(Replying to PARENT post)

This issue is more ethically ambiguous than the EFF acknowledged in their post. The EFF only links to the legal and health forums, while the FBI claims the sites "were used to facilitate prostitution" [0]:

  advertisements for prostitutes... menus of sexual services,
  hourly and nightly rates, and customer reviews of the
  prostitutes’ services.
You can see an example of an advertisement here (NSFW): https://web.archive.org/web/20130521131010/http://forum.myre...

I'm not arguing for or against sex work, just illustrating that this takedown is not a clear-cut case of censoring a vulnerable community's non-commercial political speech.

Is the EFF saying the FBI should have targeted specific illegal posts instead of taking down legal material as well? I support the EFF in their important work, but they're more credible and effective when they tell the whole story, including the complicated part.

[0] http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/operators-of-myredbook.com...

👤panarky🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

Thank you for posting this. EFF makes the site seem like purely a forum and it just wasn't - it doesn't change MY personal opinion of this matter (I am against the takedown STRONGLY) but it worries me when people with whom I agree seem to miss the mark on providing an accurate representation of the facts. I'm not suggesting it's intentionally misleading, but I think it doesn't get it exactly right.
👤tomasien🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

> This issue is more ethically ambiguous than the EFF acknowledged in their post

The EFF post is so distorted that I have trouble figuring out if the EFF is just intentionally twisting the facts to piggy-back on a high visibility case (which seems horrendously ill-considered, even from a strategic point) or if they are just so negligent in reviewing the facts that they've gotten used by others.

There's real issues that this case could serve as a focal point for discussing -- particularly about the prohibition of prostitution and whether criminalization and the enforcement that goes along with it is a net positive or negative for society.

But its clearly not anything like a bust of a noncommercial education, legal resource, and health information site that happens to cater to sex workers being shut down because the government isn't happy with the client base or subject matter.

👤dragonwriter🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

> illegal posts

It is illegal for certain people to post certain things at certain locations on the internet. Posts aren't inherently illegal and I think you are missing the nuance more than the eff is.

> Is the EFF saying the FBI should have targeted specific illegal posts instead of taking down legal material as well?

What kind of question is that. It's like "Are you really saying that if someone put graffiti on your house, the FBI should paint over each letter instead of simply using a bulldozer?"

👤rando289🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

MyRedBook's forums were second to its classified which were used to find and rate high-end escorts. There's no question the site was used facilitate prostitution. With that said, the site had been running since 2002. Why were they busted now?

Example classified: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RHLakOo...

Almost all ads explicitly listed the sex acts offered. People on there weren't even being discreet about it.

👤onewaystreet🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

It's is a bit troubling that the EFF didn't present the entire issue however going against sex worker really?

What the FBI and other 3 letter agencies don't have anything more important to do like solving murders and other cases where people actually got hurt.

I personally think prostitution should be legal anyway like the late George Calin put it "Selling is legal fucking is legal so why isn't selling fucking legal?"

👤Fuxy🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

I find it a broad overreach to take down entire sites based on allegations that some members may have been using it for illegal purposes.
👤spacemanmatt🕑11y🔼0🗨️0

(Replying to PARENT post)

I've said it before, but the EFF frequently twists the facts to push their agenda. Of course, it's not a popular opinion to have 'round these parts.
👤throwawaykf05🕑11y🔼0🗨️0