Is it the job of a question/answer site to dictate the moral or ethical function of a question or it's value/productiveness?

No ~ It shouldn’t be….Censorship Sucks, and it’s against the constitution.

Pushing the envelope.

To a point.

You’re kind of just complaining, and it’s not at all subtle.

We don’t dictate the moral or ethical aspects of the question, for example. Fluther fully supports, respect and encourages free speech.

@samaurikitten: The internet does not belong to any country, the constitution has nothing to do with it. When you join a group, organization or business you agree to the terms of their services and those rank above your rights, you’re free to leave anything you don’t agree with on the internet.

That applies to your question too, adasa.

@adasaismyusernameudiots are you back?

i am not attempting subtlety, i am making a very direct statement against a website that proclaims free speech and then censors it users. that is a contradiction and is asinine. this is my stance and i rather enjoy being fond of it. is my account going to be deleted for this opinion?

There is no censorship present on Fluther.

You will not be deleted, however trolling generally results in the user leaving, either because of the reactions they face or because they become such a problem as to warrant official action.

really? there’s no censorship present on fluther? an account was deleted yesterday for commenting publicly that censorship is wrong and that the judgementalism present in the current form of moderation constitutes censorship. how is that not censorship? are you observing the same website?

Might I direct you here? You might benefit from reading that thread from that point to the end.

said account was deleted after 2 question and 1 public comment that was neither hostile nor inflammatory, only a direct statement against a perceived censorship issue.

@asmonet… so sorry…didn’t mean to offend you…I joined this site about half an hour ago and am still checking it out. There are several countries that have laws / rules regarding freedom of speech, I made no assumption as to the internet being owned by anyone..that inference you made is rediculous. Furthur more, I am a conceptual thinker…I actually stoped to think that perhaps adasa was speaking from experience with other sites and not necessarily fluther. Censorship is a world wide issue ~ you certanily dont have to agree, but many people are aware of this.

@adasaismyusernameuidiots: I very much doubt that is true.
That may have only been what you saw happen, there are private communications that may have gone unseen, behavioral issues, etc. If it was an old account of yours I strongly suggest you speak to the mods about it, it looks like you’re a bit invested in the issue.

@samaurikitten: You didn’t offend me, it takes more than that, I assure you. I don’t think it was a ridiculous inference on my part, you mentioned the constitution. Something that does not apply to online organizations and is associated with the government. Considering the recent influx of new members to Fluther, I made the logical assumption that he was speaking about it. And it looks like I’m right.

your rather amusing presumption is informative, but probably not in the direction you hoped. i am further convinced of censorship, not less. to wit: censoring a thing does not always come in the form of burning books or killing critics. more often it comes in the form of insisting on a manner of speech. hundreds of years of sexual repression,violence, and prejudice came from victorian ideals, some of which continue today. the means of censorship in that case? criminalisation (misdemeanor) of showing any part of the arm or leg for females. nothing above the wrist or ankle could be shown as it was ‘pornographic’. this simple limitation became even more aggravated as england became more ‘protestant’ to the point of ‘witch trials’.
how does this even remotely relate to my position? how one clothes oneself is also a means of speech/expression. the stifling of ones ability to dress as they see fit is a form of censorship. censorship ALWAYS leads to violence, though rarely on the side of the censored, as they are rarely the ones with the power to do violence.
if that does not remove the doubt you present, then let me phrase it this way, so there can be no doubt: when any individual or group decides how or what another individual can or cannot express, they are attempting to remove the HUMAN right of free speech. this is not an american right, it is a HUMAN right. and, as the internet belongs to ALL nations, that human right should be upheld in any forum that claims it’s dedication to that freedom.
thank you for not deleting my account AGAIN.

@samaurikitten: please don’t think that i am attacking you personally, i am, as you say, ‘invested’ and thus passionate about this particular topic. my response initially was private, but the account was not deleted until i reposted it on the moderators page publicly.

You agreed to the terms of service and you are therefore bound by them, your argument is moot.
And you’re really reaching.

sorry, not samaurikitten, @asmonet

I didn’t think you were, you’re clearly riled up and took the deletion of your account personally, understandable but perhaps with a few days of thought on the matter you may think differently, did you violate the guidelines? Did you engage in any behavior that may have been seen as harassment? Such as railing against free speech issues to a mod who really has no control over the websites policies?

how is my argument moot that censorship is wrong? how is agreeing to terms of service an acceptance of censorship? nothing in those terms said my account or anyones account could be removedfor questioning the modus operandi of the site. that smacks of stalinism. not a far reach.

i made my personal stance clear without attacking the mod in any way. i spoke against the use of censorship as a tool to ‘tap the collective’ i will find the quote for you if you like.

