[Vision2020] Re: enough... MSD Pay and Tenure

[Ted Moffett]

Dale et. al.

Yes, you are correct, a search engine can retrieve V2020 posts directly off 
the archive, so my comments on the numerous steps taken to view the V2020 
archive were misleading.

I posted another post about this Usenet libel issue, so I will not duplicate 
what I said there.

Newspapers do screen for content and are expected to provide accurate 
information, as with many web sites that provide information or distribute 
news.  A public discussion forum like V2020 offers no screening of the info 
presented by the individuals on the list, and no pretension the information 
distributed will be accurate.  V2020 being "public" does not automatically 
render First Step liable for potentially libelous material that is 
distributed through V2020.

I think Bill London's comments that having a moderated, rather than 
un-moderated, public list serve actually makes the ISP more potentially 
liable for libelous content, is correct.

As with many issues in the law, there are grey areas and disagreements among 
different judges and courts, or between the law in different states or 
nations, which in the age of the global Internet, creates numerous legal 
complications that are hard to sort through.

V2020 is actually distributed worldwide, via the archives, so someone in 
Singapore could sue First Step!
George W. Bush was recently declared by a court in Belgium to be a war 
criminal.  This does not mean anything legally here in the USA, of course.

I'm sure the Internet has provided lawyers with a whole new field to expand 
the number and weight of law books on the shelves.

Ted





>From: "Dale Courtney" <dale@courtneys.us>
>To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Re: enough... MSD Pay and Tenure
>Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 16:50:27 -0700
>
>Ted wrote:
> > I think there are numerous issues that render legal action against First
> > Step for V2020 content problematic.
> >
> > 1)  All content is sent to private computer accounts when posted via a
> > non-commercial discussion group, not presented in public like a 
>newspaper
>on
> > the newsstands, or even on a commercial web site making money off the
> > content where the site is intended for view by any and all people with a
> > huge audience.
>
>Except that it is hosted on a publically available website:
>http://lists2.fsr.net/pipermail/vision2020/
>
> > 2)  The account holders voluntarily choose to receive the content, and 
>can
> > stop the content at any time.  No one should be surprised by what may be
> > posted on a free public discussion group where content is offered freely
>by
> > individuals.
>
>Except that it is hosted on a publically available website:
>http://lists2.fsr.net/pipermail/vision2020/
>
> > 3)  A person who goes to the V2020 archives on the web must go through
> > numerous steps to read the content, that is presented with no pretension
> > from First Step that they are providing pre-screened factual news or
> > information.
>
>Not true. An  Altavista search will send you directly to content in the
>archive. For example, my posts on MSD:
>http://www.altavista.com/web/results?pg=aq&avkw=xytx&filetype=&aqmode=b&aqb=courtney+near+vision2020+near+MSD&aqs=&kgs=0&kls=1
>
> > 4)  V2020 is NOT moderated!  I'm not sure why you mentioned Bill London 
>as
>a
> > "moderator."
>
>The list doesn't need to be moderated for the "distributor" to be libelous.
>
> > 5)  If a web site can be sued and shut down for libel for content 
>offered
> > freely by individuals in a discussion format, Google would be shut down
>NOW,
> > because Google hosts Usenet newsgroups, where you can find the most
> > astonishing lies and profanity about any and all subjects and persons,
>along
> > with mostly sincere and honest offerings, posted freely by individuals 
>on
> > Usenet.  Vision2020 is similar to a Usenet newsgroup in some respects
>
>That's why Yahoo! Groups has moderators who are responsible for libelous
>content.
>
>Best,
>Dale Courtney
>Moscow, Idaho
>
>_____________________________________________________
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
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