NASY is BACK ON LINE

[Katchoo]

If a formal complaint was filed then you should have the right to view that complaint to find out exactly what on your website incited the complaitant (sp?) in the first place, and who the complaint came from.

We have plenty of Lawyers perusing the Forum here, so there may be someone willing to represent you (for free hopefully) against Spaceports.

The Last time they did this it seemed that they shut you down without anything offical, and without actually looking at your site to see if the complaint was valid. If a Lawyer does want to get behind you, and if the complaint was filed by anyone other than Paramount, then you should be able to go after Spaceports for their business practices. At the very least you may be able to find something in your Paid Contract with them that would make them in violation of their Contract with you. In either case you may be able to scare Spaceports enough to stop listening to every whackjob that e-mails them.

And I wouldn't be surprised if ManofWar (the "it's not cannon whine whine whine cry whine" troll) was behind this in some shape or form. You're not selling your Shipsets or advertising them as authentic work from Paramount, so why the heck would anyone have a complaint?

My how I wish we could solve all of our problems like they did in 'ye olden days: with a sword through the larynx.

[Paul1980au]

Any update on this debacle - that said get youreself another host and go that way - someone known to this forum and then if he does complain again and it isnt paramount then you can find out exactly which whackjob this is and nail him and perhaps spaceports for breach of contract.

Any lawyers willing to step up to the plate for atrocities.

[Gandalf Parker]

Ive worked for an ISP that was owned and operated by a lawyer. It gave me a good feel for what will/wont fly in such areas.

Trying to get old laws to battle the set internet methods is pretty new territory. By old internet, root can boot anyone for no reason at all. By old laws we might think a contract exists but keep in mind that (so far) its even questionable who "owns" a site. You have been allowed to make files on rented space on their computers. Its been compared to hanging a big public sign on property you rent. If the landlord takes offense, he can. Of course efforts are being made to redefine old laws for new internet so things might change with the next court decision.
Thats why I host my own sites.

By the way... any old computer stuck in the closet for not being able to run the latest games can be a server that equals any you can rent space on.

[ June 30, 2004, 03:23: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[Atrocities]

Thanks for the support guys. GP I like the idea you had for using a closet PC as a server. I have an old PC that I hope to get up and running soon. I have DSL service and would appreciate any input you or others have on making it a sever. All I have is win2k though.

Update is:

I have to wait for an email response from Customer Service at Spaceports. Normally they do not disclose the nature of the complaint until they investigate. I have sent them the information that supports my claim that all 3d images on the site are mine, or I have open permission to use.

They can shut me down over the portrait images though if they so choose as those are clearly not mine, however I make no claim that they are and a discloser on the site states that.

[Fyron]

By the way... any old computer stuck in the closet for not being able to run the latest games can be a server that equals any you can rent space on.

Except for bandwidth, of course...

AT, get Linux for the server. Maybe Debian would be good for you. http://www.debian.org/

[ June 30, 2004, 05:41: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[Gandalf Parker]

I have DSL also. It runs 4 desktop computers AND a linux server (debian vesion from GNU.org). The 4 desktop computers will sometimes clash meaning that if we are all trying to play some new graphics heavy onine game then we can "feel" the drag from each other being Online. But its almost impossible for the server to feel it. Thats because a desktop computer is all downhill load. Small amount sent generating a large amount coming back. Such as me sending an URL and getting back a full web page of text, graphics, sound, etc. But the server is all uphill (sending) load. Same thing in reverse, it gets a short request like an URL and sends back a large package such as a full page. Another point is that the sending involves no interpretation. It just "copies" everything out the port. So it takes FAR less computer (cpu, harddrive, graphics, sound, memory) capabilities to "serve" anything than it takes to create it. The desktop computer required for me to create graphics, or sound files, or a decent spread sheet, or play a game... is far more computer than it takes for me to serve it up on the net.

My old junk-in-the-closet machine has 6 domains on it. It handles the web sites, ftp, email discussion lists, 100 different email accounts, and some of the DNS. Oh yeah, and it runs one full time MUD game server with all the players, and sometimes runs a full-time server hosting a dominions game when I feel like starting one. I dont require an ISP anymore. I have no limits on web, email, bandwidth, storage. Ive given space and accounts to a couple dozen people in various Groups Im involved in just because they had something neat they were doing and having trouble getting decent hosting. We have put up and taken down anything we wanted to try like IRC or Gopher. I can add any capability someone wants to add to their web site and I can make a new email for myself any time I want. As many as I want off of any of the domains on the box. As a side note.. for under $200 you can get a Sparc computer off of Ebay that's the same as I used when I worked for ISPs to manage all the ISP services for 30,000 Users.

Of course everything has its pros and cons. I have some advantages in managing a box like that and handling security. If you are more at home with Windows, and the computer you can use is alittle better than the one I can use with linux, then you might be happier with Win2000 or WinXP as a server software. Its easier to manage though it takes more machine and is happier handling less such as concentrating on one domain.

[Thermodyne]

Originally posted by Atrocities:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Atrocities:
I just got home today and had an email from Spaceports.com advising me that my site has been shut down because of a formal complaint filed Last week regarding the copy righted material violations on my site. I hope to have this issue resovled soon and with any luck perhaps have the site back up soon.

In the mean time I will be talking to CNC and or Fyron about hosting the site offically.

Thanks

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin...replyto=000000


I have paid for service and this is not a bandwidth issue. The Email states that there was an "offical" complaint filed over the material on my site. I don't know what the out come of this is going to be, but I hope that it will be resolved soon. If not, I will dispute the charge on my visa for their serives and forever bad mouth them.

---

Request that the complaint be forwarded to you so that you can address the specific issue. If it is a member of the community then yank his stuff. If it is from an internal audit by the ISP, then look for a new home. If it is some self-appointed ***, acting as a guardian of Paramount’s movies, then it becomes an issue of how much time you want to put into it. Getting a release to use the content would involve less time than running a web server from your house.

There are some web hosts that feel the need to protect themselves from lawsuits by preemptively removing content, and that is just the way things are going to be. But be advised, keeping a web server up has some baggage that goes with it. If your server is used for malicious activity by a third party, you can be held financially responsible as the owner of said server. So unless you want to really keep after it, IIS6 and Apache are not really viable, there are just way too many exploits. Personally, I’d go with something like FreeBSD if I was going to run it from home.

Also, be advised that there are some really absurd views of existing law as pertains to use of web sites by handicapped individuals. We just reworked our site to include alternative text for each image on the site. While the intent was to make publicly funded content accessible, the legal community perverted this and has begun trolling the web fishing for income.