PLA Forums

Pranks => Revenge => Topic started by: MattGSX on November 28, 2006, 10:42:58 PM

Title: Phone Bombs
Post by: MattGSX on November 28, 2006, 10:42:58 PM
Now that PB's site is shut down, I think it'd be cool if people thought about this-

Is it really legal to run a site devoted to harrassing people? What are the possible legal ramifications? How can you be prosecuted for this? How can you AVOID prosecution?

It'd be sweet if some of the the PLA/PB crossovers thought about this one, especially since you have more time to kill now.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: silentneep on November 29, 2006, 04:43:05 PM
If we could figure out how to avoid getting prosecuted, we may have a better chance of seeing things like the Director0y again...
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: BillCancer on November 29, 2006, 05:39:50 PM
i think phonebomb is a great idea. but i dont like the idea of prosecution. so if there is a loophole somewhere, we should def take advantage of it.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: . on November 30, 2006, 01:20:55 AM
just make the site in a country with no Internet laws, Argentina released laws about internet only a couple of years ago (was paradise) so if you really want to fuck people's life, why you don't just make the site from El Salvador or something like that I'm sure that you can buy half of the island if you have enough money  ;D
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: MattGSX on November 30, 2006, 10:31:35 AM
That seems to be the general consensous. Somewhere in Asia would be more ideal, though, since then PB could piggyback on with some warez site already out there, not have to get his own hosting, be protected from American laws (since it would be on someone else's site in Korea), and maybe even get a larger fan-base.

I dunno.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: silentneep on November 30, 2006, 07:25:06 PM
Maybe it would be profitable for us to start a service that provides a server on a ship out in international waters.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: frog on December 03, 2006, 03:48:23 PM
Maybe it would be profitable for us to start a service that provides a server on a ship out in international waters.

Nah, man, then we'd have to fight the sharks. Maybe you've been in the city a little too long, so let me remind you that Bite does 2d8+9 damage and has a +18 melee bonus; so unless you've got Wild Empathy and some serious luck with the d20, I'd stay the hell away from these "international waters."
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: MattGSX on December 03, 2006, 10:35:23 PM
If that was a D&D reference, I just fell in love with you.

If it was a WoW reference, leave this board and never come back.


In all seriousness, though, if you were really humoring the idea of broadcasting out of international waters, you have the real pirates and other criminals to worry about. You're more likely to get Shaing-hied and ransomed back to your family than to host a successful website for any long amount of time.

If you REALLY wanted to show the government who's boss, you'd build up your black market contacts, buy some tiny island, and declare it sovereign.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: rbcp on December 04, 2006, 09:22:59 AM
Here's my take on Phone Bomb - I think I'm glad sites like that aren't allowed to exist.  It's obvious that the sole purpose of that site was to harass innocent people.  When I first saw it, I knew that it wouldn't last very long.  I've seen other sites go down for the same reason and they were much less blatant about it.  Messedup.net used to get shut down every couple of weeks because they would post funny stories about people they were harassing and they'd include the names, phone numbers and addresses.

Like I've said before, for the past 9 years I've been regularly contacted by cops, feds, district attorneys, and angry citizens because of my web site.  It's because of all that nonstop attention that I've toned down the content of this site.  Because I know that if I don't, I'm more likely to get shut down for something.

When I first started doing the PLA issues in 1994, I thought that I would be untouchable because I would never reveal who I really was.  And that worked great back in 1994 - 1995 because normal citizens didn't know how to use computer.  Now we're in the new millennium and even Dino Allsman is finding himself online and threatening my life.

I also don't think keeping your servers overseas will do much good.  As you can read about this this article (http://justworldnews.org/archives/001495.html), a guy in Florida who ran some sex sites on an overseas server was arrested for "distribution of obscene material."  Sure, his web sites stayed up but he sat in jail for a year or so.  If PB locates his site overseas, they might decide to arrest him since they can't touch his web site.

You can't expect to be allowed to encourage large-scale harassment on individuals and not pay a price for it.  These people get pissed at the nonstop phone calls and they eventually find out that it's all organized by one web site.  So, of course, they're going to make it their life's mission to shut you down.  And eventually, one of your victims will succeed at that.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the Phone Bomb site and I'd like to see it return.  I even submitted a couple of numbers to it.  I thought PB's "fuck everyone" attitude was hilarious and I enjoyed reading the forums there.  But I knew it wouldn't last.  And when/if it comes back, I'm betting it'll only be temporary.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: Desmond on December 04, 2006, 03:29:11 PM
Yes, I was a regular at the Phone Bomb site. As you can expect, I was Desmond. I had a feeling we were gonna get shutdown, and besides, I never was too drawn to that site and got into a little trouble. But all in all, it was good while it lasted. Maybe now I will transfer over to PLA. I just wish it could be like the old days when people used to call us the "good guys".
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: nb7899 on December 04, 2006, 03:31:25 PM
When did people ever call you the "good guys"?  And what were they smoking?
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: Phone Bomb on December 04, 2006, 06:58:36 PM
We were defenders of justice and peace!  Integrity and Amity!  We sanctioned reprisal while asking nothing in return.

True heroes, if you ask me.





But ya, rbcp is right.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: MattGSX on December 04, 2006, 11:27:00 PM
PB, nice to see you finally chime in on a discussion about you. Arbie makes some very valid points, and offers a lot of insight us stupid kids may have not seen otherwise. Though the site was pretty funny, it's probably not worth it.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: silentneep on December 05, 2006, 05:55:21 AM
Well other than having the site shut down, what legal action was taken against you guys, PB?  I mean... he's still posting so he's not rotting in a jail cell.  Maybe it is worth it... 
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: . on December 05, 2006, 06:30:46 AM
Well other than having the site shut down, what legal action was taken against you guys, PB?  I mean... he's still posting so he's not rotting in a jail cell.  Maybe it is worth it... 

good point, anybody has law knowledge of what would be the consequences? I know that here where I live would be none but the cancellation of the site.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: MattGSX on December 05, 2006, 10:04:26 AM
What the site does is aid harrassment. Just because names and phone numbers are public domain, it's illegal to post them for the purpose of harrassment, especially when that harrassment does occur en masse. In addition, the site and forums had directions on how to properly harrass someone and how to use free programs to avoid detection and possible prosecution.

There was most likely no legal action taken because sites like this are so easily taken down, plus the threat of police is usually enough to scare most people away. If PB did get his site back up, especially if it were hosted overseas, you'd better believe they'd eventually come after him (if they could get to him). He's already had his warning; any judge would see that as knowledge that the site shouldn't be up in the first place.
Title: Re: Phone Bombs
Post by: Phone Bomb on December 05, 2006, 02:32:35 PM
If I were brought to court over this, you'd better believe I'd make a huge publicity stunt out of it.  It's not a matter of if I will put it back up; but how, and when.  I'm not paying a penny for overseas hosting, because I'd have no one to go after if they fuck me.  I'm currently talking with several warez site owners who I’m going to technically “sell” the site to, so we'll see what happens.

It shall be a triumphant return, indeed.