Perhaps, if you are upset about a mod decision you could ask ben or andrew rather than complaining publicly as you are here.

You might be interested to know that no user is banned without complete agreement among the mods, from what I understand. If you have a problem with a decision they make your first action should be to contact one politely and inquire about their reasoning, if you are still unsatisfied your next and last course of action beyond creating a new account and tailoring your behavior as needed is to contact ben or andrew and attempt to work it out with them.

This is not the way to resolve the issues you’re having, this is more like trolling than making a point.

I would be interested in your exact wording as a matter of fact.

one moment, i will copy paste for you

How can a social networking site decide what is and isn’t a proper question to ask?
Asked by adasa (10 points) | asked 1 second ago | 0 responses | “Great Question” (0 points) | Flag as…

this site is quite possibly the least friendly and one of the most pompous things i have ever seen function. you have become slightly more popular today because another ‘q&a’ site is closing it’s doors. as these former wis.dm users begin to realize how dictatorial your policies are, will they stay?
I for one, will not. i enjoy the ability to be humorous and free with my speech, and will not be told that i am either an idiot (your question is not well thought out) or self aggrandizing (self promotional) my ONLY question asked besides this one was neither of those. those who know me would find me asking how i could offend them this evening to be a relatively tame query.
thank you for wasting my time and energy.

I don’t think anyone could fault a single moderator for removing that, and quite frankly it sounds like you’re leaving anyway.

It was not a question, it was borderline trolling at best, self-promotional by you behaving as if a question was your chance to jump on a soapbox, it was hateful, it was a direct attack on the site.

It violated multiple guidelines and as the guidelines clearly state:
Banning:
If we believe that a user has consistently or flagrantly acted against these guidelines, we may ban that user from Fluther.

So as I see it, they were justified and all I see here is you continuing the same tantrum, I can’t imagine how you would expect to see any different result.

Even your new username is meant to be inflammatory, how can you not see all of this?

it was a direct response to a ‘reply’ from a moderator, not the question itself, which was almost the exact same question asked above.

Post whatever you wish, the questions, the private messages from moderators, anything at all. I highly doubt you will convince me otherwise but I will keep an open mind.

I doubt the outcome, but I remain open to the possibility. Please, remove your head from the aforementioned orifice.

to wit, the original question was ‘so, how may i offend you tonight?’ the second question regarding the censoring of that question was roughly the same question above, though slightly different.

of course you doubt the outcome. you have a vested interest in this site flourishing, just as the early users of ‘ask.com’ had.
alas, i highly doubt you will be paid for your services here, which is sad, because you seem quite intelligent, if partial. doubt the outcome as you like, it happened. an account was banned for publicly decrying the censorship that is utilised as a tool on this site to keep things within a limited range of the collective it wishes(in word only) to tap.

Enjoy your moment, while it lasts.
Good luck finding some random forum online that lacks all rules and suffers in quality that will allow you to be as incendiary as you desire.

i do not desire to be incendiary. if i am wronged, i allow for error. rather than explaining how i might be erroneous, i was removed. this is an action of violence (though admitedly not physical) which i will not tolerate. not because i have been wronged, but because another might be wronged for the same ‘reasons’. i find this unacceptable.

if you are thrown in jail (a metaphor for removal) because you spoke against the society’s means of judging right and wrong speech, would you not stand opposed when released? or would you simply come back, head bowed and accept your punishment?

as a human being, i would rather suffer in quality of life than be censored for speaking against the quality provided.

as to luck, i make pretty things happen in my life, no luck required.

By joining this site you agree to the terms, how are you not getting this? The policy is to remove content that is unacceptable and it can be discussed at any time with a moderator if you so choose. The website, community and the moderators can not be blamed for your failure to do so.

oh, goodness, is the ‘while it lasts’ phrase another statement refering to future removal? will statement opposed to the state be destroyed?
but i thought there was no censorship on flukeworm…i mean fluther

Are you done flouncing yet, Adasa?

You are here by your own hand. No one is forcing you to be here, so what exactly is your damage with being subject to the rules you voluntarily signed up for?

A site can do whatever it wishes, and you can take it or leave it.

no i could not discuss it. i attempted to do so in a public format, e.g. on his personal page in comment, and was summarily deleted. that is not discussion. terms? conditions? where am i to address grievances if not publicly? how are you not getting that?

