Re: Future of online fora

On 4/3/2025 12:13 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:

AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

On 4/3/2025 10:27 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:

AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

The forum LFGSS (London Fixed Gear and Single Speed) is
among the early casualties of The Planners in the UK nanny
state.  Under the well invoked principle, "Everyone ought
to, because I say so", newly enacted internet regulation
makes online providers fully responsible for online content
including purported crimes of "revenge [whether personal or
by class], extreme pornography, sex trafficking, harassment,
coercive or controlling behavior and stalking."
>
Since interpretation of those can be highly subjective* and
in light of the huge volume of content, every word of which
is a possible offense, providers such as Microcosm, who
wrote the popular group forum software, have deleted all
activity and more have followed.
>

I’d of thought much more likely due to the boom of Fixed/Single speed bikes
is gone, they where the thing a decade or more ago.
>
And likewise website based forums aren’t as popular as they used to, as the
rise of more app based social media.
>
So folks have moved on.
>
So the value to update the software ie that ran a few forums isn’t there, I
think the developer it was a one man operation was overreacting.
>
UK online safety act is clearly intended at Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg,
but it’s probably poorly written, was the last government’s legislation
even if it’s come into force now. And they were trying anything to get out
of the hole they had dug!
>
Can’t see it being a priority to sort out by this government any time soon
though!

>
>
*c.f. plentiful examples of the last three right here on
RBT. Or not. That's the nature of subjective evaluation.

>
Seems very unlikely after all lots of people being rude to each other
happens on other places.
>
Roger Merriman

>
Not for long if Mr Starmer's administration has its way!
>

 This law has zero to do with him!
 This is dishy Rishi’s work! Note this is time when the Prime Minister had
been outlasted by a lettuce! And the Government was well not doing its job,
but attempting to do anything that would make them popular, from cancelling
the High speed rail service to laws like this.
 This is all on the Tories, who had at that point a huge majority so didn’t
require any support from any other party.
 Roger Merriman

Thank you I did not know that.
Reportage I read at coffee earlier today said enforcement is given to an UK agency called OFCOM who are empowered to fine up to ten percent of a firm's annual revenues for violations.
Rules were first published in December 2024 with a 31 March 2025 enforcement date. Rules include a requirement that online providers keep written paper records of assessments for each incident to include the "nature and severity of potential harm". Apply that to such areas as 'harassment' or 'stalking' and compliance becomes ridiculous, hence closure of hundreds of providers and blocking of UK users by some EU providers.
Perhaps as here, administrations come and go but the nanny state, with its truncheons for subduing the citizenry, continues on its own path.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971