You can thank (or curse) Stevens for Internet freedom

[Commentary] Washington's nomination industry is gearing up yet again in preparation for whomever President Obama names to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. It will be war, and much of it will be waged on the Internet. Slander and praise of the top potential nominees compete for online attention. When new names are mentioned, partisans and the news media turn to the Internet and, within minutes, develop online profiles that can boost or shred a candidate's chances. As messy as the process is, it is oddly appropriate, given whom the new nominee will be replacing. For it was Stevens who, in 1997, wrote the decision that gave the Internet the First Amendment freedom it enjoys today. A justice who has just turned 90 was responsible, as much as anyone else, for the Internet's youthful, wildly creative and virally destructive culture. Whether you think the Internet is the most democratic or the most pernicious medium in the history of humankind, you probably have Justice Stevens to thank or curse. The power of this new medium to inform our democracy on an endless list of subjects — including the appointment of a new justice — is exactly what Stevens had in mind, and it is a key element of Justice Stevens' rich legacy.