I Still want a Moderated GB

[Never]

Also, I think a real discussion needs to be had about the difference between "free speech" and "hate speech." The muckety-mucks up top here don't seem to be able or willing to draw that distinction.

They are able and willing.

It's just that hate speech is allowed.

We had that. It was called Lint. It was like the enlightened liberal democracy of forums. And like every enlightened liberal democracy, it eventually depopulated itself.

*sigh*

Never heard of it. What a horrible name though.

Did Laurel and Manu delete it?

 

[domroger]

They make me want to take eyer by the hand and show him one of those, and say, "Now that's a playgrounder!"

You are a better man than I .
I would just like to shake him firmly by the throat .

 

[DesEsseintes]

See, that's the thing, though. Everyone seems to think that Free Speech means people should only be allowed to say things that don't offend other people. But that's not what it means at all.

"I'm all for Free Speech, but..." means you are not Free Speech. You believe speech should be censored in a certain way. Which is fine - that is your opinion, and you have a right to that opinion - but you logically can't claim to be pro-Free Speech and also pro-censorship.

My opinion is that removing the "n-word" from our vocabulary would not magically eradicate racism from society. Words are expressions of viewpoints.

Allowing people to use hateful/bigotted/anti-social words brings these ideas out into the open, where they can be discussed and disputed and challenged and ridiculed and eventually rejected.

Censoring "hate speech" doesn't rid the world of bigotry - it only drives it underground, where it can fester.

There is no better disinfectant than sunlight.

If reading certain things annoy you, you have the ability to put the author of those things on Ignore. But realize that closing your eyes to those things does not make them not-exist.

Of course, that's just one muckity-muck's opinion. You are welcome to disagree.

Precisely, madam. Hate speech is part of free speech: a distasteful part, certainly, but that is the whole point. Free speech is a tough principle. Short of free speech which literally endangers life - the 'Let's all stab that man there' type of speech - there should be no limits at all. This distinction appears to be worth fighting for, even though when I was growing up it seemed to be a battle long since won. Religious groups and the easily offended are constantly chipping away at that hugely important principle, won over centuries and far from secured. In the UK you can be imprisoned for saying all sorts of things which do not directly endanger life. More and more almost every year. And such erosions of liberty are enabled, not to say tacitly encouraged, by well-meaning liberal attitudes seeking to avoid offending people.

If we curtail our speech to avoid all possible offence to everyone, we will end up saying nothing at all.

 

[Never]

Free speech is like water: I recognize its value but have no interest in drowning in it.

 

[DesEsseintes]

Free speech is like water: I recognize its value but have no interest in drowning in it.

And that's fine. But then the solution is to avoid the oceans, not to drain them.

Some like paddling, some swimming. Some scuba diving, some deep sea diving, some freediving, some surfing. Put the safe rope wherever you like, there will be some screaming it's too far out and some saying they can't have fun in such a restricted space, and it should be further still.

 

[Laurel]

If we curtail our speech to avoid all possible offence to everyone, we will end up saying nothing at all.

Exactly.

The reality of everyone being allowed to express their opinions is that "everyone" includes a whole lot of idiots. But there's no way of only allowing non-idiotic opinions because there's no consensus on who's an idiot. If we allowed only people who no one considered an idiot to voice opinions, then no one would be allowed to speak.

And like I said, stopping people from using racial/sexist slurs doesn't make those people un-racist.

Personally I prefer that those with bigoted and stupid opinions be allowed to express them freely. It saves me time by allowing me to avoid the bigoted and the stupid.

Free speech is like water: I recognize its value but have no interest in drowning in it.

Just because there's buckets there doesn't mean you have to drink it all. You can spoon out a select bit, or fill a glass, or just walk away.

Everyone has the right to say stuff. That doesn't mean other people have to listen, or pay any attention at all.

The world is full of idiots. The sooner we learn to coexist with annoying people by 1) accepting that they will be who they are no matter how long we spend fretting over their existence and wishing they'd change, and 2) learning to spend our time focusing on the enjoyable and interesting people all around us, the sooner we'll live more happily.

Imagine if trolls had to be insightful and fun and witty to get attention. Wouldn't that be cool?

Unfortunately, it seems like people will ignore the insightful and fun and witty - choosing instead to focus on the trolling minority. Then after giving the trolls all the attention they crave and ignoring those who contribute funnies and interesting posts, people are surprised when the trolls stay and the interesting people move on.

I will never understand this.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

You can say stuff here?



