Interesting news about internet

Woman Arrested for Facebook 'Poke'

By Chelsea-Badeau Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:51:21 GMT

Be careful who you "poke." According to the AP, 36-year-old Shannon Jackson of Hendersonville, Tenn. was arrested for poking Dana Hannah, a woman she was accused of stalking, on the social networking site Facebook. Jackson was under court order not to communicate with the woman she allegedly poked.

Just in case you’ve never been poked, the virtual nudge generally acts as a playful hello. ABC News calls it the "digital equivalent of waving at someone from across a crowded room." It’s a harmless, little application, unless of course you happen to have a restraining order and choose to poke the person who filed it.

Many Facebook users would agree that poking is annoying, but this may be the first time it’s been considered criminal. The online contact violates a judge’s order "to refrain from telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with [Hannah]." Jackson could face up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if the judge decides she violated the order.

Hannah took a screen grab of the poke message and brought it to the police. Jackson was arrested shortly after that. Considering how many people now use social networking sites, we may see a rise in attempts to sidestep legal orders via online contact.

Hopefully, this will be a lesson to all Facebook users to quit poking people (not because it’s criminal, but because it’s annoying).