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Compensation for Bandwidth Costs is Extortion?

Tha_Big_Guy23 asks: "According to this article, a man who created a website for his local Sheriff's department is being charged with extortion. This was caused by taking down the website after repeated attempts to get compensation from the county to cover the bandwidth costs. As a result, all his personal computer property, and company computer property was seized and he was jailed." "After being jailed he was charged with extortion, larceny by conversion, using a computer to commit a crime, and obstruction of justice. This website explains in more detail the circumstances surrounding the situation. Has anyone on Slashdot ever had an experience where a client was unwilling to compensate you for either your work, and/or the resources required to do your work?"

While the end result of this situation is a shame, let this situation serve as a warning for those of you who work, without a contract in place. While it is the general hope that people will behave in an honorable manner, sometimes this is just not the case, and contracts exist to protect both parties, when things go sour.

5 of 865 comments (clear)

  1. Guns, penises, all the same by bratgrrl · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Someone disagrees with you? Good thing you're a cop! Wrestle them to the ground, kneel on their neck and handcuff 'em. Then fling 'em in a cell until they can raise bail. Turn a civil dispute into a criminal case. That's not abuse of power, that's proving your manhood. woot.

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    SCO is weenies
    Gator is Spyware
    Microsoft is thugs

  2. Re:Thankyou sir by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    You get results if you search on "xfree 86", "x free 86" or "xwindows." If they were REALLY blocking the term "xfree86" (and WHY the fuck would they block THAT when they don't block any other term, like "apache," "linux," or "macintosh"), you'd think they'd block these alternate terms as well.

    In fact, "XFree 86" lists xfree86.org as the first link. If they are blocking something, they're sure doing a shitty job of it.

    It's more likely that MS instituted a crappy "porn check" into their webcrawler that isn't indexing the term "xfree86" properly in the first place. So it's likely they're not BLOCKING anything. If you don't have the data, there's nothing to block and therefore the problem wouldn't be malice, but stupidity...remember that bromide?

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    Hey freaks: now you're ju
  3. Re:Thankyou sir by smallfeet · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Fox is the only entity in the known universe LESS neutral then /.
    Acid is more neutral then Fox.

  4. The /. difference by BiggerIsBetter · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    The difference between Slashdot and most other "news" outlets is that at least here there can be some dissent, rebuttal, and opinion. Most news sites publish sensationalist crap without any way for differing opinion to be published. Heck, so many stories get submitted to Slashdot where the folks here tear it to pieces, but the original publisher lets it stand as-is.

    The funny thing is that when approached about adding article forums, most cite legal liability as a problem - they see themselves publishing submitter's letters rather than the submitter being the "publisher", eg they own the comments rather then you? I guess.

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    Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
  5. Can't feel sorry for the guy by owlstead · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    If you're responsible for sites like these (nice mixup of "defense" tactics with extremist views), I would not mind for him spending a few years behind bars. I don't think that sherrif is in his right though, so unfortunately I am pro release of the guy. The criminal charges should be dropped. Unfortunately. Darn.