# What happens when Trump comes for the SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 30, 2025, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598 "2025-08-30T11:11:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/1 "2025-08-30T11:11:48Z")
Think I’m being dramatic? Think again. GOP Investigation Pressures Wikipedia to Reveal Identities of Editors > A pair of House Republicans is moving forward with an investigation that will seek to reveal the identities of Wikipedia editors who have edited articles to include information that portrays Israel negatively. > > … > > The representatives asked Wikimedia’s CEO, Maryana Iskander, for “assistance in obtaining documents and communications regarding individuals (or specific accounts) serving as Wikipedia volunteer editors who violated Wikipedia platform policies as well as your own efforts to thwart intentional, organized efforts to inject bias into important and sensitive topics.” > **[GOP Investigation Pressures Wikipedia to Reveal Identities of Editors Accused...](https://www.commondreams.org/news/house-gop-investigates-wikipedia)** > > The effort furthers the goals of the Heritage Foundation, which has launched a plan to "identify and target Wikipedia editors" using a number of underhanded tactics. I would like to know the policy of the SDMB if it is subpoenaed to reveal the identities of members who post on this messageboard. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/2 "2025-08-30T13:03:43Z")
Unlike the SDMB, Wikipedia is extremely popular and widely read, so we have nothing to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/3 "2025-08-30T13:15:05Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > so we have nothing to worry about. I disagree. I don’t think the SDMB is popular enough that Trump or the Republicans will make a specific target out of us. (Although you can never predict where Trump will decide to declare a crisis.) But I think we will end up falling to a general pattern of repression. Trump and the Republicans have repeatedly succeeded in threatening organizations into compliance with right wing wishes. At some point they will make some threats about corporations that run “socialist propaganda websites” and the company that runs this message board will preemptively shut us down out of fear of the consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/4 "2025-08-30T13:24:30Z")
The regime is not going to come after individual social media entities, unless they are very popular. Niche entities are below their radar, unless they have significant and widespread influence across the minions. On the other hand, the regime will go after infrastructure. I fully expect we will see more, and subtle disruptions to the infrastructure in the lead up to the 2026 by-election. I fully expect increasing Internet outages, disruptions to entities that do not support the regime, etc. I will even go so far as to see unknown disruptions to cellular communications, especially if Couch Potato America rises from it current once every few months, feel good “demonstrations” on weekends to actually challenging the regime. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/5 "2025-08-30T14:11:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > At some point they will make some threats about corporations that run “socialist propaganda websites” and the company that runs this message board will preemptively shut us down out of fear of the consequences. I tend to agree. There will be generalized pressure and then we will see which entities pre-emptively fold out of cowardice or perceived practicality, and which decide to make a stink (or lay low). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/6 "2025-08-30T14:18:34Z")
This could happen, has me worried also. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/7 "2025-08-30T14:28:28Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [GOP Investigation Pressures Wikipedia to Reveal Identities of Editors Accused of 'Bias' Against Israel | Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/house-gop-investigates-wikipedia) > > I would like to know the policy of the SDMB if it is subpoenaed to reveal the identities of members who post on this messageboard. I would assume the same as our policy if we’re ever subpoenaed to reveal the formula for the Philosopher’s Stone, or the location of the files proving the CIA killed JFK. We don’t know the identities of our members, beyond what people have revealed publicly in their posts (and if a shadowy governmental organization wants that, they can just use the search function). ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/8 "2025-08-30T15:37:53Z")
User information, including some pieces of personal information, are stored here. For instance, the required e-mail address is usually associated at the mail provider with genuine identification data. Probably not enough to send the secret police after you, but let’s understand we don’t have complete anonymity here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/9 "2025-08-30T15:41:40Z")
We get noticed. We become more trouble than we are worth. We are shut down without notice. And that is where it ends…if we are lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/10 "2025-08-30T15:44:03Z")
Our personal emails, and all personal information posted here about web pages, blogs, Facebook pages, personal info gleaned from posts etc., and let us not forget old webpages that collected our personal photographs. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/11 "2025-08-30T15:58:43Z")
OK, we do have email addresses on record. But they don’t need subpoenas for all that other stuff, since it’s already public. And if they asked us “What details has Czarcasm revealed about his personal life?”, we wouldn’t be any more able to search for that than they would. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/12 "2025-08-30T16:02:20Z")
In addition to what others have mentioned, the board will have our IP logged as well. Another thread from a few days ago made me consider what would happen if the place suddenly shut down without any notice. I don’t think it would be a terrible idea to have some sort of evacuation plan. I don’t want to derail this thread, but my thinking would be setting up some sort of meeting point(s), ie a facebook page or reddit sub (or both) that stay locked and unused. If a mod or admin has the ability, scrape all of our email address from time to time. Then if the board disappears, a mass email can be sent out with links to these pages. I don’t know what would need to happen after that, but at least we’d have a temporary place to meet and figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/13 "2025-08-30T16:08:09Z")
Yeah, they are specifically looking for the IP addresses of Wikipedia editors. That trail of bread crumbs is alarming, unless you use a VPN. Who could also become a target of the fascists. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/14 "2025-08-30T16:09:35Z")
If we are one of the last old fashioned message boards where we actually give a shit about telling fact from fancy and discuss events at length to see what’s actually what, then our type of involved discussion is exactly what they would like to shut down. We don’t do instant “like/dislike” popularity polls based feel-good messages and bullshit quotes, and we don’t instaban people with differing political, social and ethical ideas as “haters” for the most part. Our type of conversation is precisely what they want stopped. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/15 "2025-08-30T16:15:00Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > If a mod or admin has the ability, scrape all of our email address from time to time. Then if the board disappears, a mass email can be sent out with links to these pages. That has it 2 problems, probably not ethical to scrape the email addresses. It probably violates European laws also. The Mass Email could piss off a lot of people. I’ve sadly had experience with that about 15 years ago. Facebook is a terrible meeting place, a lot of us here think it is an instrument of evil, whether intentionally or not, and run by another sociopath billionaire. I guess Reddit would be better. * * * * * * We’re probably OK though as we really are small potatoes at this point. We’re not very active, far less than our heyday. We also don’t have many young posters, so our influence is negligible. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/16 "2025-08-30T16:16:38Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > That has it 2 problems, probably not ethical to scrape the email addresses. While that may be our problem, it is most certainly not theirs. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/17 "2025-08-30T16:18:18Z")
Of course not, I specifically quoted someone else. Don’t you want us to respect the posters? Making a point by quoting me out of context is not cool. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/18 "2025-08-30T16:21:00Z")
If I quoted you out of context, I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/19 "2025-08-30T16:34:41Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > That has it 2 problems, probably not ethical to scrape the email addresses. It probably violates European laws also. EU law is based on opt-in. If someone wants to give their e-mail address, EU law does not object. Many, of course, would not want to share their addresses. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Facebook is a terrible meeting place, a lot of us here think it is an instrument of evil, whether intentionally or not, and run by another sociopath billionaire. > > I guess Reddit would be better. Wholeheartedly agree. No facebook for me. Never! ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598/20 "2025-08-30T16:42:19Z")
Astonishing, frightening, and nauseating that this conversation is actually occurring. Never in a million years would any of us have imagined that it would come to this. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-trump-comes-for-the-sdmb/1022598.md?page=2)