There are two or three issues that we need to discuss.
1. Encrypted messages on the forum.
- The reason A&L is nervous about encrypted messages on the forum is that if somebody used this to start posting links to illegal content then he - because he hosts the forum - would be in a great deal of trouble. We certainly wouldn't want somebody to use our forum to post links to child porn for example. I'm not saying that any member would or has done this but the underlying issue exists.
- Another factor is that encrypted message possibly detracts from people being able to read the role play that is happening. This is a shame because I like reading communications threads.
- The counter factor is that people unfortunately do use posts on the forum to meta game, i.e. to learn information that in character they wouldn't know.
2. Forum hosting.
- A&L kindly hosts and maintains the forum for us. This saves us a great deal of money. Cheaper shared hosted options just don't provide us with the CPU power we need to operate the forum. We could operate the forum from the game server - we almost certainly have sufficient spare CPU to do this. If we do this then A&L's concern becomes no longer personally relevant to him. On the other hand, we need the donations to keep coming in to ensure the rented server stays up. There's a secondary concern that an attack on a single computer would interrupt the operation of both the game server and the forum. EDIT: I'll add that any decent attack would take out two computers anyway.
Please state your opinions and thoughts about how we should proceed.
1. Forbit encrypted messages on the forum.
2. Let it like it is.
' Wrote:- The reason A&L is nervous about encrypted messages on the forum is that if somebody used this to start posting links to illegal content then he - because he hosts the forum - would be in a great deal of trouble. We certainly wouldn't want somebody to use our forum to post links to child porn for example. I'm not saying that any member would or has done this but the underlying issue exists.
<strike>I'm confused about this.
When someone (say the goatsee zoners) post an 'encrypted' thread to the DHC, it's not actually encrypted to people right? Mods can still read it, I can still read the RP, as a player, as long as my characters don't know about it. (hard to do, but the point still stands).
This is moot if people are actually encrypting messages in some fashion, but I haven't seen that.</strike>
Now, as for the 'get in legal trouble' stuff, i don't know about Denmark, but in the US (with stricter internet laws then Denmark iirc) if someone is hosting an 'open' site like this, and an individual not affiliated with the site posts a link or uploads some images that are illegal, as long as the hoster makes a timely effort to remove the material once it is posted, he's ok. But, i'm not a lawyer, this is just my knowledge from looking at laws on the side. I would imagine that Denmark has similar laws, correct me if I am wrong please.
Edit, thanks for the links guys, missed that thread.
Plain english only, if it's not, might as well be on skype or PM. No community involvement.
1. This is not a porn site, or a hentai fetish site, or whatever else spawn of evil are out there. Thus, it should not be used that way. Encrypted messages make a big wide door for that kind of stuff into the forum. They have no belonging here. Keep them out. English works just as well.
2. The secondary concern makes it more than enough to keep things as they are.
~Rom-Rom.
Edit:
mwerte, this what Cannon is referring to:
Quote:http://discoverygc.com/forums/index.php?sh...=82611&st=0
--Why does this forum not have the Spoiler Function?
' Wrote:I'm confused about this.
When someone (say the goatsee zoners) post an 'encrypted' thread to the DHC, it's not actually encrypted to people right? Mods can still read it, I can still read the RP, as a player, as long as my characters don't know about it. (hard to do, but the point still stands).
Encrypted in the sense of:
hjkgkljbfdijubkjclvsdbiudsf
Quote:1. Forbit encrypted messages on the forum.
Quote:5. Discovery forums are meant to be easily readable, which means that:
- All posts must be in normal English.
- All posts should be readable with appropriate paragraph division and punctuation.
- Posting with CAPS LOCK enabled is not recommended.
- You should not misspell nicknames of other forum members if asked not to.
Linky
As far as i'm concerned, that rule exists already.
1. I dont really see a problem with imaginary 'encrypted' messages, but everyone should still be able to read them.
2. I think leaving the game server and the forums on two different places would be a better choice.
Encrypting messages is just silly. If you really don't want people to know don't post it on the forums.
Unfortunately, the law in Denmark is a bit different than here in the U.S. For example, we all know that you shouldn't go to someplace like the pirate bay for anything more than reference. In Denmark, the government has actually ordered the main ISP to shut down access to that site.
Saying that something is highly encrypted is - or should be - enough to secure things here. If you actually are encrypting a message and sending it over the forums - why are you using the forums in the first place? Just use Skype, because you're not actually role-playing where anyone else can appreciate it.
Solution: Give administrators decryption keys. No key - post removed.
' Wrote:I'm confused about this.
When someone (say the goatsee zoners) post an 'encrypted' thread to the DHC, it's not actually encrypted to people right? Mods can still read it, I can still read the RP, as a player, as long as my characters don't know about it. (hard to do, but the point still stands).
This is moot if people are actually encrypting messages in some fashion, but I haven't seen that.
Now, as for the 'get in legal trouble' stuff, i don't know about Denmark, but in the US (with stricter internet laws then Denmark iirc) if someone is hosting an 'open' site like this, and an individual not affiliated with the site posts a link or uploads some images that are illegal, as long as the hoster makes a timely effort to remove the material once it is posted, he's ok. But, i'm not a lawyer, this is just my knowledge from looking at laws on the side. I would imagine that Denmark has similar laws, correct me if I am wrong please.
Messages was encrypted in the now locked "To the omicroners" thread.
If you want legal links to the relevant danish law, it is "Retsplejeloven - LBK nr 910 af 27/09/2005" § 786 article 4 and 7, with a circulaire explaining especially the relevant passages regarding data communications : "Logningsbekendtgørelsen - BEK nr 988 af 28/09/2006"
Revised in connection with the revision of the anti-terror laws introduced in 2004, revised in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
When I started to host the forumserver, I contacted the relevant authorities, and got the information that since I am on a residential contract, and hosting a webserver on it, I am legally the provider, and therefore in need to be in compliance with the law.
As such I am legally obligated to keep logs as well as legally obligated to present anything transmitted for storage in a form that is unencrypted and accessible for the authorities in case they get a courtorder for it, and those logs and the content needs to be stored for 1 year.
Failure to keep those logs and content transmitted for storage for 1 year, means I can be fined large amounts, untill such time I am in compliance with the law. Even if they do not request the data.
Thank 9/11 for this.
Now, besides paying the electricity for running an old non-green box 24/7, and paying the fee for the 100/100 fibre link, if I have tell the wife that we also are at risk for legal fines, because someone wants to store encrypted messages on the server, you can bet I'd rather stop hosting the server. I married her out of love, and have come to fear her wrath as well. Not uncommon in marriage, which most if not all married men can vouch for.
A & L Guy