Anonymity of this forum

I wonder as I sit here “living in Taiwan” and doing something very integral to my “life here in Taiwan” (my attempt not to get this post moved!), how anonymous this forum is.

In a previous post about the Pig&Whistle, there was some talk about the illegality of some of the accusations being thrown around (about the pub). Are we safe? Will this forum protect our IP addresses with everything they’ve got until being issued with a court order? Are computer saavy folks able to get what they want, anyway?

If you’re that afraid, then don’t ever post anything you think you would not be able to stand behind.

I suppose they’d have to show that it was, in fact, you that was doing the typing.

If it is a criminal case (as slander/libel is in Taiwan) the prosecutor can get a warrant easy enough and from a cyber-crime evidence perspective it is easy enough to link posting to real people. I know all this well as I am getting prepared to speak at an MOJ sponsored cybercrime conclave next month. There are of course ways around it, but it involves more than just having a fake cybermoniker. And judges can infer that it was you doing the typing if the prosecution can show other x, y and z facts. They do not have to have an eyewitness to your typing nor a confession from you.

As a practical matter no worries, calling people &%^$$# and related things on an english language forum most likely is not going to get you in any legal trouble. But if you are going to plan serious crimes…uh, watch how they do it on the Soporanos…face to face in a “safe” strip bar.

take care,
Brian Hagen
Counsigliere to the Stars

p.s If some of my hoodlum neighbors here in San Chung do (for whatever reason) want to know who posted what on this board what they do is simply bribe some low level staff at HiNet to find out…including the address of the subscriber…and then they come out to the subscribers house to further “investigate” who may have actually typed the “offending” post.

I was under the impression that, from poor internet research, email and the like is not admissable as evidence, or at least is very rarely accepted by the judge in court. Obviously, I am not right. Darn it.

However, I have learnt some tips about how to avoid slander and libel suits.

Like " he is obviously an alcoholic" would become, “from the way he drinks, it is possible that he is an alcoholic”.

I’m not sure how the forum is set up but I’m guessing that IP address are logged. So technically, anyone “savvy” enough to get the administrator password could find what IP address had posted what. Now, actually figuring out who that IP address belonged to will require bribing some technical staff at whatever ISP.

In regards to the warrant issue, it is an interesting situation because this is a forum hosted on a US server, but with members mostly posting from Taiwan. I’m guessing that it would take a US court order to get the information released (if the owner is sticking to his/her guns).

I hear that getting the court order can be a long and expensive process.

Is a server located in LA under the jurisdiction of the ROC, even though the subject matter is Taiwan?

Bassman’s point is what makes further arguments moot. They would have to prove you actually typed the offending post.

Wouldn’t they?

ToeLitigates

What would consititue a criminal case? :bouncy: