# Pay Subscriptions and Lawsuits: A Real Threat? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742 "2004-04-19T01:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/1 "2004-04-19T01:08:00Z")
I know this is a bit late, but it could turn into something rather important if the wrong asshole pays for a spot here. How about this: **Paid\_up\_asshole** acts like a jerk and, after a meltdown, gets banned. During the meltdown thread, the Admins make rude comments. Nothing worse than they’ve always made before to the jerks, but people (especially in the US) have been sued for less. I think you can see where this is going. The asshole becomes a litigious asshole and decides that his paid subscription needs to be refunded _now_, not to mention payment for his verbal abuse. He calls 1-800-SUE-MORE for a lawyer with no morals (one of the few) and the judge decides not to throw the case on its ear (maybe the judge was **concrete** or someone… it’s possible). So, the Chicago Reader is on the block. Does the SDMB have a chance in hell? Of course not. Did paid subscriptions open us up to something worse than what we faced before? (As a smaller rider, I know that threatening the SDMB and/or Chicago Reader with a lawsuit is a sure-fire way to get banned. What if you threaten to sue if you get banned?) ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/2 "2004-04-19T01:24:48Z")
Sue? On what grounds? It was clearly stated when you signed up that you have to abide by forum rules and that you can get banned without refund of payment? Who is going to sue for $4.95 anyway? You mentioned that people have won lawsuits for less. What instances are you referring to? You couldn’t even get a defamation of character suit going because we’re mostly anonymous on these boards. It’s not as though “paidupasshole” will be scorned at home or at his workplace or in public because some mod told him he was being reactionary. I can’t for the life of me believe this would make it to court. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/3 "2004-04-20T02:22:13Z")
> [@Hey you!](#): > > Who is going to sue for $4.95 anyway? Ah, but $4.95 plus $2,000,000.00 for mental anguish is a different story. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/4 "2004-04-20T03:03:39Z")
If it hasn’t happened to the [SomethingAwful forums](http://www.somethingawful.com), we don’t have to worry about it. Banned users are usually dispatched with a torrent of insults and taunting, and none have sued yet. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/5 "2004-04-20T06:11:11Z")
Generally if someone messes up enough to be asked to leave, we don’t want to taunt them, we just want them to go away. There’s a lot of message boards in cyberspace and we fully realize not every board suits everyone. We want you to be happy here. If that’s not possible, then you need to be some place where you are. your humble TubaDiva Administrator PS No refunds. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/6 "2004-04-20T07:11:56Z")
I’m very sorry if I gave the impression that _I’d_ ever sue. It would never cross my mind, except in the context of “Oh shit, look at what the SDMB might have to deal with _now_.” I think it’s important that you realize I’m the kind of person who dreams up awful ideas and worst-case scenarios as a kind of coping mechanism: If I can see a good way out of the worst, nothing else frightens me. I was worried that the SDMB higher-ups hadn’t thought through the litigious nature of some morons in this country. (Maybe this has drifted into MPSIMS now, but I want all of this to be clear.) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/7 "2004-04-20T07:19:25Z")
While we have been making a bunch of this up and figuring a lot out as we have gone along, I can assure you, the Reader is very much aware of the nature and the cost of litigation. your humble TubaDiva Administrator Don’t borrow trouble! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/8 "2004-04-20T17:41:03Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > I’m the kind of person who dreams up awful ideas and worst-case scenarios as a kind of coping mechanism: You, my friend, have a future in Corporate Finance! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/9 "2004-04-20T18:20:31Z")
You will note that I am not making a snotty but obvious political comparison. That should go in my Plus column. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-subscriptions-and-lawsuits-a-real-threat/240742/10 "2004-04-20T19:01:28Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > **Paid\_up\_asshole** acts like a jerk and, after a meltdown, gets banned. I think the solution is obvious. We just don’t let anybody sign up with that name. Problem solved. 😛