Should forums be more secure

[Mark Stanton]

I voted to leave the forums as they are - There should be some courtesy and common-sense when posting messages - this should still allow some spleen venting from time to time.

From a club members perspective these forums are a rich vein of information when building, re-furbishing or simply driving.

Similarly companies can also view and use forums as a form of market research, and its free.

If "negative" comments are posted from time to time - why do companies reach for the panic button and threaten legal action ?. It simply highlights an inherent problem - if addressed publicly, positively and actively then the issues noted may be turned around to everyone's benefit.

If you've made a mistake - own up, sort it and try not to do it again - simple.

What do the WSCC do with regard to the recent insurance company postings ?. By the comments noted it looks as though they are all tarred with the same brush.

The old WSCC boardroom was somewhat restrictive and too simplistic in its format towards the end. This new facility has much improved the club resources.

Hopefully the WSCC won't have the same problems as Blatchat, its a pity that it can take only one failing to ruin it for everyone.

[bill shurvinton]

If the world was not full of fanatic obsessives willing to defend their chosen money pit to the death wouldn't things be boring.

For example: TG with William Woolard was informative but boring. For all his faults, at least JC understood what cars were about.

Without Arnie and co, owning a se7en would be so boring.

P.S. In the Vx/K/blade debate all reciprocating engines are useless The rotary is the only true contender.

Ducks

[ACW]

Arnie / Blat,

Thanks for publicing the issues. At the end of the day the liability of liable for a publisher in the case of a web site has yet to be problerly tested in a court of law. The only time it came close I believe an out of court settlement was agreed.

The trouble with liable is not so much the individual but the role of the CLub, webmaster, Host Server and ISP as the legal definition of 'publisher'.

There is no point in sueing an individual theres just no serious money in it, but an ISP or a company thats a different matter.

As you say legally it is very difficult in limiting the liability and I am not even sure legally that limited company status totally removes this as does any disclaimer.

However I think for these message boards to work to any great extent they have to work in the dangerous way they do now. I think they would die if subscription / moderation of every post was used and in any case this in itself does not remove the 'role of publisher' issue. I think all that can be done is hope that individuals do not shut down message boards that are of much use to the majority of owners.

at leasy by ensuring some tracability through known working email addresses and ip tracking we are doing the current best-practice which would help remove 'liability'

I believe in the next two years in this country it will become a necessity for email service providers to know the identity of their customers much as it is in some other countries.

Please Please Please can everyone play nice with one another

 :0  

[Mark Stanton]

Cause for complaint - Strange really - Make comment that individuals or companies are not providing the correct and proper service that one would expect and there's an immediate knee jerk reaction to call upon the Legal Dept. and a public outcry of loss of business.

But pass comment on how truly wonderful the experience and is there a thank you for those few kind words - simple answer = no.

The new club boardroom has over its short time proved entertaining and enlightening - it would be great to keep it that way. Honest, open and informative with an all round perpsective on reality with both its faults and successes given an equal voice.

[GaryC]

Getting back to the original point...

I moderate another BBS site, and have been through many such issues.  I have always been in favour of a nominal annual subscription to actively 'use' the site, but keep it free to browse.  The site I moderate very nearly closed about 18 months ago as the then 'owner' became too nervous about the potential for a legal disaster, and couldn't dedicate the time it would need run the site with sufficient devotion.

Any casual/semi-serious/serious poster, would have no problems about paying £20 a year or even £5/mth to use the BBS, furthermore, with anywhere between 3000 and 9000 on many car BBSs, the revenue generated could be put to very good use - upgrading software, paying for a dedicated web administrator - or even BBS based trackdays!!!!  

If a subscription is put in place, and given both this and blatchat are club BBSs, I would have thought setting it up so members can post without BBS subscription, should further swell membership numbers!