No, it was a comment to be taken a number of ways if you like.
I was mostly referring to the impending moderation of posts that I am sure you will make that violate the terms, and that you won’t be tolerated long with this kind of attitude in a community of people who volunteer to participate. You are also volunteering to waste your time here tonight, you may be asked to leave or go on your own at any point.

Anyone on the site may delete comments they do not want on their page, that option is available to everyone.

And really, bitching in public makes you look like a child, it does not make you stronger or more formidable. Discretion and tact are far more appropriate weapons.

no, not the comment, the account. only a moderator can do that form of deletion, correct?

yes, hiding your opinion that censorship is wrong is a far better tack against censorship. what?

Only with the consent of the majority of the team. If you have an issue, again I would suggest you contact andrew or email sitemods@fluther.com.

You would not be hiding your opinion in any fashion, you misunderstand the private message system. Being polite, and respectful is more tactful, yes.

if one is a moderator, then they, like any governing official, are a public figure. in that respect, if you sincerely believe in free speech as a human right, they are subject to public confrontation. without that public nature, they are seen as making personal decisions rather than decisions that are openly discussed and understood by the public. private conversation is for private matters, not public ones. and i have never presumed to say that i was tactful, only just in standing against a censorship.

You just don’t get us, good luck wherever you go. It’s a shame you didn’t stick around with your mouth shut before you made judgments. I’m going to bed, I’ve lost interest in this discussion and you.

actually i did stick around and observe, read as much as i could, and like several well noted authors/poets/philosophers is saw an injustice that i could not abide. so i guess you going to sleep is a satisfactory end, as you have been doing that for some time. good night.

This is an injustice?

I’d hate to see your head explode when I explain to you what the word Darfur means.

Actually, on second thought, I do believe I’d enjoy it.

I just read this entire post, which amazes me. I’m even more amazed, asmonet, at your patience and enjoyment of these proceedings.

Thank you, darling.

oh by all means, explain what the former sultanate’s name means…i am always amused by semantics.
oh, and your welcome.

Asmonet, you truly are a nighttime champion. Way to go! :)

@adasaismyusernameuidiots – I’ve already commented in your other thread, so I will not comment here.

Fluther is less like a country with laws, and more like a party with a chosen etiquette, tone and culture. This is the internet; there are plenty of places to go if you find yourself uninterested by our direction. We have a mission for the type of questions we want to cultivate, and we’re sticking with it. Hope this helps.

for the last freaking time: i have never said anyone should change, only that i disagree with how it is done currently. if a society/community/kingdom cannot take a simple criticism, how will it thrive and grow?

Why does the site have the burden to listen to your criticism of it?

@adasaismyusernameuidiots Fluther was built for “straight-up” questions (although not questions that are easily answered elsewhere), and other “social” questions that display effort and promotes thoughtful discussion. We have a heavy moderation process as a result. We don’t want to accommodate everyone; just the people interested in those types of questions and that are open to improving their questions and abandoning questions that don’t fit our culture. I’m sorry if you feel that Fluther isn’t for you.

has there yet been a society or a community that grew and thrived which did not endure criticism? has there yet been a system of governance that became successful without debate of it’s mores? there is no ‘burden’ to hear criticism. i ask why there is no desire. if there is no desire to hear criticism, there is by default, no desire for growth.

@richardhenry: what you just described is a system that wishes to stagnate. being as i can logically assume the majority of the individuals who use this site are living beings, stagnation violates the very nature of growth. is it then your contention that those who seek growth are unwelcome? or is there another intent behind your comment?

@adasaismyusernameuidiots You’re yet to propose a remedy. Are you suggesting we abandon the moderation process?

This is a yes or no question. I vote Yes, especially if it gets the twits to leave.

There are proper ways to give your criticism of the website. One does this by contacting the site creators and giving your comments directly to them. One does not post a question here to express one’s opinion. That is not what the site’s functionality is for.

I’m not sure how Richard described a stagnant growth situation, please elaborate.

@dynamicduo If anything, I’d like to think that we encourage focused growth, rather than growth in all directions.

The recently added Round Table discussions which occur in the chat room (info is in the blog) is also an appropriate venue for talking about the site’s direction, growth, etc.

@richardhenry – I agree.

[mod says] 1) The question that was removed was: “How can I offend you tonight?” This type of question is better addressed in the chat room, not the main question page. It is not the type of well thought out question that promotes a good discussion.

2) The private comment left by you was along the lines of: “This place is a dictatorship. This place sucks, I will only stay long enough to inform everyone of that fact.” You then said you didn’t mean to post it privately, so you posted it as a public comment, as well.

