Background

Searchable archives of all posts made to the UK Government's No. 10 Downing Street website forums between 17/02/00 13:55:58 and when they closed on 06/12/2000.

It was alleged by participants in the No. 10 forums that posts were being removed for reasons other than those stated in the terms and conditions of use for the site.

Particular examples related to the censorship of messages critical of a new tax measure that would affect small businesses by treating their owners as if they were employees of the companies that contracted them for services. The tax measure is known as IR35, named after the Inland Revenue press release #35 that announced it.

The tools available on this website were created in 2000 to harvest messages as they were posted to the No. 10 forums and store them on an independent system outside of the control of the forum moderators.

While the original forums have long since gone, this archive remains online in case it is useful to anyone.

Available tools

These aren't the speediest tools in the world, so beware.

Version 2: Posts made since the revamped Number 10 forums came online on the 17th May 2000.
Version 1: Posts made before the Number 10 forum crash of 12th May 2000.
Overall Summary: Combination page showing the last message from each forum that was in existence at the point the No. 10 forums were removed, and other associated aggregate statistics.

I confess - it was me what done it

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

Background

Available tools