What happened to my thread?

[Athaniar]

Yesterday, I posted the "Quick Internet/Legal Question" thread, asking if a certain site was legal or not. And now it's been moved to some place I don't have access to. Why? Did the topic somehow anger the Mods? Did it go out of control while I slept comfortably in my bed? And most importantly, is that site legal or not?

[Zeb The Troll]

Yesterday, I posted the "Quick Internet/Legal Question" thread, asking if a certain site was legal or not. And now it's been moved to some place I don't have access to. Why? Did the topic somehow anger the Mods? Did it go out of control while I slept comfortably in my bed? And most importantly, is that site legal or not?I don't know what was in it, but I tried looking at it thinking maybe it was moved to a different forum. Well, it was, but it was apparently moved to a Mod only forum. Since I didn't get to read any of it before it was moved, I can't even begin to speculate about why it was moved.

Perhaps the site was indeed illegal and the mods didn't want other people going there?

[Athaniar]

If that is the case, it would have been nice if they had PM'd me about it.

[Zeb The Troll]

Often times when a mod finds something that needs to be addressed but they don't have time to address it properly at that moment, they'll move it out of public view until they, or another staffer, do have the time. In a case like this, PM'ing the author of the thread would likely also fall under "I didn't have time".

On the other hand, you might take comfort in the fact that you haven't gotten a PM from one of them. That means they don't feel whatever you posted was worthy of an infraction or a warning. :smallcool:

For what it's worth, I don't believe authors of moved threads are typically informed about it. That's a level of administration and moderation that I would not expect, especially from a team of what is now three active mods on a forum this size.

[bluewind95]

I read some of it. People were discussing legal and illegal things and giving tips on how to circumvent some stuffs. So I guess that's why it was moved.

[Zeb The Troll]

That would do it.

[Athaniar]

Yes, but none of this answers my original question: that site, legal or not so legal?

[xPANCAKEx]

if you have to ask, then play it safe and say no

edit: if you REALLY must know - ask in the forum/site issues board section - the mods might respond more swiftly there

[Mando Knight]

I don't know what was in it, but I tried looking at it thinking maybe it was moved to a different forum. Well, it was, but it was apparently moved to a Mod only forum. Since I didn't get to read any of it before it was moved, I can't even begin to speculate about why it was moved.

Perhaps the site was indeed illegal and the mods didn't want other people going there?

There was one thread that Roland locked recently because it's apparently a felony in some parts of the US to try to give legal advice without a license...

[Narmoth]

There was one thread that Roland locked recently because it's apparently a felony in some parts of the US to try to give legal advice without a license...

Oh, is that why there's so many posts with advice that start with "this is not legal advice"?
And here I thought it was just a Captain Obvious-warning

[Athaniar]

A strange law, but I'll have to accept it, I guess.
*sigh*

[Flame of Anor]

There was one thread that Roland locked recently because it's apparently a felony in some parts of the US to try to give legal advice without a license...

I don't think Roland made the right call on that one. I'm not an expert, but, in that application, "giving legal advice" surely refers to "being a paid law consultant/counsel/lawyer"--it would be completely unconstitutional to outlaw giving free suggestions on what to do in a situation.

[Roland St. Jude]

I don't think Roland made the right call on that one. I'm not an expert, but, in that application, "giving legal advice" surely refers to "being a paid law consultant/counsel/lawyer"--it would be completely unconstitutional to outlaw giving free suggestions on what to do in a situation.

Oh ye of little faith. :smallamused: Payment is not prerequisite to an unauthorized practice of law prosecution. And I'm not saying everyone who posts is violating the law, only that it's likely that at least some of the posters in any given "request for legal advice" thread are doing so. Many posters may not even be in the U.S. and many stopped in just to say, don't get legal advice on the internet. But some subset of the posters are attempting to interpret the law in relation to the OP's given facts and give advice on that basis.

Sheriff of Moddingham: Indeed, the thread was moved for two reasons. First, it did contain posts, other than the OP, that got into things that were plainly illegal. Second, asking for legal advice here isn't really a good idea. People who give it with out a license are subject to criminal prosecution in most parts of the U.S., and people who are licensed to give it (I would assume) are smart enough not to do so to some random person in a gaming forum on the basis of a single post's worth of information. Also, posting something that is of questionable legality (even to ask if it's legal) then puts the Forum Staff in a difficult position of assessing whether it's legal or not (and thus should be pulled down or not). I can tell you that it makes more sense to err on the side of caution than to spend hours and hours investigating for ourselves or hiring our own counsel to determine whether something is legal.