Public or private comment did not factor in to the decision made to close your account. In your comment, you made it clear that your intention was to inform everyone of how much our site sucks, and then you’d be leaving. By banning your account, we were just helping you out the door.

Oh good. He’s gone.

[TL breathes a sigh of relief.]

[asmo does a happy dance?]

Question mark? You’re not sure?

Shhhh he may be lurking, just waiting for an excuse to make an ass of himself again.

But really, it’s a testament to how tolerant the mods are that only one quip was removed from this entire discussion. I admit, I got a bit irked now and again here. But all in all..I’m surprised I was so damn nice considering the amount of drugs I’m on right now. :P

Perhaps it is because of the drugs!

That is entirely possible. :)

asmo, are you up late or up early?

I sleep for six hours, fluther for four, repeat.

The Vicodin is making me wonky. :)

From now on, I encourage those who feel are being censored to join in a silent protest by using this image as your avatar. Only by letting ourselves be heard have we ever changed unfair laws in human history.

There were always those who sided with the oppressor for fear of being punished. And there were those who were willing to die, so we could enjoy our freedoms today. Freedom!

@departed: You are always free to go elsewhere. I understand that Livejournal lets you write anything you like in your posts, for instance. Not liking the culture of a website where you are a guest is hardly comparable to dying in revolutionary wars.

Also, if you get several people using the same image, you’ll just confuse people.

@cwilbur I am aware I am free to go elsewhere. I am also free to express my opinion. And I am as much of a guest here as you are, by the way.

About confusing people… Irrelevant.

@departed: The difference is, I find the environment here interesting, while you seem to find it unpleasant. If you think you’re being improperly censored, why stick around and fight a battle you can’t win? Why not just go somewhere where you won’t be censored?

@cwilbur Can’t win? I beg to differ. It only takes opening the eyes of others. You can kill an account, but not the idea. Ideas are bulletproof. Remember?

@departed: Except that you’re talking to people who already have an opinion on this matter, and putting up an avatar and yammering about freedom and oppression and censorship isn’t likely to change any of our minds.

So, in effect, what you’re doing is coming here and telling us we’re doing it wrong, and you’re implying rather strongly that we’re ignorant and stupid for disagreeing with you. Except that we’re not ignorant or stupid, and some of us have seen the effects of no moderation on formerly-thriving online communities.

We like the way we’re doing it, and that’s why we do it this way; if you don’t like the way we do it, you’re probably going to be much happier in the long run finding a community of people who agree with you than you will be tilting at this particular windmill until you get tedious. Er, until you get even more tedious.

@cwilbur I share departed’s point of view.

@Sr_Q Perhaps I am missing something, but where did @cwilbur accuse you of anything?

@Sr_Q: I was addressing departed, as indicated by the @departed at the beginning of the response.

Just to be clear, @Sr_Q has edited his response. I believe, sir, that you have just outed yourself as @departed‘s alter ego.

@cwilbur My mistake. I do agree with the excessive amount of moderation going on here, though.

@augustlan To be or not to be…

Woo, sockpuppetry and nutjobbery! Hang on, I’ll get the popcorn.

@Sr_Q It’s alright, Q-Dude… I always knew you liked me.

I love when silly people can’t keep up with themselves.

I agree with @departed‘s suggestion completely. It’ll make it much easier to spot and ignore the trolls, whiners, shit-stirrers, and people who agree to rules and conditions and then don’t want to follow them.

[mod says:] @Sr_Q Creating alternate accounts for the purpose of deception is against our guidelines. You have been warned.

@richardhenry That was not the purpose of the account, deception that is. It was to ask more private questions, including my vendetta against censorship. That is allowed in our guidelines. I read it. Nevertheless, I deleted it out of my own will even before reading your comment. Thanks for the warning.

@Sr_Q Supporting your agenda with a second account and pretending there isn’t a relation is deceptive. Sorry, but it is. Thanks for closing the account, it’s appreciated.

@Sr_Q I would have continued pretending no relation if it hadn’t been for the above mistake. But the idea of a second account is anonymity, is it not? That it not be related to the personal account? I contest your accusation of deception but either way, it is closed. Sr_Q hates censorship, I have no problem with people knowing that. Good day.

@Sr_Q Why are you addressing yourself in the third person?

@Sr_Q It’s against our guidelines (as is gaming the lurve system, which you did). If you would like to continue this discussion, we can do so in private comments or email richard (at) fluther (dot) com.