Censorship Vs free expression

Sunday, September 28, 2003 by Jafo | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk

On a publicly accessible 'Family' website, what are YOUR thoughts regarding the line beyond which no-one should cross?

What is considered 'inappropriate' to you?

And why?

 

 

Needless to say, this is not the forum for boundary crossing  but an open discussion on where lines really SHOULD be drawn.

I will be at pains to stress that at no time is there a 'double standard' being applied and to suggest such is insulting to the reputation/s and moral conduct of the moderators here.

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kona0197
Reply #61 Monday, September 29, 2003 11:00 AM
I think there have been times when, if most of us are honest, that we have put something on a thread that we regret later and wish in hindsight that we had kept our mouths shut.


hence the reason ALL of us should have the edit ability.
did it...I confess, I made the "penis & strap-on" comment... It was an off the cuff rib at Kona.


I was not offended. I actually thought it was funny.

BTW I think if you find the words "Strap on" or "Penis" disturbing than you are WAY to conservative.
goodmorphing
Reply #62 Monday, September 29, 2003 12:30 PM
Hmmmm, Now that I read the other thread I am reminded of my own personal double standards. Those remarks would not be allowed on the site that I help manage. However, although they are not something I might say or type, at this site I would not delete them.

Differences are:

The other site actively welcomes young children to read and post. The very youngest have parental supervision, the others come and participate on their own. How else are they going to learn about message boards, internet interactions and the like? We, the moderators, check in several times during the day and the parents know that. We try to encourage people to actually write. That site has established stricter guidelines and I follow them. But that is not to say that those guidelines would be appropriate everywhere, and I do enjoy reading these boards. Remarks like the above don't bother me. Mean, hateful remarks are the sort that do bother me.
IPlural
Reply #63 Monday, September 29, 2003 1:02 PM
Hear, hear. People, please stop using the "this is a family site" excuse to try to wipe out everything that you don't think is "appropriate".


that cracks me up...





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IPlural
Reply #64 Monday, September 29, 2003 1:02 PM
Need a loop hole?



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aufisch
Reply #65 Monday, September 29, 2003 2:32 PM
It doesn't really matter whether this is a "Familiy site" or not. After all, I don't think that too many children would hang around a skinning forum anyway.
What really matters is (as mentioned above by paxx and Boxxi) is common sense and respect. This forum is generally very good in protecting its own interests and trolls are usually spotted very quickly and get rid off shortly after. I therefore don't think that there is need of a 20 page set of rules which nobody will read anyway.

As for the "strap" comment: it might have not been inapropriate for a site visited mostly by adults, but it did not show respect either.
hashonboat
Reply #66 Monday, September 29, 2003 2:37 PM
People, please stop using the "this is a family site" excuse to try to wipe out everything that you don't think is "appropriate".


If you will read back you will most likely find it is more often the Admins, Moderators and Long-Timers who use the "this is a Family Site" phrase when cautionong members of their conduct.

Since it's coming from Admins and Moderators that's what I'm going by until they say different.

So either it IS a Family Site or it is not.

If it is not by all means speak of and name any and all body parts and sex toys. I'm cool with that as long as the Mods don't tell people anymore it's a family site. I personally will just block access for my child.

But i think it is better as they have said to keep the standards geared towards a family site ( at least for the message Board). The NewsGroups are always available for those who would like a good dose of cursing, flaming and sexually explicit (to a degree) discussion. I get a good laugh out of them sometimes. There I know my child isn't reading at all.

So , If we adults already have a place where we can have fun, adult jokes, arguments and the like, why should we be so selfish as to not give our children a part where they don't have to be exposed to our adult conversations, because no matter what some people say here I don't believe that most parents here would appreciate someone sitting down in front of their child and joking about sex toys and the like.
Jafo
Reply #67 Monday, September 29, 2003 3:05 PM

The point is....Wincustomize.com IS a 'family site', and hence the reason for posting this thread....what and why are [or should be] the boundaries by which we, as a community 'draw the line/s' or limitations?

