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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!cbosgd!mark
From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: Objection to annonymous postings
Message-ID: <508@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Nov-84 17:28:47 EST
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.508
Posted: Mon Nov 19 17:28:47 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Nov-84 03:20:36 EST
References: <112@normac.UUCP> <1258@eosp1.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Columbus
Lines: 30

I agree with Tony Robison.

There is a parallel discussion about this subject going on in fa.telecom
right now, pretaining to anonymous postings to BBS's and the legal issues
about who is or is not responsible for them.  While I don't think the
issues are clear cut, there has been at least one instance where the
police have seized a system because a credit card number was anonymously
posted on that system.

The erewhon case has shown that for those who know how the net works,
it is indeed possible to post a forged message that can't be traced.
We have no way to stop such postings.  However, if we encourage anonymous
postings, we are potentially liable when someone advocates an illegal
activity anonymously.

If you really want to post something anonymously (and I do believe there
are newsgroups where this makes sense) you should go through a moderator
who knows who you are.  This moderator presumably will ensure that the
message is not going to get somebody sued before posting it.  If there
is a legal problem with a message, the moderator can cancel it, and can
direct authorities to the person who posted it.  (I really hope it never
comes down to this, but the moderator shouldn't be the one sued.)

Up until now, people have used good sense and not posted things that are
obviously illegal.  If we all continue this way, we won't have problems.
However, it would be a mistake to set up software to encourage anonymous
postings, since that would open the door for an arrest or lawsuit, and
it would be the system administrators who would be in trouble if it happened.

	Mark Horton