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To: SI Brad who wrote (1620)	6/8/1998 1:42:00 AM
From: marcos	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32911

Thanks, Brad, that makes good sense, imho. I've read about a hundred of Porter's posts 207.183.153.73 over the last few days and don't see anything actionable unless he was being untruthful in relating some of those incidents. I expect he was being completely truthful because, for one reason, all those trading interruptions and botch-ups are recorded, and for another, Mr Fleming & Co haven't shown up with any facts, as you point out, which they would have been likely to if they had any, imho. You know, it's funny - I always lurked that thread sporadically, and found Porter's posts both educational and enjoyable, but I always took his complaints about the TSE with a large grain of salt, until Fleming & Co supplied the verification #reply-4693975 -g-

To: SI Brad who wrote (1620)	6/9/1998 1:13:00 AM
From: Adrian du Plessis	Respond to of 32911

Libel warning silences TSE critic By DAN WESTELL The Financial Post Tuesday, June 9, 1998 ÿAn electronic critic of the Toronto Stock Exchange's policies and leadership has been silenced after he was threatened with a libel suit for alleged "defamatory attacks." ÿPorter Davis, an 18-year veteran of options trading, a member of the board of the Toronto Futures Exchange and a market maker in BCE Inc., Inco Ltd. and Barrick Gold Corp., posted a note on the Internet last week saying, "They win. I quit. Sorry folks. Keep the faith ... I can't jeopardize my family's future in a fight with the TSE." ÿThe posting, at a chat group on Silicon Investor devoted to Canadian options, was a site where he had often discussed trading, the market, TSE policies and president Rowland Fleming. ÿ"Can you believe the arrogance of Fleming?" he wrote in one posting. "We need leadership, not posturing." ÿDavis stopped posting to the site on June 5 after he received a letter from the TSE putting him on notice, "that if you do not stop publishing defamatory material about the exchange and about any of its representatives, legal proceedings will be brought against you" involving "substantial damages." ÿPorter had been fighting with Fleming since early last year, when he used the Internet to criticize a TSE plan to automate options trading. ÿSubsequently, he said Fleming had told him he had to resign from various TSE bodies because he had publicly questioned the exchange's plan. He is still a member of the futures exchange board. ÿMore recently, Davis's postings have taken the TSE to task for electronic trading problems. At one point, he said Fleming should be fired. ÿThe TSE's letter to Davis, which he posted, drew howls of outrage from U.S. and Canadian net posters, some of whom characterized it as bullying, while others offered to contribute money to a Davis defence fund. Many saw it as an assault on free speech. ÿThe TSE could not be reached for comment. Davis said his lawyer has told him not to comment. --------------------------------------------- Today's edition of the Financial Post contains two articles about corporate entities trying to silence on-line critics. One of the parties is the scandal-plagued Philip Services Corp. and the other body is the scandal-plagued TSE. As another Canadian would say, isn't it ironic, don't you think? Who's next? YBM Magnex?

To: SI Brad who wrote (1620)	6/9/1998 5:30:00 PM
From: marcos	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32911

Brad - under what circumstances would SI release the identity of a poster? This post at Yahoo inspired me to ask post.messages.yahoo.com@m2.yahoo.com The 'PHV vs Internet Posters' dispute #reply-4780544 is very similar to the 'Fleming vs Davis' dispute #reply-4693975 imho - the respective parties live and work very close to each other, and in each case the party with the deep pockets has threatened libel suits. In the Philip case the area of Hamilton, Ontario is noted for strong-arm mobster tactics, and of course the power of TSE management is extensive among the investor/trader community. As it happens, I am among those who strongly believe that the privilege you give us of allowing us to post without broadcasting our identity and location permits us to speak our minds without fear of physical or economic retribution by those too cowardly to respond in the King's English here in the light of day. Clearly you would have to reveal identities to a court order - but whose court? Would it have to be a US court, since you are based in the US? Any thoughts you would have on this matter would be appreciated ... cheers ... marcos