LEX OCTAVIA DE SERMONE

I. Definitions

A. A "public forum" is defined as any system of communications where contributions from persons other than its maintainer are distributed or made available to other subscribers, including, but not limited to, mailing lists, real-time chat systems, and web-based bulletin boards.

B. "Moderation" refers to the exercise of powers provided by the software used to implement public fora to approve, reject,
pre-screen, or delete messages, approve or reject pending subscribers, and perform other administrative duties.

C. A "moderator" is a person with moderation authority with regard to a particular public forum.

II. The office of Curator Sermonis (also called Curator Sermonum) is hereby abolished.

III. The Praetores are hereby given the powers and duties of moderators for all public fora sponsored or owned by the central government of Nova Roma, save for those exceptions listed below. They are empowered to use all moderation features provided, subject to Constitutional free speech guarantees, Tribunician intercessio, and any leges explicitly setting list policies. They may delegate such authority to their appointed scribae.

The Praetores are empowered to create and enforce policies of acceptable behavior in the public fora.

IV. Scope

A. Public fora under the jurisdiction of the Praetores shall include the general discussion mailing list (currently "novaroma@yahoogroups.com"), the announcements mailing list (currently "novaroma-announce@yahoogroups.com"), the web-based message board linked to from www.novaroma.org, any chat system in use on www.novaroma.org, and any other means of communications designated as "public fora" by the Senate, except as detailed below.

B. The web site www.novaroma.org and all sites maintained by elected or appointed magistrates as part of their duties are not considered public fora, except for any features of the site where users other than the maintainers of those sites may submit content for public consumption, such as "message boards".

C. The newsletter, including any part thereof where contributions are accepted from the public, is exempt and shall remain under the control of the Editor Commentariorum.

D. The communications channels of the sodalitates and provinciae are under the jurisdiction of those organizations and therefore exempt.

E. Fora administered by the Tribunes for the purpose of Plebeian discussion are exempt.

[In accordance with the Lex Equitia de Vigintisexviris and praetorian edictum, the title "curator differum" in Section IV. C. above has been changed to the current and more correct "editor commentariorum."

A. Tullia Scholastica, interpres linguae Latinae, scriba praetoris et magistri araneari, 2758].

Passed by Comitia Populi Tributa in 05 June 2755, Yes: 25; No: 4