Urban Dead is shutting down(urbandead.com)
urbandead.com
Urban Dead is shutting down
https://urbandead.com/shutdown.html
34 comments
The reason for the shut down is especially sad. it feels so common that the smaller players are disproportionately hurt by acts like this.
Damn, this was such a fun game back in the day. I used to love logging on after school to go on raids with friends. Recently I had been logging back on every few weeks to play for a bit. Or even just read through the wiki for some nostalgia.
"19 years, 8 months and 11 days" is a damn good run for a game like this (though it seems extra sad for it to die just shy of its 20th birthday)! There was certainly still activity in the game - I wonder how much of it was bots.
"19 years, 8 months and 11 days" is a damn good run for a game like this (though it seems extra sad for it to die just shy of its 20th birthday)! There was certainly still activity in the game - I wonder how much of it was bots.
This was a super fun game back in the day. It was really cool to see the social structures forming on both the human and z sides during being events like mall sieges
Yeah. I remember I kept repairing the generator in a house next door and when I went back some guy had always broken it again. It took me a while to realise those guys were the human alts of zombie players.
At least people noticed my efforts and someone made a comment about it. I felt so proud.
My character is still asleep in the house next to the one with the generator. I even remember their name. I might go in one last time, for old time sake.
:shakes fist at dumb legislators:
At least people noticed my efforts and someone made a comment about it. I felt so proud.
My character is still asleep in the house next to the one with the generator. I even remember their name. I might go in one last time, for old time sake.
:shakes fist at dumb legislators:
I forgot about it so long ago and now that I’m aware of it again, it’s because it shut down… damn. This OSA has been so destructive to early web communities :/
In case the site itself goes away:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250303181731/https://urbandead...
https://web.archive.org/web/20250303181731/https://urbandead...
Can someone explain why the OSA is forcing this to shut down? Merican here.
Although probably intended to target large platforms, the OSA is worded in such a way as to apply to nearly everyone who provides any kind of service that allows user-to-user interaction. It is (rightly) ostensibly intended to prevent abuse, terrorism, grooming, and similar activities, but it requires a full risk assessment against around 10 different possible interactions, and the paperwork is potentially onerous.
But worse, the fines are potentially in the tens of millions of pounds, and even inadvertent non-compliance can result in extensive prison time.
Of course, the government says they won't go after the small organisations, but if the wind changes, the legislation is there. Even if the risk is extremely small, the penalties are life-destroying.
As a result, many are deciding it's simply not worth the risk.
Also explained here:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43152178
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43152154
This comment is especially useful:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43152930
But worse, the fines are potentially in the tens of millions of pounds, and even inadvertent non-compliance can result in extensive prison time.
Of course, the government says they won't go after the small organisations, but if the wind changes, the legislation is there. Even if the risk is extremely small, the penalties are life-destroying.
As a result, many are deciding it's simply not worth the risk.
Also explained here:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43152178
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43152154
This comment is especially useful:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43152930
Liability is unlimited and there's no provision in law
for being a single person or small group of volunteers.
You'll be held to the same standards as a behemoth with
full time lawyers.>Of course, the government says they won't go after the small organisations, but if the wind changes, the legislation is there.
Especially because with online projects, all it takes is an upswing in popularity for the general public to perceive you as a large organization. Would they have ignored Minecraft until Microsoft purchased it if these laws had existed during it's upswing? I doubt it.
Especially because with online projects, all it takes is an upswing in popularity for the general public to perceive you as a large organization. Would they have ignored Minecraft until Microsoft purchased it if these laws had existed during it's upswing? I doubt it.
Does the LLC not exist in the UK?
There is some discussion that the framing of the legislation allows the government to go after the individuals behind the company. The company has to name individuals who are responsible for various aspects, and they are then legally liable.
I can't confirm this yet, but it would not surprise me.
"The power of accurate observations is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it." -- George Bernard Shaw
I can't confirm this yet, but it would not surprise me.
"The power of accurate observations is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it." -- George Bernard Shaw
What if you don't name anyone?
The plan being: hope they actually stay away from small companies, but if they start giving you trouble for not having anyone named then you shut down.
The plan being: hope they actually stay away from small companies, but if they start giving you trouble for not having anyone named then you shut down.
This does not sound like safe advice
It's not advice, it's a question. What happens if you don't name anyone?
