CorpseOfKeithCloss wrote:
The Fine Line Between Moderation and Censorship:
The First Amendment to the US Constitution gives us the "freedom of
speech", of course with certain bylaws. For instance, I would not be
protected by the First Amendment if I were to falsely report an impending terrorist
attack on Los Angeles that causes a riot (a la season 2 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I
digress). Such an unwarranted claim would certainly cause panic, distress,
confusion, and perhaps accidents/violence. However, If a simple post or comment I
type or speak presents no "clear and present danger" (as famously
explained in 1919s Schenck v. United States), then that comment should clearly be
allowed.
The first amendment right does not reach into a private, exclusive, or specific
entity. That is where guidelines and rules trump the first amendment. You follow
the rules or you don't play. Furthermore, the 1st amendment right doesn't extend to
the world wide web.
Under the first amendment, you are able to have free speech but not all speech is
protected. Your rights haven't been trampled on, all we did was take down what we
found improper under the site rules. Your subject was not a subject related to
sports....That's the bottom line.
Just like I wouldn't go to a NFL football forum to talk golf, you shouldn't bring
unrelated stuff to a Clippers discussion forum. That tends to get members mad.
People seek forums to find specific topics they have a passion for, not to shoot the
breeze about limitless topics. Message boards are specific, that's why they have a
forum for just about any topic imaginable.
Quote:
To my dismay, I now find that I have received additional moderator sanctions: not
being able to post my own topics on CTB. This issue has now markedly crossed over from
"moderation" to "censorship". I have been blacklisted
like a 1950s American Communist (which I will point out, was also
unconstitutional). To not be able to post topics has in effect segregated me from my
fellow CTB members, in that I do not have the same privileges as others on this forum.
Over dramatic much? Do you know what blacklisted means? You haven't been blacklisted,
you just decided to cross the line with a topic that isn't discussed here. People
come here to talk Clippers, not porn stars.
Quote:
In conclusion: clipper*joe, I know we have both agreed and disagreed on many
subjects on here. Thats ok, thats what it is like to be a passionate fan. I honor and
respect your enthusiasm for the Clips and for this site. Granting all this, I
behoove you to remove this makeshift "ban" that has been placed on my
account. In the future, if my comments or posts are deemed inappropriate or
unpopular, let my fellow CTB members be the first judge. In front of everyone on this
forum, do not tacitly censor my ability to be a full-fledged member of this great
website and utilize my First Amendment rights - because if this route is taken, the
respect you will lose as moderator will outweigh whatever respect I have lost over
"offensive" posts.
Thank you & go Clips!
You haven't been banned. You haven't been restricted, all we did was take a thread down
that isn't supposed to be here.
The last thing I want to tell you is that you do not have any first amendment rights while
on the world wide web.
Look at this way:
This is considered a home for a lot of people, including me. And if you were in my home and
brought that same topic to discuss, I would warn you that if you continue, I will
throw you out. If you persisted, I would throw you out and you could NOT throw out any
first amendments right stuff cause it's my home, my rules, my guidelines. Well,
this is a home that has rules and guidelines. You can't expect to do what you want and
hide behind a document that doesn't stretch far enough to cover the
web.
Just stay on point and make better judgments next time...