What is censorship?

Censorship is not when a private web site decides to moderate its content for the collective good.

Censorship is when a government uses the rule of law to silence opposing views.

When grumpyfish says “sincerely asking” the opposite is not that you are an insincere person.

For example, if you ask “how do I change a lightbulb?” that’s a sincere question, because you apparently don’t know how.

But “how many fluther moderators does it take to change a lightbulb?” is not a real question, because I bet that if you want a lightbulb changed in your home, you won’t call the fluther mods to change it.

So in this case, do you really not know the meaning of the word “censorship”, or are you trying to start a discussion about the recent mail you got from a certain mod regarding your answers?

How do you determine the collective good, when you make yourself public.
Sounds to me like a no blacks allowed in the club scenario.

It is all about censorship. I never take anything personal on here.
But, we are here to make sense of things. I honestly want to know.

#@$% you

Well, if you honestly want to know, then “censorship” is the rules (usually based on social values) that determine what should and should not be said. It is the limitations to the “freedom of speech” idea.

Even though censorship has negative connotations (especially in the US), it is not actually something bad. And funnily enough the US has tougher censorship rules than other countries. Think of censorship as something like a “speed limit”. Even though speed itself is something good in a vehicle, speed limits make sure that you drive safely and avoid accidents.

Similarly, censorship (especially in the media, including intertnet sites) makes sure you do not upload pornographic material (especially of children) or scenes of extreme violence that could be accessed by minors, or upload instructions for making a bomb, or the secret plans of a US naval base in Iraq, or your company’s budget for all the competitors to see. It also means you can’t offend people, write blogs that promote racial and sexual violence and discrimination, even share songs whose copyright belongs to a company that is trying to make money out of them. Censorship acts as a method of preventing all sorts of things which are considered bad by society as a whole.

For example, in Turkey youtube is illegal (people there can simply not access it on their browsers) because there are videos that speak against the government, something deemed “bad” for that particular country. In the US a video against the government would be protected by the “freedom of speech” notion, but pornographic material would not.

Are you seriously comparing a request to improve the quality of your participation on a privately owned site with racism?!?

This is censorship.

“Bri_L, what do you think of people who can’t seem to let go”

What I type “I think it must be difficult”

What I think but censored ”!!$%#%%!%^#%^!@ let it go or go yourself!”

Questions referring to how we communicate on Fluther, when they have been hashed and rehashed dozens of times, are not up for discussion.

You can read and write about interesting things, or you can read and write yet another screed about how the moderators are persecuting someone. Which one is more interesting?

What @robmandu said. Issues with the moderators should be taken up with the moderators, but I think in general they do a great job of keeping the site friendly and the quality of the site high.

“they do a great job of keeping the site friendly and the quality of the site high.”

I agree.

God damn motha$%*&$r

The censorship was an important position in ancient Rome. Censors were elected in the Centuriate Assembly and were responsible for maintaining the census, overseeing some of the government’s finances, and to maintain public morality. Plus they really knew how to throw a good toga party.

Censorship is when you voluntarily or compulsorily hold back from saying what you really think. It doesn’t matter what causes you to hold back. It is still censorship, even if you are censoring yourself.

@Jack79 GA

“voluntarily or compulsorily hold back from saying what you really think.”
Something from time to time we have to do on here.

Bummer.

I didn’t say censorship is necessarily bad. Some censorship is quite helpful to creating salubrious relationships.

I understand the need to get along, so self control is needed or dictated.

Is it still censorship if you are just preventing bad behavior? To keep us salubrious.

And, bad behavior might be one thing, but, if what someone has to say is informative to one person. But “insulting” to another. The insulted wins out?

If the person that feels they do not like the answer makes enough noise. Getting the answer removed. Is that censorship? Or are we back to just keeping it all “neutral”.

Then the question is, is provoked neutrality censorship?

@ChazMaz You ask some excellent questions. This is where the judgment of the moderators comes in. I suppose they have to intuit intent, to some degree. Did someone make a serious answer that sounds insulting or an insulting answer that sounds serious?

Now, as to the last question, I didn’t understand it. “Is provoked neutrality censorship?” Yup. I’m really having trouble wrapping my mind around that one, lol! Although, I must say that the idea of “provoked neutrality” sounds like something deep. It should be a book title or a band name.

I see “provoked neutrality” as for example:

Let’s say I do not like what you are saying, so I tell you to shut up. . And, since you do not want to leave. You humbly sit quiet, making sure you do not cause any “issues” or keeping your opinions “neutral” as not to upset me or anyone.

Oh. I see. Well, I’ve not found the censorship here to place any kinds of limits on my ability to make my displeasure with someone else’s comments. A little, “Shut up = the last resort of a person with no other arguments.” Or I might tell them how I feel about being told to shut up (I don’t appreciate people ordering me around).

You’d be surprised at how many apologies those kinds of comments get. Not to mention GAs.

Right! :-)

Censorship is the administrative restriction of information.

@Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard Unless all the participants have already agreed on certain restrictions in advance, in which Censorship would be performed by each participant on his/her own.