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Disarm.

  The cavalry is called in. Most of the newsgroup readers probably know it by now. A lawyer has been sent into the arena to attack 1 (one) citizen. Whatever one might think personally about this citizen isn't that important. Whether you agree with Activeworlds.com or not, doesn't matter either. What counts is why they did it. In the case of Protagonist it was a matter of ex-employer against ex-employee( and vice versa). There are a few examples of cases where a user was sued, apparently. But this is happening right now.

This citizen hasn't only paid his $20, he offers information and help on how to build things for AW, to others. But even if that wouldn't be the case, the move of AWCOM is remarkable. 
Here you have a company, with internet production as its core-business. Turning in their favor what's called the chaos on the internet and the lack of legislation. But when a user, using that same freedom, publishes material that that company don't like because it's bad for business (or could be, in their opinion) they start procedures and use methods of the "non-internet" world, bringing in rules that one day will be used against them.

Some scenarios : 

1. This thing just blows over. Again a lot of distrust among the users of "the product". Some will shut up, a lot won't care..... but the communities slowly fall apart into little closed groups. I hoped the dark ages were over since some 400 years.... and AW turns slowly into a mall where only the shoppers are really happy. But after all that could be the goal, no?

2. The company "wins" : more cases follow, so much for freedom of expression. But that doesn't bring money in does it?

3. The company "loses" : misinterpretation by other users, who can try and find out where the limits are. The company probably using even heavier tools to keep "troublemakers" out or to kick them out. Not to forget prices going up in order to pay the legal fees. 
 

And yes a few other scenarios can be thought off...... but personally i fear that this is the beginning of a dark period, that will only end with drastic changes at the top. And I don't know if I'm going to wait for that to happen. 

Maybe you might want to know (but not believe) : I hope I'm wrong and that this lose-lose situation can be turned into a win-win. A status quo would be good news already, if used to think things over and put away the guns on both sides. 

Anyway, enjoy the last AWWoS in this form, maybe..... 
 
 

Simon Says 
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