Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bat.cis.ohio-state.edu!mowgli From: mowgli@bat.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mowgli Assor) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: What Are A Sysop's Responsibilities? (Was: Computer Virus Hearings) Summary: What can he or she go to jail for? Message-ID: <50300@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Date: 31 May 89 02:57:43 GMT References: <154@oldcolo.UUCP> <4246@ficc.uu.net> <513@atlas.tegra.UUCP> <11853@well.UUCP> Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Reply-To: Mowgli Assor Distribution: usa Organization: Ohio State University Computer and Information Science Lines: 51 In article <11853@well.UUCP> dave@well.UUCP (Dave Hughes) writes: [...] >woman lawyer in the midwest was a user of a bulletin-board. She got >into a dispute witht he Sysop, via private mail to him. He made >their private correspondence public online. She sued him under >the EPCA for $50,000. The betting is she will win. Gee, coincidentally, this leads right into several questions I have about being the sysop of a BBS (any). [...] > It also says that, as a sysop, I *may*, if I detect illegal >activites online, turn that over to law enforcement. I am not >compelled to. But if you do, will they nail you for letting it occur on your system? [...] > I say that is pretty sensible start on electronic privacy. Interesting concept, 'electronic privacy'. My story below will then perhaps interest you. >Dave Hughes >dave@oldcolo.uucp I would like to ask the Net about being the sysop of a BBS. I'd suppose that there are FCC documents around (or some government-type docs) that specify what a BBS sysop can & can not go to jail for. Given of course that there are different ethics, there are probably also legal documents some- where about this subject. Where can I find these? I suppose an example might clear things up a little. A sysop here in Columbus reads ALL private mail on the BBS, because she claims that someone was arrested because call girls were using his BBS *IN PRIVATE MAIL!* to make appointments. I have *NO* idea whether this case actually exists, or whether she made it up to support her point, so I'd like to find any precedents that exist for this & any other cases which pertain to private mail on BBSs. I have vehemently disagreed with her, viewing (so labelled) 'private' mail the same as the mail coming via the U.S. Postal Service (albeit slightly faster, usually 9-). Am I right, is she wrong, & where can I find documentation to support my stance (or hers, for that matter)? Thanx, -=- Address: mowgli@puffer.cis.ohio-state.edu (Mowgli Assor in real life) Or: mowgli@cis.ohio-state.edu The 2 precepts of Semi-Divinity: (1) Mind Thine Own Business. (2) Don't Worry About It.