Message Boards and the Judge

Last updated : 23 March 2006 By Locheearab
 

The message board and the Judge.

 

 

            For those who like Gossip, this is not a devious tale of a High Court judge who spends time on the Utd Mad message board but simply a warning for all users as to the way the internet and any corresponding law is taking us.

            This week has saw the papers report the court case between two chatroom posters who resorted to personal abuse – one of the posters refused to stop the abuse even after being asked- and despite using an anonymous name, she was taken to court and eventually agreed to pay an out of court settlement of £10,000. So what's this to do with us message board posters and Utd mad as a whole? Hopefully nothing- but it is simply a warning to all internet users that more and more the murky world of the court rooms is casting its beady eye in our direction. In the past, any disagreements and arguments on these boards have always been managed by the posters and the moderators and this will most likely always be the case.

The message for us posters is clear. Think first before you post and remember that hiding behind a username does not guarantee you absolution should your post offend someone. The moderators here at Utd mad are a good bunch and cover a broad range of  political, personal and in buddah's case, sexual persuasions ;-) so the next time you feel hard done by because of a removed post, just think of it as Utd mad looking after your best interests.