Please tell me this did not happen in America

[DBP]

There are so many wrong-y things here, I don’t rightly know where to start.

♠ Prairie dogs

♠ Abortion

♠ Samba

♠ Tax money

♠ Robots

♠ Children

♠ Hitler

http://www.wimp.com/prairieroomba/

When I first saw this, I went:

OMG!!! OMG!!! OMFG!!!

ROBOT-SAMBA-DOG-TAXPAYER-ABORTION-TUNNEL!!!!!

M-M-M-MUST-SAVE-H-H-HITLER-SCHOOL-CHILDREN-AMANDA-KNOX!

OMG-OMG-OMG

DOT-DOT-DOT

OBSCENITY OBSCENITY

EXCLAMATION POINT

 

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[DBP]

CHUPACABRA COYOTE !!!!

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[mpento]

Do you work for fox channel?

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[DBP]

OBAMACARE!

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[Andy]

Did a cyclist-hating driver put you up to this, DP? With an unregistered firearm?

I did this once – put up a post having some fun with topics that tend to get a little extra play here in the forums. It was immediately deleted and I got a mild reprimand about being generally ungood to the community. I’m sure there’s a rationalization – there’s ALWAYS a rationalization – but I’m just wondering if there’s some kind of heirarchy/seniority/meritocracy in place that gets some folks a pass, and others not.

EVIL CORPORATIONS!!!

CAPRICIOUS MODERATION!!!

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[DBP]

Andy, I have had at least two of my own posts censored or otherwise pulled (and not reposted) for no reason that I was ever told.

I can’t speak to the content of your censored post, but for the record, I would urge WSB to take a very conservative approach when it comes to pulling down people’s contributions.

But this is a two-sided coin, and it requires me, as a reader, to maintain a thick skin. Accordingly, I try not to be too offended by what others say. However, even if you say something that offends me deeply, I will defend your right to say it, because really, what better way is there to get our differences out in the open?

In my opinion, censorship is not the best way to keep the forums nice. And it’s certainly not the way to keep them interesting . . .

. . . unless you’re the type of person who prefers elevator music to Beethoven.

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[redblack]

like it or not, WSB’s server = WSB’s rules.

this ain’t a democracy.

having said that, i think the editors here are pretty tolerant compared to other moderated forums. especially considering the broad range of discussion topics.

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[velo_nut]

And when you post about wanting to take out a pesky Raccoon with a pellet gun, Animal Control comes to your house. That was interesting.

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[DBP]

like it or not, WSB’s server = WSB’s rules.

this ain’t a democracy.

No, not a democracy.

But what is it? A dictatorship?

No, it’s not that either.

So it must be somewhere in between.

That’s where we come in, by defining the boundaries of “in between” as we’d like to see them.

We’re adults here, redblack. If WSB trusts us to set our own boundaries, we’ll step up. But if WSB imposes boundaries upon us arbitrarily, or lets the flaggers run roughshod over everyone else, then the adults will step out of the room, and all you’ll have left is a bunch of puritanical nannies, scratching their heads and wondering why nobody says anything interesting anymore.

Yeah, it’s not a democracy, but think about it . . . Posters are the lifeblood of this forum, so their rights must be respected, too.

No posters = No forum

No forum = No advertising

No advertising = No WSB

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[WSB]

Technically, this line of discussion is breaking rules by venting about a business (ours) without having taken it directly to the owner/manager first. Thank you to the person who flagged it to our attention.

Our policies are pretty clear. And they do include making no bones about the fact that we have the right to delete – or not approve for publication, if something comes to our attention via comment moderation – any comment, for any reason at any time. And you absolutely, as DBP notes, have the right not to be here and not to contribute and not to support this community-collaborative news/discussion service if you don’t support the way it’s managed.

We have received national and regional honors for community collaboration and community engagement. I also am a loud voice in support of continuing to allow ANONYMOUS contributions – which is a voice against the trend, nationally, since so many claim that full-name registration/membership is the only way to ensure civil discussion. I disagree. I strongly believe that active, involved site ownership that sets and enforces rules is the way to help make sure that happens – and those who choose to participate on that kind of site tend to become active partners. Unless they want something more freewheeling and free-for-all, in which case, I’m sorry, that’s not the kind of gathering place we are hosting here.

I could go on but it’s probably already TLDNR. Thanks for caring and for participating, if you choose to. Not saying all our decisions are perfect, but we do the best we can.

Tracy

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[DBP]

What?

Somebody flagged this discussion on the grounds that it was a complaint about a business? That’s rich. Maybe that person just didn’t care for what I said about flaggers.

In the first place, the WSB forums are not a business in the typical sense. No money changes hands here and no “product” other than speech is delivered. Yes, a service is provided, but that service depends equally on WSB providing the hardware and users providing the content.

Just to be safe, I’ll word any future comments so that they speak to the issue of censorship in general, not the actions of WSB in particular.

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[redblack]

ahh, but money does change hands here. WSB is funded by advertising. servers aren’t cheap, and advertisers allow WSB to afford servers – evidently pretty successfully, too. and the editors have quite generously provided a neighborhood discussion forum with that revenue. the forums are a freebie for visitors – not just here, but at any news/discussion site. it keeps them competitive, it keeps readership up, and it allows the community to talk to itself.

but the biggest privilege that WSB forums provides us is the ability to just b.s. about random stuff – within reason. and WSB determines what’s reasonable. i try not to abuse that. or take it for granted.

it’s like saying that you’re entitled to walk into a bar and shout out anything you please. sure, that’s your right as an american – there’s no prior restraint there. (even though that term refers to a slightly different legal topic.) just an expectation that you’ll behave in a civil manner, and that if you don’t, you can reasonably expect to get bounced.

is that censorship? i don’t think so.

i think that we’re lucky as a community to have so many civil neighbors who post here, and it seems that full-time policing of the forums isn’t necessary. regarding “report this post…” well, you have to expect that not everyone appreciates your wit. or my politics. or any politics. or kitties. or chupacabras. or you. or whatever. heck, some people just like to complain. that’s their “right” as forum members, too.

great guns! have you seen some of the barbaric comments at seattle times or the PI’s web sites? half of them are “comment removed.” the others are just plain rude.

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[Author]

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