An article in the Boston Globe today exemplified why you should always follow the golden rule when posting on the internet: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it all. According to the Boston Globe:

A man accused of making unflattering online comments about his former lover and her attorney on Craigslist has been charged with two counts of criminal libel. The The case began when a woman told Loveland police in December 2007 about postings made about her between November and December 2007. Court records show posts that suggested she traded sexual acts for legal services from her attorney and mentioned a visit from child services because of an injury to her child. [The man], confronted by detectives at his workplace in August, said he was "just venting," according to court records.

"Just venting" can get you into a lot of trouble, not only with the police as this man found out, but also with the family court. Blogs, status updates and "rants and raves" on Myspace, Facebook and Craigslist often make their way before the court, to the detriment of the posting party. So, however tempting it is to vent to your online pals, don’t.