Do LLCs protect against criminal liability? Right now if your website has any way of allowing two users to talk to one another you're covered by this law and the penalties for violation include prison time.
[deleted]
OSA is a censorship law that pushes the cost of monitoring and compliance onto website operators.
This means that unless you are a gigantic corporation with deep pockets and can afford all the hundreds of hours of lawyers, developers, and moderators needed to comply with the law then you really can't afford to operate websites that other people can use.
It is effectively handing over the keys of WWW to mega corporations in the UK.
If you are operating a personal website it doesn't impact you, but if you are doing forums or anything were more then a handful of users use then you'll need a pretty significant budget to keep it running without the fear of the government cracking down on you.
This means that unless you are a gigantic corporation with deep pockets and can afford all the hundreds of hours of lawyers, developers, and moderators needed to comply with the law then you really can't afford to operate websites that other people can use.
It is effectively handing over the keys of WWW to mega corporations in the UK.
If you are operating a personal website it doesn't impact you, but if you are doing forums or anything were more then a handful of users use then you'll need a pretty significant budget to keep it running without the fear of the government cracking down on you.
The UK has been seriously going downhill ever since it left the EU. Not that it was doing great before, but damn. I wouldn't want to be one of its citizens right now, knowing that all my compatriots are such fucking idiots. There's no other way to say it, I'm sorry.
Hey it's not like I feel superior or smug about it. I'm affected too, in my own country. The world is slowly but surely giving away all of its democratic rights. One by one...
But the problem is that all the uneducated, easily manipulated dumbfucks are letting "them" do it. As if they actually understood what they voted for. As if their opinion actually mattered. They're just pawns and nothing more. Sigh. Let me out already I don't deserve this.
Hey it's not like I feel superior or smug about it. I'm affected too, in my own country. The world is slowly but surely giving away all of its democratic rights. One by one...
But the problem is that all the uneducated, easily manipulated dumbfucks are letting "them" do it. As if they actually understood what they voted for. As if their opinion actually mattered. They're just pawns and nothing more. Sigh. Let me out already I don't deserve this.
What a shame, having gotten into Torn recently, this scratches a similar itch and I would have liked to try it.
Any other hidden text-y web gems out there like these two that I should check out?
Any other hidden text-y web gems out there like these two that I should check out?
Utopia is one of the oldest ones I think, it was really fun too, like a browser-based MMO Crusader Kings: https://utopia-game.com/shared/
Why not free code?
What does the online safety act require websites to do?
Just off the top of my head:
* Verify the ages of people using the site;
* Verify that there is no CSAM;
* Verify that there is no child-grooming;
* Verify that there is no terrorism;
... and more.
Anyone running a site that has user-to-user interactions has to provide risk-assessments for each of:
* CSAM;
* Grooming;
* Terrorism;
* Under-age access to porn;
* Modern slavery;
... and more.
For each of the above there must be written policies about how the limitations are enforced, and the procedures taken for each of the risks identified.
I've download some, but not all, of the explanatory and guidance documentation and it amounts to around 1100 pages of legalese so far.
* Verify the ages of people using the site;
* Verify that there is no CSAM;
* Verify that there is no child-grooming;
* Verify that there is no terrorism;
... and more.
Anyone running a site that has user-to-user interactions has to provide risk-assessments for each of:
* CSAM;
* Grooming;
* Terrorism;
* Under-age access to porn;
* Modern slavery;
... and more.
For each of the above there must be written policies about how the limitations are enforced, and the procedures taken for each of the risks identified.
I've download some, but not all, of the explanatory and guidance documentation and it amounts to around 1100 pages of legalese so far.
So any site with a live chat widget? Update: no the chat operator is the provider of the service not a user. My reading not a lawyer.
Has someone got a guide they can link that is easy enough to understand for service administrators that aren't doing anything complicated?
Also, can I request these risk assessments off companies myself?
Also, can I request these risk assessments off companies myself?
I suggest you start here:
https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/
There's a lot more out there ... seriously, a lot more, but that's a good single point to start from.
There's also this:
https://russ.garrett.co.uk/2024/12/17/online-safety-act-guid...
https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/
There's a lot more out there ... seriously, a lot more, but that's a good single point to start from.
There's also this:
https://russ.garrett.co.uk/2024/12/17/online-safety-act-guid...