passage of CFAA would criminalise posting on ATS

how would members be able to post on ATS if the current version of CFAA passes into legislation?
any breach of the T&Cs would be a federal crime,
using an add blocker would be a crime,
offending members would be a crime,
personal attacks (something i have been guilty of twice)
would be a crime.

simply removing part of the url, to back track to home would be a crime.

USING the services of ATS would rely on the staffs "interpretation" of T&Cs and anything that went against teh T&Cs could then be designated a crime, depending on whos interpretation is used.

if this act is passed, then it would be subjective as to who had or had not broken the rules.

the CFAA laws already passed are vague and from "a time before the internet"
these new laws will be even vaguer even more open to interpretation
AND EVEN MORE OPEN TO ABUSE by over reaching prosecutors,
with even longer prison sentences.

ATS would loose many good writers,

how would ATS survive if posting on a thread could be a felony?

could i get a mod to explain to me how ATS would survive?

xploder

Collaborative Faction

Originally posted by XPLodER
could i get a mod to explain to me how ATS would survive?

Easy enough: we would make it a felony to log out and make eight hours per day of forum participation mandatory.

More seriously, any law that would have the kind of effect you're describing would be patently unenforceable. Indeed, the existing incarnation of CFAA already contains broad enough provisions that just about anything could be prosecuted, with some rather notorious examples already known.

There are practical limits, however, and criminalizing violations of civil contracts like our AboveTopSecret.com Terms And Conditions Of Use would be a move unlikely to survive its first court challenge -- assuming it made its way into law in the first place.

Boneheaded legislation is far from unusual -- heck, most of it is arguably boneheaded already -- but whatever may come down the pike, I'm confident the ATS community will weather it as we always have: by staying a step ahead, or a step away, as needed.




P.S. I'm not speaking on behalf of ATS on any of this, just offering my two horseshoes for whatever it's worth.

reply to post by Majic


Since we would be enforcing the T&C's as mods and federal laws, we would qualify for for fully automatic weapons and maybe Apache gunships as a part of DHS, right?

No, I agree, such a law would be unenforceable and would require a violation of the T&C's in order for the government to get info on where to send the internet tickets. Which of course would mean that we could send a fleet of Apaches (The Banhammer Brigade) against these new internet cops for breaking the law. Because no one is above ATS's T&C's

if this law passes as it is without amendment,
would either of you two mods hesitate to give out T&Cs knowing that your members could then be charged?

CFAA is being discussed behind closed doors,
what would stop them from just forcing this through?

ps i already comply with the 8 hours a day rules


xploder

Originally posted by Ahabstar
reply to post by Majic

 

Since we would be enforcing the T&C's as mods and federal laws, we would qualify for for fully automatic weapons and maybe Apache gunships as a part of DHS, right?

No, I agree, such a law would be unenforceable and would require a violation of the T&C's in order for the government to get info on where to send the internet tickets. Which of course would mean that we could send a fleet of Apaches (The Banhammer Brigade) against these new internet cops for breaking the law. Because no one is above ATS's T&C's

Dear god. I think I need to leave now. The Mod Squad (like what I did there? ) is bad enough as it is. The thought of you being armed scares the bejeezus out of me. That's like them giving ME a gun!

sounds fair enough

Simple. Dont give your location. It's not like they could enforce US laws on non-US members? Even if ATS itself is US.

Only Following Oders

Originally posted by XPLodER
if this law passes as it is without amendment,
would either of you two mods hesitate to give out T&Cs knowing that your members could then be charged?

Although staff members are expected to enforce the terms & conditions as part of our duties, the owners have always made it absolutely crystal clear that none of us should ever feel compelled or even slightly pressured to do anything we're not comfortable with.

We are members first and foremost, our service on the staff is voluntary, and they have always been very respectful of that.

I would not presume to speak on their behalf, but if changes in laws were to somehow distort the intent of the T&C beyond the practical needs of running ATS, I'm pretty sure the owners would change them -- quickly.

Assuming the revised CFAA included the sorts of odious consequences you've described, there is probably some means of explicitly waiving some provisions. Even if not, prosecution requires that charges be filed, and that's just not something I can see any of us doing in a situation like that.

We're just trying to run a discussion board here, not prop up a digital Fourth Reich.

reply to post by Majic

As Judge Alex Kozinski so aptly wrote: "Under the government’s proposed interpretation of the CFAA...describing yourself as 'tall, dark and handsome,' when you’re actually short and homely, will earn you a handsome orange jumpsuit."

im screwed i tell everyone im tall dark and handsome, what happens when they find out that,
im short light and ugly?

im glad you wouldn't turn me in for t&cs violations,

these vague laws cause fear for writers and critics.

im sure they want to criminalise the entire net, so that anyone speaking out about government abuses can be silenced

long live the free net

xploder

Originally posted by Ahabstar
reply to post by Majic

 

Since we would be enforcing the T&C's as mods and federal laws, we would qualify for for fully automatic weapons and maybe Apache gunships as a part of DHS, right?

No, I agree, such a law would be unenforceable and would require a violation of the T&C's in order for the government to get info on where to send the internet tickets. Which of course would mean that we could send a fleet of Apaches (The Banhammer Brigade) against these new internet cops for breaking the law. Because no one is above ATS's T&C's

scary thought huh?

Ubiquitous, seldom-prosecuted crimes invite arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.”

while the mods here are very good,
who is to say what the net police will do
or
what their digital bullets will harm]

xploder

Originally posted by Zaphod58

Originally posted by Ahabstar
reply to post by Majic

 

Since we would be enforcing the T&C's as mods and federal laws, we would qualify for for fully automatic weapons and maybe Apache gunships as a part of DHS, right?

No, I agree, such a law would be unenforceable and would require a violation of the T&C's in order for the government to get info on where to send the internet tickets. Which of course would mean that we could send a fleet of Apaches (The Banhammer Brigade) against these new internet cops for breaking the law. Because no one is above ATS's T&C's

Dear god. I think I need to leave now. The Mod Squad (like what I did there?

) is bad enough as it is. The thought of you being armed scares the bejeezus out of me. That's like them giving ME a gun!

You? Given a puny gun? Never going to happen. You are too valuable for a mere gun.

This is what happens when you are such a modest person.

They will give you ........................ a Raptor! Primary strike weapon and perhaps you get Wrabbit as your wingman.

So ..................... who you going to take out first?



P

reply to post by pheonix358


Such a long long list..... Hmm... Decisions decisions.

Chill guys... I'm negotiating for my very own aircraft carrier here... Don't jinx stuff.

First Amendment
Second Line

Come and get me?

reply to post by Hefficide


My Govt has already offered me the command of the 222nd mounted kangaroo brigade with pouch mounted grenade launchers. Just bloody hard to hit something when you going up and down and up and down.

Still, better than nothing. We also have the new low yield spider bombs. Drops hundreds of thousands of Arachnids (the female Red Back Spider) onto cities. Great weapons we have.

P

Originally posted by CosmicCitizen
First Amendment
Second Line

I'm confused by your post. Do you want be to read the First Amendment in its entirety or do you want me to focus just on the second line of the First Amendment.

Clarification is requested good sir!

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Hell, you should see what they offered me. It has fun things mounted on it *cough*rodfromgod*cough* as part of the weapons systems.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Yea, like you're going to hit a Kangaroo with one of those arrows. Good luck with that! If you do launch them, could you do so in a line from Darwin to Adelaide please, we need some new telegraph poles. Thanks mate.

P

reply to post by pheonix358


Who needs to hit the kangaroo? I'll just level everything in the area and pick up the itty bitty pieces afterwards (if there are any left that is).