Should this feature be taken out?

[cooleo100d]

I just learned that a N.J. legislator is trying to pass a law that would make it illegal to let people post anonymously on forums.

Should the feature where guests can post be taken out of Olympus?

[the_dan]

No - whilst I havn't read up on the legislation, it sounds unlikely to have those exact repercussions to begin with, and even if it did, then it would only apply to a tiny part of the world (and many would simply ignore it), so it would be overwhelmingly more sensible to leave the feature in.

[Martin Blank]

First of all, it would apply only to boards physically hosted in the state of New Jersey. phpBB is written primarily (entirely?) in Europe, and so not subject to the laws of a state in another country.

Secondly, this would get knocked down almost instantly in any court. The US Supreme Court has ruled on a numerous occasions that anonymous speech is protected under the First Amendment.

Finally, the bill has run into significant opposition within the New Jersey legislature. It probably will not even get passed, let alone signed into law.

[cooleo100d]

First of all, it would apply only to boards physically hosted in the state of New Jersey. phpBB is written primarily (entirely?) in Europe, and so not subject to the laws of a state in another country.

Secondly, this would get knocked down almost instantly in any court. The US Supreme Court has ruled on a numerous occasions that anonymous speech is protected under the First Amendment.

Finally, the bill has run into significant opposition within the New Jersey legislature. It probably will not even get passed, let alone signed into law.

Well DavidMJ lives in New York, so no.

Obviously it wouldn't get knocked down instantly in any court because they are close to passing it.

The problem is if it's passed in New Jersey it might be passed in other states.

I'm going to listen to Radio Godaddy tonite where they are going to do a segmant about it.

[the_dan]

The problem is if it's passed in New Jersey it might be passed in other states.

And still nobody in the rest of the world will be affected.

[OTmaster]

no one will pay attention its the webmasters decison when it comes down to it.

[Martin Blank]

Obviously it wouldn't get knocked down instantly in any court because they are close to passing it.

They are not "close to passing it." Both A1327 and A2623 are still in the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee. They would have to get past that committee, as well as through the Assembly and the Senate, and then get signed into law. These are formidable obstacles given the widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum, not to mention pretty much every legal scholar letting them know that it would not survive any court challenge.

The courts do not rule on anything unless challenged, and they won't accept a challenge to a law not passed. Just because something is passed does not make it constitutional.

[nachtelb]

I dont see the problem. Even if it will be forbidden to post anonymous - its no problem to change the permissions.

[cooleo100d]

I dont see the problem. Even if it will be forbidden to post anonymous - its no problem to change the permissions.

That's a good point and it made me think of something.

Maybe when a forum is created, the default permissions should be to not allow guests to post? Is that already set up? I can't really remember.

[Yoda_IRC]

Yet another fine example of the U.S.A trying to wrongfully assert its laws on the rest of the world!!! If guest posting is removed from phpBB because of this law I will put it back! It exists in CVS I can proberly find out how to re-add it. Further more why should phpBB or any other GLOBAL (phpBB is IMHO global, look at the team members map) project be forced to obey laws of teritories they are not physically in? The U.S.A should grow up and relases they can not enforce there will. If there are people unfurtunate enough to live in new jersey and host there site there than they can disable guest posting at there descretion! It is allready possible to do this and many people do. I don't often use guest posting but it would be a huge travisty for the freedom of software and the civilized world in general if a project was forced to change the ways it work because a tiny part of the world decided to try and screw things up. It won't achieve anything anyway even if I kept perfect logs of my system and required full validation of emails you would still be able to enter false details, a webmaster does not generally have the resources to validate a real world prescence, and there are numerous places to get free or throw away email address and aslong as you never let them know who you are then you fine. Oh and for thoose screaming the letters IP at there moniitor: http://tor.eff.org" target="_blank <-- The Onion Router! it may not be perfect but its gonna make it hard to trace!!!

What is americas urge to control other countries use of the internet and software? They tried to prevent encryption (cliaming its a weapon, so maybe sadam husien had multipule copies of GPG so thats what they ment by WMDs), weakened encryption by enforcing artificial limits for export try to damage national and private security of other nations.

The U.S.A should release that the majority of countries are perfectly capable of maintaining there own law and do NOT need the U.S.A to interfer.

Don't the U.S.A have more important things to do anyway? how about changing its image of being inhabited by drugies, thugs and gun totting murders? (but then again many cities have that image)


If this gets passed i HATE to think what the next step will be. Every message will have o be signed with a digital signiture verified b an approved U.S.A goverment agency maybe? Or maybe just make all forum owners responsible for verifying real world prescence of all the posters, so that will be the death of most forums then.

One simple solution, all internet companies, and software companies shouldn't stand for this BS anymore, leave the U.S.A go for somewhere with laws that make sence, and you don't get sued fo "making cofee with hot water" or othr pointless law suits.