Multiplying out by a minus sign under an absolute value function

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My original problem was:

$$I=\int_0^\infty \frac{1}{x^2+b^2}dx$$

where $b>0$

which i solved the following way

$$I=\int_0^\infty\left(\frac{1}{2ib(x-ib)}-\frac{1}{2ib(x+ib)}\right)dx=$$

$$=\frac{1}{2ib}\lim_{s\to\infty}\int_0^s\left(\frac{1}{(x-ib)}-\frac{1}{(x+ib)}\right)dx=$$

$$=\frac{1}{2ib}\lim_{s\to\infty}\left\{\left[\ln|(x-ib)|\right]_0^s-\left[\ln|(x+ib)|\right]_0^s\right\}=$$

$$=\frac{1}{2ib}\lim_{s\to\infty}\left\{\ln|\frac{s-ib}{-ib}|-\ln |\frac{s+ib}{ib}|\right\}=$$

$$=\frac{1}{2ib}\ln\lim_{s\to\infty}\left\{\dfrac{|\frac{s-ib}{-ib}|}{|\frac{s+ib}{ib}|}\right\}=$$

$$=\frac{1}{2ib}\ln\lim_{s\to\infty}\left\{|\frac{s-ib}{\color{red}{\boxed{-}}\cancel{ib}}|\cdot|\frac{\cancel{ib}}{s+ib}|\right\}=\frac{1}{2ib}\ln\underbrace{\left(\color{green}{\boxed{-}}\lim_{s\to\infty} \left|\dfrac{s-ib}{s+ib}\right|\right)}_{-1}$$

Why am i allowed to multiply out by the minus sign, but why only until inside the logarithm? If i don't multiply out with it the logarithm's argument will become $1$ so then i get a wrong answer. If I multiply out to the front my final result will be negative.

$\frac{\pi}{2b}$ is the correct solution by the way.

$$\ln(-1)=x\Rightarrow e^{\ln(-1)}=e^x\Rightarrow-1=e^x\Rightarrow e^x+1=0\Rightarrow x=i\pi$$

$$I=\frac{1}{2\cancel{i}b}\cancel{i}\pi=\frac{\pi}{2b}$$

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I use that $\log z=\log|z|+i\arg(z).$
$$\int_0^{\infty}\left(\frac{1}{x-ib}-\frac{1}{x+ib}\right)dx=$$ $$\log(x-ib)-\log(x+ib){\large|}_{x=0}^{\to \infty}=$$

$$\log{{x-ib\over x+ib}}{\large |}_{x=0}^{\to \infty}=$$

$$\log\left|{{x-ib\over x+ib}}\right| +i \arg {x-ib\over x+ib} {\large|}_{x=0}^{\to \infty}=$$ $$0-\{\log\left|{-ib\over ib}\right|+i(-\pi/2-\pi/2)\}=i\pi.$$ Thus, $I={i\pi\over 2ib}={\pi\over 2b}.$