Actually, the only reason government authorities on a Patriot Act (US) or suspicion of terrorism (UK) witch hunt would want any information from Max, would be to get the information Jon describes above, to match with a particular post's political content. That is the kind of corroborating evidence that is typically used against people targeted by intelligence agencies, justice department, etc.

There haven't been any public cases, to my knowledge, in the US where this information has been sought for political purposes, but there have been many cases brought to trial already over privacy of an anonymous poster in business cases, where a corporation wants to go after someone being critical of management or product/service.

However, the Bush administration's Injustice Dept. has been making regular proclamations about their intent to pursue people on the internet, and close down public forums where political dissent is found. When combined with yesterday's arrests, the effect can be pretty swift and immediate.

Again, I agree with Gargoyle in this instance. Nobody in the Mudcat forum would make a peep if one of their own were arrested and taken away. Like I said, the unity found in this group is the moral and ethical equivalent of a lynch mob, not a group of people who would stand up to authority when the heat came down. There isn't that level of integrity here, as Gargoyle has pointed out.

As to what Max would do when faced with a subpoena to disclose information about anonymous, pseudonymous, or named posters, I'm betting dollars to donuts he'd turn the information over in a heartbeat. My opinion only, of course.