My opinion was/is that neither 'penis' nor 'strap-on' was/is a problem, as both are natural words/phrases....and the latter would only be 'significant' if one were aware of its meaning anyway, in which case it's hardly an issue.

Again I find fault with this perception there is a double standard applying to old vs new people here.  I would not have removed that phrase irrelevant of its author.....THAT is the point.

The frustrating thing is that the Admins/moderators here can search through the UserID database.....using 4-letter words as the search and get hundreds of hits for any and every permutation you can imagine.   Any one of these 'people' could post "Hi." on the board.....and I guarantee all of you would be revulsed by their nicks alone.  It makes you want to exile people 'pre-emptively' [just like Bush]....but that's not quite right, either....

Back to the topic.....since the continuity of comment was a clear indication of non-malicious intent the phrase remained.  Because said phrase was only of 'meaning' to those who already clearly knew its meaning and to those who didn't would remain unknown, it remained.

Perhaps are we guilty of transference of our knowledge/awareness/prejudices upon our children/parental responsibilities?

hashonboat
Reply #68 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:11 PM
I think the majority (51% or more) of posters on this subject have agreed that while the reference to penis & strap-on (especially in the same sentence) may be fine in some situations that on a "Family Site" it is either inappropriate or disrespectful to the feelings of those who find it objectionable (especially on a site touted by the Admins/Moderators as "Family".

I disagree Jafo. I do not agree that you can say this is a "Family Site" and have sexually explicit conversations. Yes. No matter how you want to justify it , it was sexually explicit. So please, If you would like I can list all body parts and sexual toys for you to look at and say which ones are family friendly words and which are not. Should we include sex acts ( as the oofending post implied) so that list can be perused also.

Someone did say ole-timers can get away with more than noobs, or at least that was the impression I got.

I would like to see how many people here have had a conversation with family that included refernces to girls not having penises but strap-ons.
Please speak up.
paxx
Reply #69 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:26 PM

This was a joke, and I thought it was funny.

Yes, this is a family site, but I think we can still have conversations and make jokes. Family site does not mean we have to talk as if we were in a kindergarden either.
Heck, we've had conversations about terrorists, about war, about dead peeople, about bombs, about rapes and mass murderers. Far worse, in my opinion, for a child to read than a vague reference to strap-on, which he is likely to not even understand. Heck, Haloween is coming up, some people my want to get disguised.

Sugaree
Reply #70 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:27 PM
Hash, I'd hardly call it a conversation...It was a one liner. I'm sorry you find it Offensive, I happen to think with-in the context of the thread, it was quite funny. I think you brought more attention to "it" than "it" deserves.

Delete the damn thing and be done with it!


Paxx




[Message Edited]
kona0197
Reply #71 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:32 PM
Weather or not the admins admit it, she is right SOMEWHAT on the double stand thing...

I will say again I did not find it offensive. And I was the target of the joke!

SOME PEOPLE ARE WAY TO CONSERVATIVE!
Sugaree
Reply #72 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:48 PM
Kona I think Hash is a he
kona0197
Reply #73 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:49 PM
oh..sorry!
Jafo
Reply #74 Monday, September 29, 2003 6:57 PM

hashonboat..again, the reason for this thread is to have a discussion about how we as a community should deal with or expect to deal with subject matter that 'may' be deemed inappropriate by 'some', when perhaps it is not found so by 'others'.

When do we allow [or should we allow] the determination/s of what is 'appropriate' by one sector to impinge on the enjoyment of the site by the many?

It 'may' be significant thatothers other than myself who are vested with the responsibility of maintaining decorum here are of a similar mind to myself...that the exemplified case was inoccuous and perhaps the act of drawing attention to it was more detrimental than letting it ride.

As others have stated it's all a balancing act, between allowing some 'comment' but not ALL comment.

