gellyfregy (imported) wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2011 1:36 pm Exactly. But there is also the idea of choosing one's battles. If the current hosting provider or staff aren't willing to host it, we need to respect that. Not as a way of giving in to the prudes, but of acknowledging that other people have feelings and preferences. Besides, while it is almost certain that any judicial review would agree with you (me) about the legality of the stories, the cost in time and effort to achieve that review might make it a Pyrrhic victory.
Well, why not get a representative of the E.A. to take it to the ACLU for a legal rendering and opinion? Possibly, a commitment to defend the site and be a general counsel? Just a thought...
gellyfregy (imported) wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2011 1:36 pm Suppose the EA site included a searchable index of stories posted in other places? How would we know there wouldn't be objections to them that are just as visceral as objections to having all the stories on the EA site? If the fear is that pressure might be brought on the hosting provider, where is the line beyond which everyone is comfortable that the pressure can be resisted? There are comments in the forum that are pretty objectionable, after all.
The challenge of this scenario is that the legal responsibility lies with the site that maintains the objectionable story. Not the site that merely acts as a search engine.
gellyfregy (imported) wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2011 1:36 pm There are other factors too. If the fiction archive causes too much traffic, will there be money to pay for the increased resources or charges? If the controversy causes some passionate crazies to try to crash the EA server(s), will that be a problem?
Lots of things to talk about at MoM.
The E.A. has been crashed before. It did not stay crashed. If money is a problem then membership needs to be established to cover expenses. The E.A. would then need to look into non-profit status for many reasons...
Thanks, interesting questions on a very current problem...