Naturally, I've been trying to educate myself recently about exactly what constitutes libel. I'm not an attorney, so please do not take the following comments too seriously.
The good news is that it seems to be difficult to be convicted of libel. But interestingly, there are 4 topics that are much more clearly libel. A statement that falsely:
1. Charges any person with crime, or with having been indicted, convicted, or punished for crime;
2. Imputes in a person the present existence of an infectious, contagious, or loathsome disease;
3. Tends directly to injure a person in respect to his office, profession, trade or business, either by imputing to him general disqualification in those respects that the office or other occupation peculiarly requires, or by imputing something with reference to his office, profession, trade, or business that has a natural tendency to lessen its profits;
4. Imputes to a person impotence or a want of chastity.
I think #2 and #4 are just silly, but everyone should still watch out because they could result in a lawsuit even though I think they're silly. #1 brings to mind a post I made a few months back. Fortunately for ignorant me, the statement turned out to not be false. But #3 is the most interesting of all, because I immediately notice that many posts on this forum would fall under category #3. I'm just suggesting that people on this forum be properly informed of where the line is and when not to cross it. I suggest that further discussion on topic #3 cease.
