Michigan Military Divorce

Getting rid of ad content on web pages

I owe a debt of gratitude to Elizabeth Sadowski for calling this extremely valuable tool to my attention. Readability allows me to "filter out" all of those pop-ups and other advertising material that I find so annoying on websites. Even websites that are too valuable to disregard have what is for me unacceptable levels of ad content.

Liz says:  "In the words of my hero, Rocket J. Squirrel, 'Now here's something you'll REALLY enjoy.' Readability is a free download that lets you read web articles free of all that commercial junk flashing around the periphery and distracting your concentration from the text. It's like TIVO for your computer. You simply drag the "readability" word to your toolbar and drop it there. Then, whenever you want to read a webpage's text only, just click on the toolbar. If you want to get back to the original webpage, simply refresh the page."

The link to Readability is: http://lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability/
I tried it. I liked it. I am sure you'll find it very helpful. Please consider subscribing to email updates to this blog so that you don't miss any of these tech updates. There is a space to enter your email address in the upper left-hand corner. When you get an update that isn't of interest to you, simply hit the "delete" button.

More about social media and divorce

Sam Hasler writes today on his blog Sam Hasler's Indiana Divorce & Family Law Blog about Facebook indiscretions and other social media issues affecting family lawyers and their clients. You can read it here.

See also a Michigan Lawyer's Weekly by Alex Lundberg, Social web sites becoming new tool for lawyers seeking information, republished here.

Facebook downgrades privacy

The Boston Globe condemns today in its editorial section Facebook's downgrading of privacy. You may read it here.

Facebook privacy | Tech privacy issues & divorce

As earlier posted here, Facebook is becoming a goldmine for family law attorneys. So, the question is:

1)    Are you one of my many family law attorney subscribers / readers who needs to educate your clients about how to minimize their exposure to online material that can prejudice the custody battle, OR
2)    Are you one of the many resourceful laypersons who daily access my Blog who needs to learn more about minimizing your online exposure in social networking sites to avoid prejudicing your custody battle?

In either case, you'll want to see this article, from the New York Times: The New Facebook Privacy Settings: A How To

See also earlier articles about Internet and cellphone security for the divorced and divorcing by [clicking here].

Dating Relationship defined | Text messages & Serial stupidity

Following a trial, the judge entered a final restraining order in favor of plaintiff J.S., based on findings that the parties were in a dating relationship and defendant J.F. made threatens and otherwise harassed plaintiff. The John - the respondent - argued on appeal that since the plaintiff was a dancer in a club he frequented and he was paying for her company, their relationship did not constitute a "dating relationship" within the meaning of the domestic violence statute. Rather, it was a "professional" relationship.

I'm sure the judge was impressed [NOT] when his text messages were introduced into evidence: 

Digital lipstick on the collar?

 According to a New York Times article today:

"Text messages are the new lipstick on the collar, the mislaid credit card bill. Instantaneous and seemingly casual, they can be confirmation of a clandestine affair, a record of the not-so-discreet who sometimes forget that everything digital leaves a footprint.

"This became painfully obvious a week ago when a woman who claims to have had an affair with Tiger Woods told a celebrity publication that he had sent her flirty text messages, some of which were published. It follows on the heels of politicians who ran afoul of text I.Q., including a former Detroit mayor [oh, him!] who went to prison after his steamy text messages to an aide were revealed . . . "

See my earlier post about discovery - how to subpoena ISP providers, phone companies, etc. here.

Lorne Gold did a terrific ICLE seminar recently about Kwame Kilpatrick's test messages and about how family law attorneys can discover and use text messages in a divorce case to prove infidelity, among other things. As for those texting steamy sexually-charged messages? The phrase "serial stupidity" comes to mind . . .

The NY Times article "Text Messages: Digital Lipstick on the Collar" may be read here.

Facebook - Guide to Internet privacy & safety

I've written previously about Internet safety for those in the middle of a divorce or post-divorce difficulties. In particular, I've warned about use of Facebook and MySpace. These social networking websites can offer a wealth of information that might be used against someone who's battling for custody of children or have other issues (such as spousal support) that can be impacted by disclosure of activities.

The New York Times has published a terrific list of ways folks can protect their privacy while using Facebook. I am sure they also apply to sites such as MySpace.

You can read the NY Times article 5 Easy Steps to Stay Safe (and Private!) on Facebook here.

Earlier articles about protecting your privacy when online or using a computer another might have access to (or might have had access to) can be found here.

Disgracebook | Fools names and fools faces . . .

Yesterday we were talking about Facebook and mySpace pages. It amazes me how much personal information people will put up on the Internet for all the world to see. A wonderfully funny website The Disgracebook chronicles people's stupidity on the Web. The caption at the top: " The Disgracebook: Surprise! You just ruined your life with Facebook. Well played. "

Below the photo posted on Facebook is the caption "File under Facebook divorce" and the statement: "A furious fiancee dumped and dubbed her boyfriend "traitor pig" after catching him fondling another girl's boobs on Facebook just days before their wedding."

There is even a space for users to submit their own material.

There are only 8 pages of divorce-related Facebook submissions . . . not quite up to Google standards.

Social networking sites & divorce

Belinda Luscombe writes in the June 22, 2009 issue of Time Magazine "Divorce and Facebook"

"Not long after Patrick told his wife Tammie he wanted a divorce, she posted an angry, hurt note on "the wall," or public-comments section, of his Facebook page. Embarrassed that his colleagues, clients, church friends and family could see evidence of his marital woes, he deleted it and blocked his wife from seeing his page. A couple of days later, the IT worker in  Florida--who asked that his last name not be used in this story — found alarmed messages from two Facebook friends in his inbox. Tammie had used a mutual friend's account to view Patrick's wall and e-mailed several women he had had exchanges with. He says her e-mails were borderline defamatory. She says they merely noted that he was married with children, a fact he had left off his Facebook profile. Either way: Ouch."

Where are the "common decency police" when you really need them?

Should parties make public the messy details about their divorce? In this day of blogs, MySpace and YouTube, this question comes up more often than you'd think.

April 22nd’s New Jersey paper Asbury Park Press contains an article about an attorney, John Paragano, who allegedly posted a video of his estranged wife Diana Prior on a MySpace page. The video, titled, "Superdiva Meltdown," allegedly contained selected portions of a video deposition New York radio personality Prior gave in the parties’ divorce case. Allegedly, the portions posted were selectively chosen to embarrass her and to reveal personal and embarrassing details of her life.