smith@ethos.UUCP (01/24/86)
In article <916@nmtvax.UUCP>, fine@nmtvax.UUCP writes: > > I am interested in setting up a computer bulletin board system, but I > have heard numerous horror stories about the sysop and all users being > investigated by various federal and state agencies for alleged illegal > messages. I would like to place an adult personal column on the bbs, but > are there federal or state laws against adult material on a bbs? Also, > if the sysop places a disclaimer saying that the users are responsible for > abuses, is the sysop still prosecutable for the abuse, even if the sysop > edited out illegal or abusive messages? Although there are a good number of horror stories floating around, they are really exceptions to the rules. If a sysop is relatively responsible about reading and maintaining his message base (deleting obviously illegal messages, messages in poor taste, etc), then s/he will not have trouble with the law. I have operated a rather active BBS (Humanities Forum 919/286-3573) for a year now, and have had few problems. The jerks come and go, but they generally don't hang around long to harrass you. Just be rigorous in deleting messages you don't want on your system as well as the jerks who write them. Gary J. Smith @ ETHOS, Durham, North Carolina ============================================= UUCP: {ihnp4,decvax}!mcnc!rti-sel!ethos!smith USM: 707 Ninth Street #13, Durham, NC 27705 VOICE:919-286-7055 BBS:919-286-3573 =============================================
nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) (01/27/86)
> Just be rigorous in deleting messages you don't want on your > system as well as the jerks who write them. > > Gary J. Smith @ ETHOS, Durham, North Carolina I suspect you'll get flak from the local police if you go around deleting people, however jerky :-). -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather nather@astro.UTEXAS.EDU