To repeat once more, any perception of a relaxed standard towards long-time members vs new members is purely down to the understanding [generally] that the former, through experience/past history is aware of established limits, whereas so many new members need to be 'watched' as their potential conduct is an unknown quantity.  Even Scott Sproat was 'nice' once....however it was soon apparent that his moral standard was that of pond-scum, culminating in his transgression of Federal Law [be it the US where he is, or Australia where I am].  His record of conduct/comment guarantees his permanent exclusion from this site's community [and I wouldn't be surprised if his probable future incarceration becomes testimony to his unsuitability for society at large].

When confronted with the full gamut of potential diverse conduct where in the whole scheme of things does a comment 'you don't have a penis....a strap-on doesn't count' really deserve to fit?

It's simply a joke....though I must attest to having kept an eye on that dedicated 'joke' thread here....which had the potential to be abused....and yet it still has many entries that are more risque than a simple reference to a 'sex-toy' [your description]...

Angel_Wings
Reply #75 Monday, September 29, 2003 7:23 PM
I'm more worried about my daughter watching MTV than visiting this forum.

Oh China! Go sister, soul sister! Just love that sense-o-humor girlfriend!

I think it is NOBLE of WC to want to keep things as 'family-oriented' as possible but I take that to mean pg-13 but that's just my pov and I shan't wax pedantic on my views and ideals since everyone has them and some of them...well produce sulfuric smelling noxious fumes [he-he].

A prurient mind can turn ANY phrase into something nasty regardless of intent and visa-versa... If a kid knows what it means...well...so...HE KNOWS already! And if a child is so young to be NOT-monitored on a forum such as this that they actually ask a parent AFTER-THE-FACT...then that's just bad parenting skills. A child under 13 SHOULD be monitored when surfing...if it is allowed AT all...and sure you can say there are some pretty crappy parents out there who don't care but does that mean WC has to become big brother? I'd hope not.

An unsupervised young child with a high enough intellect to use a search engine will find far more trash than this place EVER will.

I agree blatant swear-words are immature and SHOULD be deleted. I've used "Frickin' and arse" and "Sheet" or the occasional 'well asterisked' "naughty word" but not often and not enough to label myself a potty-mouth...Uhm I hope.

Like it or not...every kid will eventually know every potty word...every naughty word...and maybe even make up a few of her/his own to boot. You can only preserve 'innocence' for so long.

My daughter knows a LOT more than some teens do and yet she is very innocent and kind and loving and mature all at the same time. I trust her on the internet but I do give her the surprise 'walk-ins' into her computer room. She's 16 but she's still my baby.

I think the admins HATE being "big brother" and would most certainly rather NOT...but what they do is valid for ALL concerned and for the sake of this online community. I think they've done a great job thus far.

Angel_Wings closes her eyes tight and wishes hard..."I DO so wish all the ideology of 'flaming' someone would FINALLY cease and let the cooler heads of moderators prevail. Imagine if you will...a forum where a shmuck happens to post and nobody responds to his 'troll rants' (which brings his ugly cause to the TOP of the forum heap every time someone DOES repsond) but rather a member/s quietly email/s an admin and the troll is either warned/thread-locked/exiled etc.

Ahhhhhhhh well a goil can wish.

Angel_Wings gives JAFO a big smile btw!
IPlural
Reply #76 Monday, September 29, 2003 7:40 PM
Hash-On-Boat, really?




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IPlural
Reply #77 Monday, September 29, 2003 7:42 PM
Shmoopy, ever hear of the Cult? English band, song called "Sweet Soul Sister" ?

If not, you should check them out if you like rock...

They do...

actually they have a number of albums/cd's all of them fantastic...



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Angel_Wings
Reply #78 Monday, September 29, 2003 7:44 PM
IP... Really? Hmmmmmm. Hafta check it out...
Angel_Wings
Reply #79 Monday, September 29, 2003 7:46 PM
Angel_Wings just had an...yep...uh...an idea...

Maybe we could have a thread-ratings available...show Rated G...Rated PG...Rated R...oops no rated R...

I'm JOKINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Angel_Wings edited one dumbarse word. hehe
[Message Edited]
IPlural
Reply #80 Monday, September 29, 2003 8:05 PM
the problem with that is liability....

otherwise that would be an extreamly useful idea



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