I may have to fuckin' leave over harsh language like stuff!

Next thing you know, "hitting it" will become an accepted phrase...

 

[dolf]

almost all of lit is moderated. I don't quite understand why people who want moderation choose to post on this one, tiny corner of the internet without it.

 

[DesEsseintes]

almost all of lit is moderated. I don't quite understand why people who want moderation choose to post on this one, tiny corner of the internet without it.

It's an immoderate fetish for moderation. All things in moderation, including moderation. I find it moderately amusing.

 

[cjh]

almost all of lit is moderated. I don't quite understand why people who want moderation choose to post on this one, tiny corner of the internet without it.

+1

characters

 

[Pookie]

See, that's the thing, though. Everyone seems to think that Free Speech means people should only be allowed to say things that don't offend other people. But that's not what it means at all.

"I'm all for Free Speech, but..." means you are not Free Speech. You believe speech should be censored in a certain way. Which is fine - that is your opinion, and you have a right to that opinion - but you logically can't claim to be pro-Free Speech and also pro-censorship.

My opinion is that removing the "n-word" from our vocabulary would not magically eradicate racism from society. Words are expressions of viewpoints.

Allowing people to use hateful/bigotted/anti-social words brings these ideas out into the open, where they can be discussed and disputed and challenged and ridiculed and eventually rejected.

Censoring "hate speech" doesn't rid the world of bigotry - it only drives it underground, where it can fester.

There is no better disinfectant than sunlight.

If reading certain things annoy you, you have the ability to put the author of those things on Ignore. But realize that closing your eyes to those things does not make them not-exist.

Of course, that's just one muckity-muck's opinion. You are welcome to disagree.

I like having you as my overlord. *nods*

 

[Lancecastor]

When I come back from work, I'm going to write down all the rules that will be in the moderated forum.

Then you can all call me a dictator.

What do you get when you cross a penis with a potato?

A dictator.

 

[Riles]

Why not subscribe to independent moderating, aka filtering? It's this nifty little skill that allows one to only expend their energies and emotion on that which they choose without interfering with anyone else's rights to expression.

 

[evesdream]

I am off work now and will list the rules of the moderated general board, thereafter known as the Promised Land.

1) No personal attacks against other posters. No group attacks.

2) Post must contribute to the conversation. No thread jacking, no +1s, no spam.

3) No trolling.



Greetings and salutations. It's wonderful to see you.

I am already a MODEL of restraint; you have no idea...

 

[Wrong Element]

What's the difference between a hypothetical moderated GB and what we have already in the Playground?

 

[evesdream]

What's the difference between a hypothetical moderated GB and what we have already in the Playground?

My aptitude test. That's the only difference.
If you'll indulge me...

New registrants must pass an aptitude test involving a series of challenges:
-demonstrate mastery of the quote function
-use of your, you're, their, there, they're correctly
-post tits/appealing bits

super challenge: must make me laugh

(Requirements may be waived if one can successfully bring mechablade, medjay, phelia or sonny back to the board).

 

[Lancecastor]

Give Never her own Forum to Moderate and let's see how it does.

http://devilsfoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/neverland-gates.jpg

 

[Wife of Bath]

Laurel .

 

[Tathagata]

If you don't like what someone says or represents, just put them on ignore. I don't understand why people continue to read things from posters who they know are just shit stirrers. I think some people are addicted to the drama.

 

[thør]

I am off work now and will list the rules of the moderated general board, thereafter known as the Promised Land.

1) No personal attacks against other posters. No group attacks.

2) Post must contribute to the conversation. No thread jacking, no +1s, no spam.

3) No trolling.

Will there be badges?

No corn nuts.

Totally unacceptable.

 

[evesdream]

Give Never her own Forum to Moderate and let's see how it does.

Give this man a cigar and a working link to chat.

 

[Laurel]

Give this man a cigar and a working link to chat.

http://www.absolutecigars.com/images/P/Casa_Magna_Cigars_Box_L-01.jpg

and:
http://literotica.com/newchat/

yw

 

[domroger]

Will there be badges?

We don't need no stinking badges .

 

[Wife of Bath]

Never heard of it. What a horrible name though.

Did Laurel and Manu delete it?

It was an entirely separate website created by former Lit posters.

 

[evesdream]

http://www.absolutecigars.com/images/P/Casa_Magna_Cigars_Box_L-01.jpg

and:
http://literotica.com/newchat/

yw

Holy cats, I just logged into the promised land