new log ins

[aka]

Do we all have to log in now?..is this to get rid of
the 'rif-raf'.......?

[isaacs]

Yes you all need to log in now.
Accreditation is important

[vickijane]

Mark, with the new grown up version of the forum I'm wondering about privacy law. I am not as across the Australian law on net forums as much as I should be considering my work.

Now that OJF is 'members only' I'm not sure that what is written here can be considered to have entered the public domain. It may be illegal to cut and paste without the author's permission. Not that I would ever do that!

[isaacs]

I reckon copyright, privacy and the Net are largely uncharted waters still, so I just do what feels right, and if someone wants to sue me bring it on. That's my take.

That said, I doubt that QUOTING someone else's post would stand up for a second as a violation of privacy. It's still a public forum because anyone can post. The fact that they now have to register first is completely incidental and irrelevant. Many news sites will only reproduce articles to registered members. So if someone wants privacy they have no business posting on a public forum. As far as copyright goes, quoting has to be "fair usage". Since the forum has a quote button on every post if you anyone doesn't want their work quoted don't post here. Anyway quotes have never been covered by copyright so if you don't want your work quoted - don't publish anywhere.

I'd say defamation remains the only grey area, but that does not extend to artistic critique, even stringent nasty critique unless there is a breach of demonstrably objective - not subjective - fact. I can say Mark Isaacs's music is all a pile of shit, every note, because it's only subjective opinion that says my music has any value, even if thousands - even millions - believe it. And if it's my personal style to express my critique in such a scathing way, that's also my prerogative. Of course I would be a complete tosser but that's not against the law! Hey I should sue myself for calling myself a tosser for saying my music is shit.

[timothystevens]

But who are these guests that are still showing up on the front page? How did they get in?

[vickijane]

All you need is an email account Tim. As most ISPs provide access to unlimited free accounts you could be registered on this forum with several memberships - it would only take on average five mins per membership.

You can't be guaranteed that anyone is who they say they are unless you know them personally and even then, can you ever entirely trust anyone? I'm wondering if this whole forum is generated by Mark and if either of us exist!

[isaacs]

timothystevens said:

But who are these guests that are still showing up on the front page? How did they get in?

I'm wondering too.

Vicki what Tim means is why are there guests showing up as "online" on the front page? Guests were simply people who came onto the forum without logging on. Now that you can't do that we shouldn't have guests. Your scenario of one person having more than one handle/email address (and believe my they exist) still should not produce "guests"

I think I know - not sure, but suspect it.

It might surprise some of you to know it, and I fear a diminishment of my authority merely by admitting it, but there is a level of mastery (effortless) ABOVE me here.

They are The Others.

They can enter any forum at will without registering. I am The Administrator, but they are the Administrators of the Adminstrators.

Meta-Administrators they be.

They are the Administrators for Pro-Boards who host this site along with thousands of other forums.

They are the Masters of the Pro-Boards Universe.

I am merely the Administrator of this lonely planet and its one moon Reviews Sub-Board encircling.

I KNOW the others exists. I BELIEVE the "guests" we see are they.

[Kenny]

Wooo, that's darn creepy. (Cue: Theme From twilight Zone.)

[johnk]

guest number is 0 now& u cant get in w/out turning yellow. now r we r all in the simpsons?

[betty]

yeah JohnK we're all in the simpsons & u get 2 be Homer.

[vickijane]

As Tim had asked “how do they get in”, Mark, I assumed he was talking about the recent serge in members with pen names.

When I was still working full time for an Aid agency I learnt that every single email we sent was being monitored by right wing thugs. They do it electronically by searching for key words. It is cheap to do it these days but, alas, very expensive to prove they are doing it!

So, not only is some bored IT nerd at the ISP HQ looking at your electronically transferred text/images but watch out for misguided right wing think tanks with too much money!

My ex man from the Federal Police told me when anyone does a search on child pornography in Australia they are alerted immediately. This is a good thing I believe.

(NB For those who have taken part in my little experiment and want to know the results, my theory has proven correct so far.)

[jeremy]

actually, the guests listed may just be people that haven't logged in yet. The site registers the fact they are there, but sa they haven't actually logged in, they are show as the default guest in the stats. At least that's how most forums do it.

[isaacs]

Hey - good thinking Jeremy. I pride myself on being a bit of an IT buff but I hadn't thought of that. I could test your theory as my Powers enable me to see the IP addresses of the guest. If you are right they would match the IP addresses of ensuing log-ins. Nah don't have time

[bod]

I have oft wandered what would happen if you fancied cross referencing posters' IPs, Mr Administrator.

You'd know too much.

[betty]

nnnuh not enuf IPs