The issue of "Freedom of Speech" on ATS

First I'd like to make a plea to Niteboy...stop with the avatars man you're killing me.

As for civil discussion and bad language perhaps I can be of some assistance. I like to drop the F-bomb as much as the next person but on this board I just do some self translation before I post for example:

"F" you, you "effing" "F" is easily translated into "I couldn't disagree more"

That's the dumbest "effing" thing I've ever "effing" heard and if I hear one more stupid thing out of your mouth I'm gonna "effing" hunt you down and ram a pool cue up your "effing" "A".

Is again easily translated into. "That's a very interesting theory do you perhaps have any links or proof that could back up those amazing claims. I for one find you point of view interesting and would like to hear more but links and some form of verifiable proof would be helpful."

"Hey pal why don't you take a flying "F" at a rolling doughnut you've got your "Effing" head so far up your inbred "A" that it doesn't matter how many times you're corrected you just keep opening your "effing" pie hole without "effing" thinking"

This as everyone knows is translated to..."Actually you missed my post, if you would be so kind as to read the thread carefully you will see that this has been disproven."

Did I miss anything?

Spiderj

QUOTE--"Any topic whatsoever can easily be discussed without insults, vulgarities, and taunting language."

If this is so, why did my thread that had no insults, vulgarities or taunting language get thrown in the trash?

What was wrong with it?

Originally posted by joshai2334
If this is so, why did my thread that had no insults, vulgarities or taunting language get thrown in the trash?

Because it was a 100% copy-and-paste from another discussion board without any original comment from you. Such action is clearly against the Terms & Conditions you agreed to when you joined.

Any questions?

Oh.

I thought agreeing with it was good enough.

Okay. So, now how do I go add to it, my own thoughts?

Thankyou for posting this important reminder, it will be helpfull to have it sent with the welcome info.

wow this tread is really about testing your patience SO.
but honestly after reading posts in other sites such as mania.com where their members are allowed to curse and bicker amongst tem i must say that ATS certainly has a more civilized atmosphere to it

[edit on 4/18/2007 by razor1000]

What about posting "unfamiliar ideas"?

What about posting the consequences and the accusations that accompany corruption and perfidy?

What about the allegation that multi-dimensionality presupposes that somethings just can't be physically shown or proven?

I can't prove to you that I had a dream, for instance. Yet, it is my experience. Nor can I prove a telepathic communication, or an insight, or an intuition, a hunch.

My experience here over the past five years is that I present unfamiliar ideas, and I get laughed at. I don't like being laughed at.

So, I leave for a year or two, and I come back and it happens again.

josh

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
Here, your "freedom of speech" is a privilege granted by the owner of this website.

Actually, the law of the land still operates inside enclosed organizations.

I agree that the TAC should be enforced, but that is enough to say.

It's almost always not what one says, but how they say it. Proper use of words is important, and not just here. The real world is getting more and more extremist PC, and a newspeak has to emerge, where the point is given, but in a more intellectual manner to not offend.

Excellent, I’ve never really believed in freedom of speech anyway so I can’t really argue with your post.

I am amazed however that more people are not trying to flame ATS for saying that freedom of speech is a “privilege” rather than a “right” on this site. If I had said that, I would have been flamed to the extreme, even though I agree with that statement I smell some brown nosing.

I have to say I do think that ATS often stretches the T&C’s, what is offensive can be highly subjective but on the whole the mods do a fairly good job.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Manners and decorum are one thing.. but censoring freedom of speech because it is a private website is another.. I guess when we have privately owned nations and corporate governments. There will not be any freedom of speech left what so ever..

Tis not a good line to cross...
kx)

Originally posted by purplemer
Manners and decorum are one thing.. but censoring freedom of speech because it is a private website is another..

This is somewhat confusing to me. Every member that posts here agrees to abide by the T&C. The T&C is explicit when it comes to manners and decorum. Are you saying that members do not have to live up to their agreement on this free site?

It appears as though what many people want is the freedom to curse, to unleash their anger and unhappiness onto others; to talk about the usage of contraband, and to plagiarize.

Which folks, you do have those freedoms. Absolutely you do. Just not here.

Kinda fun to read a thread this old. Some things never change.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by purplemer
Manners and decorum are one thing.. but censoring freedom of speech because it is a private website is another..

This is somewhat confusing to me. Every member that posts here agrees to abide by the T&C. The T&C is explicit when it comes to manners and decorum. Are you saying that members do not have to live up to their agreement on this free site?

