Full Version: If this site ADORES free speech....
Leave the seven dirty words in the posts. 
If you review any law documents you can see that free speech and obstinacies are different. You can make your case without the colorful expressions, and besides, the use of them shows lack of education and tears down your arguments.
Sorry folks, this is an immovable issue.
I set a few goals for myself when I started this thing:
1. Make it popular. Without participation, there is no debate.
2. Invite elected officials and media outlets to participate. If this place is full of profanity, then we simply won't be taken seriously.
3. Invite junior high schools, high schools, and colleges to participate, and set up school-specific rooms if they request. I want to inspire kids to become politically involved, and challenge people with differing beliefs. If this place is filled with profanity, there is no shot at doing that.
Besides those 3 goals, there are numerous other reasons as to why swearing is not acceptable.
-Search engine placement. If you have noticed, forum information is being exported to the homepage automatically. The homepage is dynamically generated for each visitor. I worked long and hard on this for one reason: Spiders. The more often your page is updated, the more often the spiders visit. The more often spiders visit, the more your site is listed in the search engines. If our page is full of profanity and racial insults, I have to, in good conscience, mark the site as an "adult site". That instantly pushes us back in the search engine, and limits our exposure. If I have to put a "warning" on the homepage for children under 13 (required by law), then I cannot export data, and we don't get good search engine placement.
-Advertising. I am paying to advertise this site. Marketing companies don't really like adult-oriented sites, and (a)charge them more and (b)give them lower results. I'm looking for the most bang for my buck.
And then there is simply the moral issue. You don't need to swear to make your point, and if you do, then your argument must not be strong. Blocking profanity forces people to think about their word choice, and the in turn leads to a better argument.
In my personal life, I swear all the time. Just not in public. It's called respect.
Since this is a public place you should not swear. Plain and simple.
Can you argue with those reasons?
Mike
I set a few goals for myself when I started this thing:
1. Make it popular. Without participation, there is no debate.
2. Invite elected officials and media outlets to participate. If this place is full of profanity, then we simply won't be taken seriously.
3. Invite junior high schools, high schools, and colleges to participate, and set up school-specific rooms if they request. I want to inspire kids to become politically involved, and challenge people with differing beliefs. If this place is filled with profanity, there is no shot at doing that.
Besides those 3 goals, there are numerous other reasons as to why swearing is not acceptable.
-Search engine placement. If you have noticed, forum information is being exported to the homepage automatically. The homepage is dynamically generated for each visitor. I worked long and hard on this for one reason: Spiders. The more often your page is updated, the more often the spiders visit. The more often spiders visit, the more your site is listed in the search engines. If our page is full of profanity and racial insults, I have to, in good conscience, mark the site as an "adult site". That instantly pushes us back in the search engine, and limits our exposure. If I have to put a "warning" on the homepage for children under 13 (required by law), then I cannot export data, and we don't get good search engine placement.
-Advertising. I am paying to advertise this site. Marketing companies don't really like adult-oriented sites, and (a)charge them more and (b)give them lower results. I'm looking for the most bang for my buck.
And then there is simply the moral issue. You don't need to swear to make your point, and if you do, then your argument must not be strong. Blocking profanity forces people to think about their word choice, and the in turn leads to a better argument.
In my personal life, I swear all the time. Just not in public. It's called respect.
Since this is a public place you should not swear. Plain and simple.
Can you argue with those reasons?
Mike
QUOTE(drmarcs @ Aug 15 2002, 11:44 AM)
the use of them shows lack of education and tears down your arguments.
I have already had this conversation with Mike and I do agree with him. But drmarcs I don't agree with you. They are words juist like any other I swear quite often and simply there is no other way to so precisely depict my emotion at the time as F--K. I don't think that any word should be censored it makes no sense that someone can tell me that I can make a certain sound with my mouth. I also think that if you can make a statement like that then you some issues with those words. They weren't bad until someone else told you they were.
I've dropped this like a hot potato. I can't win here, and Mike isn't being an *** NOTICE: THIS WORD IS AGAINST THE RULES. FAILURE TO REMOVE IT WILL RESULT IN A STRIKE. *** about it. If anyone here has been to Hannity.com, the moderator there is a complete bleep bleep bleeping piece of bullbleeping bleep. Mike, at least, tells you why and admits his fault, where other moderators get self righteous and tell you where to go stick it.
Concerning the censorship on board, it would appear that hate mail is okay but those who criticize hate mail, those who engage in legitimate satire, those who talk tongue in cheek, mocking the haters, are censored . There's clearly a spin being placed on the posts .
Free speech must be absolute, even with regard to those words or phrases that the censor regards as obnoxious .
Free speech must be absolute, even with regard to those words or phrases that the censor regards as obnoxious .
Provide examples, Jerry. I'd be happy to address specific issues.
Also, for everyone: If you see something that you deem "hate speech" don't complain about it 2 weeks later by vague reference. Tell Mike & I immediately so that action can be taken.
Thank you.
Jaime
Also, for everyone: If you see something that you deem "hate speech" don't complain about it 2 weeks later by vague reference. Tell Mike & I immediately so that action can be taken.
Thank you.
Jaime
Not to launch a personal attack, but maybe if you spent more than 10 minutes at the site and actually read the posts in full you'd have a better grasp on the situation.
To the extent I have censored:
I have removed any clearly derrogatory racial terms.
I have removed profanity.
I would also like to recommend that you point out specific examples so they can be evaluated.
No, I don't recommend it. I challenge it. Find them. Show me. I have deleted hateful posts, and I'll do it again when necessary.
Mike
To the extent I have censored:
I have removed any clearly derrogatory racial terms.
I have removed profanity.
I would also like to recommend that you point out specific examples so they can be evaluated.
No, I don't recommend it. I challenge it. Find them. Show me. I have deleted hateful posts, and I'll do it again when necessary.
Mike
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