loins fan forum

[Dazza42]

Just droped into the loins fans forum to see what they had to say about this weekends game (something i do each week), and this is what i got. Does any one in here know anything about it.

Footy Forum
LIONS FOOTY FORUM CLOSED FOR LEGAL REASONS

The ‘Footy Forum’ on the Brisbane Lions website will be closed tomorrow morning (Thursday, 11 May) for legal reasons.

It has been brought to the club’s attention that the club is liable in a defamatory sense for views expressed on the forum, and accordingly the Board of Directors and Senior Management have made a decision not to continue to ‘walk the gauntlet’ in this regard any longer, and thereby expose the club and its members to significant financial risk

We apologise to the vast majority of people who have made their postings on the forum in the appropriate spirit and fashion, and have enjoyed the inter-active banter of genuine Lions supporters.

Sadly, though, the irresponsibility of the small minority, who have refused to heed the repeated warnings from the club in this regard, and have made what can only be termed vicious and libelous comments, have left the club with no alternative.


Brisbane Lions Management & Board of Directors



GO PIES








[This message has been edited by Dazza42 (edited 10 July 2001).]

[Seth]

Hey Dazza42 do they also say Go pies as well at the bottom of their posts or letters etc???

Collingwood is Coming!!

[Mike]

It may be the way all official forums will go Dazza.

The problem they face is that everything published on a web site carries the implied approval of the publisher, and the publisher can be sued if defamatory material is published.

Bulletin Boards are just as much part of a web site as any other part. So a live bulletin board / forum, like this one lives on a knife edge. A ratbag can come in here and say whatever he/she likes about anything and anybody - and there are plenty of ratbags out there - and ultimately, I, as the publisher am liable. I get around this by having the system email all posts to me as soon as they are posted. So if something is posted that could be damaging, I can delete it before it does any damage. I have another protection as well - I'm not worth sueing.

The club sites are in a different position; they rely on employees to monitor official forums. Employees are not going to be available around the clock and therefore forums can only be monitored during office hours. Clubs are also eminently sue-able, they have assets and insurance coverage which means that there is a financial incentive for people to take action.

Our official forum is moderated before the fact which means that posts are screened and approved before they are published. This procedure protects the Club, but removes all the spontaneity from the forum, because the posts have to wait until someone approves them before they make it onto the forum. It destroys the very nature of a forum, as those who use it will testify.

Clubs also a face restriction of freedom in what can be posted for other reasons. For instance they have an obligation not to publish material, well-intentioned or otherwise, that may damage their relationship with the players. Imagine a young player who is struggling. There is always someone who, rightly or wrongly, will cry dud and often accompany that with abusive criticism - and that type of post nearly always snowballs. The Club can't afford to publish that material because they have a duty to nurture and protect.

People often cry 'Freedom of speech!' when their remarks are cut or modified, it's happened here, but the truth is that there is no freedom of speech in this medium. Someone is always accountable. On this Bulletin Board, for example I am ultimately responsible for what is published and I decide what is to be published - it's not a democracy.

I believe that official forums will eventually become too hard to manage or too stilted to be effective and will be discontinued. It is a role that unofficial sites perform well and that is where we can continue to contribute.

[junkboy75]

I don't know the exact details, but the reason why the lions website was closed was due to the incident surrounding rape allegations towards certain lions players earlier this year. it was a certain minority who deliberately and maliciously set out to discredit the club, and obviously achieved their aims with the forum's closure. as highlighted in the previous post, all forums run the risk of this happening, and particularly when extenuating events like the above occurs.

"everyone's a winner hot pies"

[Dantheman]

hmmm yeah - interesting.

[magpie joffa]

The internet sadly attracts the weak the gutless the spineless
the sleaze and generally people who cannot interact with society
in person. the weak think they become the brave the gutless think they have guts the sleaze prey on sexual pervertion.

Its a shame because the internet has become a fantastic way of communicating with many people.


WE MARCH WITH PRIDE,WE MARCH WITH LOVE,WHEN IT COMES TO OUR COLLINGWOOD WE FOREVER MARCH ! we will never forget our great number #42...GO YOU BLOODY PIES yeaaah LETS KICK ASS.lets kill the bloody bastards !!
http://www.mp3.com/joffa

[Mike]

I love you too Joffa

[Dazza42]

Thanks for clearing up that little matter for me guys, its a real pain that its going that way but i spose what do you do. I dont know if the loins supporters have any where to post there opinions on the club but id be sure p!ssed off if we didnt. Oh yeah joffa i hope you werent meaning were all like that,LOL, but i do know what you mean though, theres alot of sickos out there. Keep up the good work mike, this is the number 1 site on the net and it would be great to keep it that way.....

PS: SETH they dont put GO PIES at the end of there letters or posts but they bloody well should.......LOL.....


GO PIES

[Broadie]

My thoughts exactly, Mike.

What are you trying to tell us, Joffa?

Broadie

[ytry4]

Why can't the clubs just post a notice saying they are not responsible for users comments on the bulleting board?

'The heart of a club lies not in its location but in each and every one of its fans'
---------------------------------
BLACK & WHITE - For those who bleed Black & White

[Mike]

You can ytry4, but it doesn't make any difference to your responsibility as a publisher.

If someone is defamed in a medium that you control, then you can be held liable. It can be reasonably argued that you have promoted the view expressed by not exercising the power that you have to remove it.

[ytry4]

Then why do I see these kinds of notes. It happens on tv too, I think..?

'The heart of a club lies not in its location but in each and every one of its fans'
---------------------------------
BLACK & WHITE - For those who bleed Black & White