Speaking as a moderator, or pseudo-moderator, on an online forum, I have to agree with the article. There is nothing wrong with having rules of behavior up to which all participants are expected to live.
The article poses the questions "on what legal basis can you claim the right to free speech in an online forum?"
In a similar thread on the aforementioned forum an attorney posted some interesting observations including...
"We all know if we run someone over with our car we can be sued for the resulting injuries. However, some people think they can post any fool thing they want and the 1st amendment protects them, which is simply not the case. "
"...one of the things that slays me is how quickly people start talking about censorship in a private forum. The prohibitions of the first amendment only apply to the government. (Notice how the first words are "Congress shall make no law. . .") This is a private forum, so any "rights" you have here are based on the hospitality of the site operator. Nobody owes you a soapbox."
