Heya there.

[Jem]

In its simplest form...

http://www.holokits.com/a-simple_holography.htm

Jem

[Laserchik]

Thanks Jem! I will add it to the millions of things left to learn in this new hobby!

[allthatwhichis]

In its simplest form...

http://www.holokits.com/a-simple_holography.htm

Jem

I never seem to like doing things the simple way...

[flecom]

I do not have Colin's contact info but if someone here does - Would you be so kind to shoot him a message stating that PL will gladly rehost the forum data?

if you need server space I have a whole rack of them in a datacenter with about 60gb/s bandwith to the internets

[Jem]

I never seem to like doing things the simple way...

Ah, better prepare your wallet for some more abuse then

[Eidetic]

The whole issue started with a character calling himself "Holodisk", probably named mark slater, who posted a rant on Colin's forum maybe three years ago slamming Selwyn about issues he had with him from one encounter in the mid'-'70s. Sel finally saw it coming up on Google search on his name and only wanted it removed. Colin chose to not edit anyone's posts there, and Sel never posted in his own defense. I was asked to intervene because I know them both personally (Sel for a very long time and Colin since he started his forum 8 years ago), but was unsuccessful. Bob the "peacemaker". The "Drama King"! Go figure. Actually though, my title is the result ONLY because of my beef with 2-3 power-trippin' assholes in control of LPF, and I'm in fact an easy goin' guy with a deep appreciation of lasers and holography (albeit opinionated and politically incorrect) and community involvement. My adversaries at LPF are just freakin' wrong.

Anyway, Colin chose folding the forum instead of removing the offending posts. His choice. Sel only wanted the posts removed, and resorted to calling a lawyer only after Colin refused to remove the couple posts. The real, honest-to-goodness piece of shit in this affair is mark slater, who's been gone from that forum essentially since he wrote the totally unsubstantiated crap. Selwyn was 100% justified in wanting those posts off the internet. Colin can do whatever he wants with his forum. The lesson to take from this is that libelous garbage cannot be allowed to remain in a forum when the target complains about it, and the one who wrote it can't or won't defend it.

[buffo]

The lesson to take from this is that libelous garbage cannot be allowed to remain in a forum when the target complains about it, and the one who wrote it can't or won't defend it.

I believe this to be in error, at least as far as US law goes. My understanding is that 3rd party carriers (eg: forum admins) are exempt from direct libel claims against the members of the forum.

Spec can probably quote chapter and verse of the relevant case law, but I believe a forum operator is under no obligation to police for or remove any allegedly libelous information on the forum. (Certain exemptions to 3rd party carrier status exist under copyright law and the DCMA, but that has nothing to do with libel.)

In all practicality, I agree it would have been better to add an "editors note" at the end of the post stating the controversy, and allowing forum visitors to make up their own mind. Truthfully, even deleting the few offending posts would have been preferable to nuking an entire forum. Sad that it had to come this far...

Adam

[goninanbl00d]

Anyway, Colin chose folding the forum instead of removing the offending posts. His choice. Sel only wanted the posts removed, and resorted to calling a lawyer only after Colin refused to remove the couple posts. The real, honest-to-goodness piece of shit in this affair is mark slater, who's been gone from that forum essentially since he wrote the totally unsubstantiated crap. Selwyn was 100% justified in wanting those posts off the internet. Colin can do whatever he wants with his forum. The lesson to take from this is that libelous garbage cannot be allowed to remain in a forum when the target complains about it, and the one who wrote it can't or won't defend it.

The letter says otherwise

1. You can provide me links to threads and we can edit them together.

2. I can write a script that deletes all threads with the term Selwyn or Lissack

3. I can close the form and leave a page behind saying that I don't have the man power to edit the forum to Selwyn's satisfaction and thank everyone for their 8 years of participation.

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...945#post168945

[norty303]

See the note on the 445 forum here at PL......

http://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/liability/230

[Eidetic]

The letter says otherwise



http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...945#post168945

That letter was written after the lawyer got involved, and Sel was in the state of mind to just give Colin and his forum the finger. If only the offending posts were taken off, the issue would've been done. Colin's probably in the right as far as US law is concerned, and that's probably why the lawyer was from Canada. Colin would win, but who wants to spend the time and pay for the fight? The forum was a fun thing for him, why would he want the grief?