Mike Girouard wrote: jon@b.infosys.net wrote in message news:<nmHVa.125214$Io.10663083@newsread2.prod.itd.earthl ink.net>...Someone in another newsgroup is accusing me of sendinghim computer viruses in e-mail. The charge is falseand malicious, and he knows it is false. I work as acomputer professional, and I would suffer serious lossof reputation if a perception were established that Isend computer viruses to people.The miscreant lives in England, and I'm in the U.S.What would it take to make a credible threat to sue himfor libel? Has he actually disclosed your identity in any of his accusations so that others would know who you are? If not, I would suspect that your anonymity protects him from any libel/slander activity. How can your reputation be injured if nobody knows who you are?

I post under my real name in those newsgroups (but a
bogus e-mail address). That may have been unwise, but
the cat's out of the bag now, so to speak. Some
antagonistic posters, including the miscreant, have
located information about me on web pages relating to a
longstanding group of my friends, and have in one case
(another poster, not the putative libeler) attempted to
send them unflattering e-mail about me. The jerk in
England may well attempt it himself at some point.

I am not concerned with the attempts to contact my
friends per se, but if they contain untrue and
defamatory allegations about me, I want to be able to
pursue the person, hammer and tongs.