What is the name of your state?
MD
I'd like to seek some legal advice about problems with a discussion forum hosted admin by a website hosted in MD. It has a nonprofit organization status, and readers can donate money to sponsor the website. The website mainly targets a specific group of nationals living in the US or Canada, is mainly in a foreign language, in addition to English.
The website disclaims that they don't support or discriminate pro-decomcracy movements or articles. Actually, it is well known for having pro-democracy articles. However, there are problems I see:
The website appears to be using a few long-term vollunteers to monitor the discussion forum. However, ADMINs are hidden, never say who they are.
There is one guy in the forum who openly, frequently, uses swearing words against those people who have different opinions.
Furthermore, he threatens that the forum would kick out those who are voicing opinions different from his.
Some readers posted notes to say this guy controls the ADMIN or have connections to the ADMIN vollunteers. He never say he is NOT admin either. Many people simply not to confront him, nor swear back at him fearing he will disallow their IDs or even ban their IPs.
My questions are
1) should the website admin stops this person's swearing words?
2) should the organization follow the US constitution regarding freedom of speech and freedom of religions?
3) can this website be run like a private club? can they disallow different political opinions (for example, this same person hates, swears at others who promote democracy; swears and threatens people who have certain religions or who argue for those religions)
4) should there be board of directiors for such a non-profit website? at least, their names (even faked, or non-legal names ) should be listed and open to be contacted?
What can I (we) do to stop their bad practice at this forum? I can't believe this website is hosted in the US, but allows the forum to be run as if it's in a country run by dictators.
Do any of you have legal wordings that I can post to threathen the bad behaviors?
I, and many of us, do want this website to thrive to promote democracy. However, I want to stop the bad behaviors in their discussion forums.
As for now, many have to endure this guy's torture and threats.
Thank you in advance.
MD
I'd like to seek some legal advice about problems with a discussion forum hosted admin by a website hosted in MD. It has a nonprofit organization status, and readers can donate money to sponsor the website. The website mainly targets a specific group of nationals living in the US or Canada, is mainly in a foreign language, in addition to English.
The website disclaims that they don't support or discriminate pro-decomcracy movements or articles. Actually, it is well known for having pro-democracy articles. However, there are problems I see:
The website appears to be using a few long-term vollunteers to monitor the discussion forum. However, ADMINs are hidden, never say who they are.
There is one guy in the forum who openly, frequently, uses swearing words against those people who have different opinions.
Furthermore, he threatens that the forum would kick out those who are voicing opinions different from his.
Some readers posted notes to say this guy controls the ADMIN or have connections to the ADMIN vollunteers. He never say he is NOT admin either. Many people simply not to confront him, nor swear back at him fearing he will disallow their IDs or even ban their IPs.
My questions are
1) should the website admin stops this person's swearing words?
2) should the organization follow the US constitution regarding freedom of speech and freedom of religions?
3) can this website be run like a private club? can they disallow different political opinions (for example, this same person hates, swears at others who promote democracy; swears and threatens people who have certain religions or who argue for those religions)
4) should there be board of directiors for such a non-profit website? at least, their names (even faked, or non-legal names ) should be listed and open to be contacted?
What can I (we) do to stop their bad practice at this forum? I can't believe this website is hosted in the US, but allows the forum to be run as if it's in a country run by dictators.
Do any of you have legal wordings that I can post to threathen the bad behaviors?
I, and many of us, do want this website to thrive to promote democracy. However, I want to stop the bad behaviors in their discussion forums.
As for now, many have to endure this guy's torture and threats.
Thank you in advance.