Just a quick note to Otterman
No comment on the material points raised in this thread, but:
Otterman is fooling himself if he thinks that the Common Law (and the rest of the British legal system) affords too much protection to freedom of expression.
Unlike our septic friends across the water, there's no constitutional right to freedom of speech in English law. Hence the English laws on libel and slander (defamation to those of us from Down Under) are fairly strict!
Once the moderators of a thread on a recognised website have received a legal complaint, there isn't much they can do but remove any material which may contain a defamatory imputation or else the publishers of the material (which inlcude the owners of the site) become liable for any such defamatory comment.
However, don't disagree that a statement that a thread has been removed as a result of a legal objection (similar to a retraction in a published newspaper) would be appropriate in such a situation.
Cheers
KP