It's fun being admin of the codex. I get to deal with all the fun legal stuff that happens as a result of the idiocy you morons get yourselves involved with.

This time, it's the latest Cleveland Mark Blakemore drama. Cleve has a long history of being an idiot. As do many of our users. So it's no surprise the Codex has received another in a long line of legal threats that are somehow related to Cleve.

Simply put, we have been contacted by Ryan P. Morrison, Esq. with the following correspondence.

I'll keep this short and simply link the response I sent.

Now I believe in freedom of speech. In fact the rpgcodex.net was founded on the principles of rigorous debate. To paraphrase Voltaire, "I'll defend your right to be an idiot", or as Saint_Proverbius used to say, "Let the idiots have enough rope and they can hang themselves".

We do not fear speech.

However, there is a line where speech crosses into action, and we have a problem. Simply put, anyone here making threats against anyone - specifically that is, saying or suggesting anything that might be illegal - we will not defend.

The rpgcodex.net takes no legal responsibility for your comments. We simply provide a format through which you can voice your opinion. If there ends up being a problem, you will be personally held accountable for your own comments.

As such, everyone needs to be advised of the following:

1. All of you should refrain from making remarks that are illegal (usually the ones of a "defamatory, untrue, threatening, and damaging" kind). If you do make such remarks, and there is an issue, you will be held personally responsible and we will have no qualms passing your details on to a lawyer so that they can take any action they deem necessary (and is within their legal right).

That means we may be legally required to give a lawyer IP addresses and timestamps, along with your registered email address or other details about your account. You may think your anonymous online username protects you, but trust me, it doesn't as much as many of you would think. Even those of you who use TOR, and then proceed to tell us where you live... along with every detail about your life.

2. Furthermore, any comments that are pointed out to us which are illegal, will be removed. We have a rule against illegal stuff so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

That said, I've got no interest in reading a 396 page thread and deciding what is or isn't illegal. I am not a lawyer. So all of you should be able to exercise a modicum of common sense and know that some things you say online may have consequences.

As I have said before and will say again, I am not your baby-sitter. As human beings, you need to take responsibility for your own actions. So, if you find yourself making a comment that might get you into trouble "in the real world", you really do need to think again before hitting the submit button.

This has been your mandatory FBI warning.