Results of the ATS Political Temperature Check Survey., page 2

Do you hear that hissing sound? Thats the sound of the energy being sucked out of the now split forums.

Its been what, a week or so now, and it just seems to me that both the number and the energy of the posts is way down. Things appear dry and bland....some people appear edgy in their posts, as if they're holding back....as the weight of openly defined verbal oppression sets in.

(descriptions left vauge to avoid intentional "singling out" of people...this is just an example ofthings that raise questions about the new policies and ethics.)

A recent poster said the french were "cheese eating surrender monkeys".

2 posts later, a moderator says, "As for your monkey comment, we don't need that type of post here. "

NO warning was issued for what i have read to understand would be a clear violation of the new "verbal morality parameters".

How can a reasonable poster be able to discern WHERE the verbal line of "decency" is when wittness to pretty basic examples of verbal "indecency", where no action was taken other than verbal admonishment? (which could have been done by any poster disagreeing with the comment)

lets talk about ethics for a moment.
the idea that "we don't need that type of post here."

Which other "types" could we not want around here?
Add your favorite minority group title before the word "type" in that statement and ask yourself how discriminatory, bigoted and ignorant it sounds. Try Black, women, gay, jew, or your more expressive slang terms for them...fun isnt it?

This idea is very P.C., and its devicive, judgmental, and in effect discrimination on vauge criteria, enforced by non standardly trained people.

I find it very interesting that when other slang terms are put into that sentance, most members would agree that the statement would be devicive and possibly discriminatory,
YET,
when it refers to a freedom of speech issue, or open and honest forms of communication, (even non intelligent) it seems most are willing to encourage the stiffiling of this liberty.

If i said in a post...we dont need blacks posting around here....id be warned (mabey) and labled a bigot...
But
Saying ...we dont need your (potentially offensive) ideas around here....is somehow not percieved as censorship, or discrimination, in fact its encouraged.

i just dont understand the duplicity here. At what point does something go from "community standards" to discrimination? It seems that when other terms are put in the same context as "speech", they would be percieved as discriminatory far sooner than expressions of ideas or the manner in which they are communicated. Yet we just walk away from the 1rst amendment.

These other examples have pretty clear-cut criteria for what would be considered discriminatory, yet when talking about speech the actual boundaries are ill defined. How can something so widely interpretable be enforced uniformly? How can this be interpreted by the posters as to avoid commiting a violation with such open boarders?

Board gods please note, this is more of an esoteric look at this "speech boundary" issue that has been develpoing since before the mudpit was changed, than it is a critique of this great site.

Saying "our loftier form of expression is better than your lesser forms of expression, and we will discriminate against those that cant or wont do as we say", just seems like it is clearly "intellectual eliteism" at the least and basic discrimination with no definitions that are clear in practice.

How can denial of ignorance occur if youve limited sources for consideration? (by weeding out the "undesirable types"...define them.)

As a professional communicator, i respect the notion that intelligent discussions are better if a certain level of decorum exists.....

I understand that as a private board, they can set what ever parameters they like for their community.

I just wonder if people see this "intellectual eliteism" i refer to and how they see this as an extension of the "P.C. doctrine". How does this stifle communicaions? Are telling lies (only using PC approved expression) or just being quiet now more important than expressing true thoughts?