It is evident that people do have to live up to your terms and agreements or they get kicked off this website.. People should have manors and decorum on this site. It makes it flow well and that is a good thing.

Using the fact that ATS is a private and free website to justify censoring free speech is another thing all together.. Yes that may be what the law says but I do not think it to be correct.

Using the same format when entire nations get bought out by the banking cartel and are private enterprises then those citizens will not be allowed free speech either..

Everyone is vying to remove a little freedom of speech from the internet and soz no i dont agree with it. It is your birth right to have freedom of speech and saying that it is a privilege bestowed upon you is a perversion of words..

Your freedom is something that has to be fought for. Never take it for granted and if the law has little respect for humanity then humanity should have little respect for the law.

I have had threads closed down becuase I have linked to sites that contain hacking tools...and yes you remove them.. If I link MSM that links to hacking tools you leave them. How are you meant to inform without predujuce with such rules.. Google can be used as a hacking tool, you allow links to that.

I am not knocking ATS it is a great site. In some areas it lacks, in many it gains....

Originally posted by purplemer
It is evident that people do have to live up to your terms and agreements or they get kicked off this website.. People should have manors and decorum on this site. It makes it flow well and that is a good thing.

Exactly. Use of this site is an agreement between the user and the site.

Using the fact that ATS is a private and free website to justify censoring free speech is another thing all together.. Yes that may be what the law says but I do not think it to be correct.

No one made anyone agree to the T&C. If one doesn't like the rules don't sign up. If you did sign up what's wrong with the site enforcing the rules that any given member agreed to?

Using the same format when entire nations get bought out by the banking cartel and are private enterprises then those citizens will not be allowed free speech either..

Irrelevant.

Everyone is vying to remove a little freedom of speech from the internet and soz no i dont agree with it. It is your birth right to have freedom of speech and saying that it is a privilege bestowed upon you is a perversion of words..

Again, irrelevant. The contract between the member and the site is inviolable.

Your freedom is something that has to be fought for. Never take it for granted and if the law has little respect for humanity then humanity should have little respect for the law.

Of course but it doesn't apply in this matter.

I have had threads closed down becuase I have linked to sites that contain hacking tools...and yes you remove them.. If I link MSM that links to hacking tools you leave them. How are you meant to inform without predujuce with such rules.. Google can be used as a hacking tool, you allow links to that.

Semantics. Anything that is against the T&C, which hacking is, will be removed be it from Google or any source. If we missed one please inform the staff via the Complaints function so that we can take appropriate action.

I am not knocking ATS it is a great site. In some areas it lacks, in many it gains....

Thank you. We try.

I am quite happy that ATS allows me the freedom to sometimes make an ass out of myself. I am sure the mods at times have just shaken their heads when they read the occasional flaming post I make.
I think overall, ATS is pretty lenient. Not perfect like me, but pretty close.

Wow - maybe it's just me, but I just don't understand all the whining about why we're not allowed to swear or discuss ways to get high or make idiotic racist posts or to be a complete douche to another member. People are really arguing about this? This website is not a publically owned website, it is a privately owned website. Perhaps it would be easier to look at it as a someone's home. The homeowners are fine with anyone coming and going, they just do not allow certain language in their house. If they came into your house and were intentionally trying to insult you, you would throw them out too - regardless of the countries "freedom of speech" laws.

Sheesh - is it really that difficult to understand, or are some of us more "entitled" people having their little feelings hurt because they don't get their way?

I don't really care. I act how I act and if the Mods or whoever else have a problem with it, they can ban me.

"Terms and Conditions" are only important to those who write them, in reality they are meaningless.

In summary, I have the right to act how I want. Just as the mods have the choice to disallow this profile from posting anymore.

Much simpler in my book

Originally posted by tallcool1
Wow - maybe it's just me, but I just don't understand all the whining about why we're not allowed to swear or discuss ways to get high or make idiotic racist posts or to be a complete douche to another member. People are really arguing about this? This website is not a publically owned website, it is a privately owned website. Perhaps it would be easier to look at it as a someone's home. The homeowners are fine with anyone coming and going, they just do not allow certain language in their house. If they came into your house and were intentionally trying to insult you, you would throw them out too - regardless of the countries "freedom of speech" laws.

Sheesh - is it really that difficult to understand, or are some of us more "entitled" people having their little feelings hurt because they don't get their way?

Solution: Don't let every random person in your house. If you have an open house, you should expect weirdos.