Why One Must Be 13 or Older To Register Here - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

Sparky · 11-15-2006, 03:43 PM

A lot of people don't seem to care that I have a rule that says you must be 13 to register. The rule is not there because the VBulletin software simply PREVENTS people who put birthdates making them under 13 from registering. That's a feature I can turn off. The rule is there for legal reasons.

There is a law called The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (or COPPA) that states that anyone running a website (me) where certain private information is required (such as an email address, which is vital to the registration process) must comply with COPPA by requiring persons under the age of 13 to get parental permission to join said website. Also I would have to publicly post my name, address, and phone number on my website, which I refuse to do. The owner of such a site better have a lawyer, just in case. COPPA is best enabled on sites for companies, who have lawyers; not private individuals.

I don't have a lawyer (and at the time of this writing, I don't even have a job). I cannot afford to enable COPPA on this site. My best recourse is to do what I have done and simply deny registration for people under 13.

Again, it is not because vBulletin does not allow someone under 13 to register if they enter in their correct birthdate, and that it is okay to simply enter in another year because it doesn't matter. IT MATTERS BECAUSE ITS THE LAW that I cannot have people under 13 joining this forum, let alone allowing them access to the chatroom. I *don't* have a lawyer, and I *don't* want to get into legal trouble, maybe even go to court, or jail. And I don't even want to think about how much worse it would be if something even remotely innappropriate had transpired in the chatroom to an under-13 and their parents found out! No law would protect me then.

I do understand that (at least most of) the people who have been lying about their age have done so because they thought it didn't matter, but it DOES, to me. I don't want to get into legal trouble. And you can bet that if it DOES happen this whole forum would be deleted, imediately. And how very sad would it be for everyone to lose this site AND for me to get in legal jeopardy, just because somebody wants to talk about a cartoon? I am not Cartoon Network running a commercial site with their own lawyers, I am an individual running a private site with nada.

If you are under 13 and you want to register, please don't. If you are under 13 and you have already registered - no, you can't stay. Period. If anyone whose account has been banned (for any reason) is caught re-registering they will never be allowed to return, because, quite bluntly, that SUCKS.

I don't know what else to say about this. My hands are tied by the law. Please don't sacrifice my legal safety and the fate of fosters-home.com for your ability to post on a forum. Please don't.

Sparky · 08-14-2007, 07:31 PM

In case anyone wasn't aware, the offer I made on the previous post (back in *November*) to allow underage users to return when they really turn 13 expired long ago. Now, if you are under 13 and register and then tell me you won't be suspended until your 13th birthday, you'll be banned. That offer was only good for people who had joined BEFORE I made the previous post explaining why one must be 13. (And people were expected to come forward right away, too.) in a Just FYI.

11-15-2006, 03:43 PM	#1
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,713	Why One Must Be 13 or Older To Register Here A lot of people don't seem to care that I have a rule that says you must be 13 to register. The rule is not there because the VBulletin software simply PREVENTS people who put birthdates making them under 13 from registering. That's a feature I can turn off. The rule is there for legal reasons. There is a law called The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (or COPPA) that states that anyone running a website (me) where certain private information is required (such as an email address, which is vital to the registration process) must comply with COPPA by requiring persons under the age of 13 to get parental permission to join said website. Also I would have to publicly post my name, address, and phone number on my website, which I refuse to do. The owner of such a site better have a lawyer, just in case. COPPA is best enabled on sites for companies, who have lawyers; not private individuals. I don't have a lawyer (and at the time of this writing, I don't even have a job). I cannot afford to enable COPPA on this site. My best recourse is to do what I have done and simply deny registration for people under 13. Again, it is not because vBulletin does not allow someone under 13 to register if they enter in their correct birthdate, and that it is okay to simply enter in another year because it doesn't matter. IT MATTERS BECAUSE ITS THE LAW that I cannot have people under 13 joining this forum, let alone allowing them access to the chatroom. I don't have a lawyer, and I don't want to get into legal trouble, maybe even go to court, or jail. And I don't even want to think about how much worse it would be if something even remotely innappropriate had transpired in the chatroom to an under-13 and their parents found out! No law would protect me then. I do understand that (at least most of) the people who have been lying about their age have done so because they thought it didn't matter, but it DOES, to me. I don't want to get into legal trouble. And you can bet that if it DOES happen this whole forum would be deleted, imediately. And how very sad would it be for everyone to lose this site AND for me to get in legal jeopardy, just because somebody wants to talk about a cartoon? I am not Cartoon Network running a commercial site with their own lawyers, I am an individual running a private site with nada. If you are under 13 and you want to register, please don't. If you are under 13 and you have already registered - no, you can't stay. Period. If anyone whose account has been banned (for any reason) is caught re-registering they will never be allowed to return, because, quite bluntly, that SUCKS. I don't know what else to say about this. My hands are tied by the law. Please don't sacrifice my legal safety and the fate of fosters-home.com for your ability to post on a forum. Please don't. __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More Last edited by Sparky; 08-14-2007 at 07:29 PM.

08-14-2007, 07:31 PM	#2
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,713	In case anyone wasn't aware, the offer I made on the previous post (back in November) to allow underage users to return when they really turn 13 expired long ago. Now, if you are under 13 and register and then tell me you won't be suspended until your 13th birthday, you'll be banned. That offer was only good for people who had joined BEFORE I made the previous post explaining why one must be 13. (And people were expected to come forward right away, too.) in a Just FYI. __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More Last edited by Sparky; 08-14-2007 at 07:39 PM.