn’t know you can save VP conversation?!) or VP for the purpose of important conversation such as legal or medical or need to have proof such as transactions conducted over that medium (such as contact bank, pay bill over phone, etc). HOWEVER, I question the real reason why some people save IM or TTY or VP conversation that is just simply a conversation with their friends (or fake freinds!)? I know one deaf person who saved all of his IM conversation with his freinds. One day he got into a heated discussion and got upset with that person and then he decided to go through all of his old conversation with that person and send it to other people just out of revenge. That is so wrong. I even told him so.
I never save any of my conversation except addresses or directions how to get to some place which I copy and paste to my notepad or phone numbers that were exchanged. I also never use IM or tty to get involve in any gossip. That is what happened with that guy, he was so interwined in the drama between several person and happens that they all were copying every single conversation which, in my opinion is very immature. We’re all not in high school anymore.
And above, Aidan’s comment is one good example how people can manipulate by copying onto word document and revising it. What happen to good values and morals?
I’m sure there are laws on this and there will be MORE laws developed as well.
Critic
MSN does save messages as archives and sometimes I forget what things I need to buy or plans on what date? I tend to look up in the history of chat. I loved it!
There should be some king of “User Agreement” not to use it for abuse such as making others look bad ans also not use it in the court of law.
I believe it should stay that way for everyone’s benefits. Knives in the kitchen are made to use for cutting vegetables and meat. But some people decide to use it in wrong ways. Same with chat! Can’t outlaw the knives, so do saving the conversation!
Yes, Aidan is one perfect example…
I don’t save my conversations at all, but I do wonder if I should, though.
Not for the purpose of destructing another person, but as a protection for myself.
I do know that by law, they are required to obtain search warrants to look through phone/email records, even text for evidences.
One example is recent event taken here in Michigan where a husband reported his wife missing. Then he became suspicious to the cops (I’m not sure how, but I already knew by looking at his eyes on news and even told my husband I knew he was guilty by looking at his eyes), and they obtain search warranty on his emails…. found emails to his ex-girlfriend talking dirty and wanting to have an affair with her.
It was found that he actually killed his wife and dismembered her body and scattered them at a park where we go for picnics/swimming. Ugh.
I think it comes to common sense and respect…these days people would do it out of revenge or satisfy themselves for their own selfish purposes.
If VRS record all of their videos, why shouldn’t we?
But the question is how far one should go?
I’ve said this before – laws are made because hearts are hardened and we live in a box of fear.
Perhaps you would consider obtaining the needed information straight from the horse’s mouth by consulting both the Department of Justice and the Copyright Office in the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress. Some lawyers may be clueless about specific information that details about what is legal and what is not legal.
Hi IAmMine,
Yes, from now on you should save all. Also, saving all entries from search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) where a blogger talks negative about you
is equally important. Goggle is a true saviour and protects you against a blogger or a commenter.
I think saving the convseration is very vague. It is not a strong evidence to be used against another party. Anyone can change the words easily. I do not think that Judge would allow that in the court. I am almost technological illerate. I read seveal articles of technology where the hard drive can record your fingertyping. Then, the judge can request the technician to invesgiate the hard drive, but it would cost more money.. I do believe that it is legal to record the conversation in any way, but anyone cannot place a bug in the phone without their knowledge. Alec Baldwin left an ugly message on the answering machine and the judge allowed this record in the court and terminated his visitation rights with his daughter. We have to be careful what we say over the phone, vp, email, and instant messanger.
Thanks for this information. Scary!
By the way…I tried to find your vlog on different pagers. You like sidekick the best. I want to show the link to other blog (http://deafjoke.tv/wp/blog/2007/05/30/evil-pager/)
This is interesting. Actually, I always save all IM’s (they’re all logged automatically) and email messages.
There are rotten people out there that will use your messages against you but at the same time, don’t you think you ALSO should have the right to defend by using their messages against them too?
Courts have always considered written communication to be firm and clear while oral communication is very weak. The written commincation can be email, IM’s, or contracts.
I strongly encourage you all to save email messages and IM’s - they take little space (storage is so cheap). Get Trillian or other IM messengers that support logging (recording IM conversations) and use Outlook or other email software to save messages and archive them.
If they’re over a sattuate of limitation then you can delete them but I would recommend that you keep as long as you can.
I checked how much space my IM’s and chat rooms take and it’s only 5 MB for two years of chat (or 2 MB if compressed).
Email.. well that’s a different story… I also archive all images and videos so they take a lot of space - 1 GB in the past two years. If images and videos were eliminated, I’d have around 20 MB of text.
Not much, really.