Is an operator of a message board on the Internet liable for whatever the users of said message board say? What if you run a message board, and someone registers on the site and begins posting horrible statements about someone else. What liability does the message board operator have? What responsibility do they have?

What a way to start the day, with a good gripe session about the troubles with managing a community. It was most amazing hearing stories of flare-up's in other online communities.. it helped me remember, hey, the flare-ups which have occurred in the communities I manage are not unique. Of course I knew that, I've been involved with online community since the 1980's, but somehow I forgot that and part of my mind believed our problems were unique.

Today I'm in at a conference, an unconference that is, about "Online Community". For years I've had this idea of using online community as a means of social change, that by helping people connect on a given topic they can use an online community forum to discuss that topic, resolve problems, help each other learn the topic, etc. An online community focused on a specific topic can focus attention on that topic.

A description of a key case in running online community forums

News worldwide related to "cyber law"

a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, idea, financial exchange, friends, kinship, dislike, conflict, trade, web links, sexual relations, disease transmission (epidemiology), or airline routes. The resulting structures are often very complex.

a public interest technology law and policy program at Stanford Law School and a part of Law, Science and Technology Program at Stanford Law School. The CIS brings together scholars, academics, legislators, students, programmers, security researchers, and scientists to study the interaction of new technologies and the law and to examine how the synergy between the two can either promote or harm public goods like free speech, privacy, public commons, diversity, and scientific inquiry.

Cyber Law College.com is promoted by Na.Vijayashankar, better known as Naavi, the well known Cyber Law Consultant in India. He was the author of the first book on Cyber Laws in India and a pioneer in the spreading of Cyber Law Education in the country.

Cyber Law College.com is the first dedicated Cyber Law Education Center in India either offline or online reflecting Naavi's path breaking achievements.

Naavi.org is a community interested in the emerging field of laws governing the Cyber Society. The goal of Naavi.org is to contribute towards building a Responsible Cyber Society.

Article by Philip Greenspun about some details in building online community.