[Tom4784]

'Freedom of speech is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear'

People are going on at me like I'm defending his actions, I'm not but true free speech isn't all pretty and the idea within this topic that free speech is only okay as long as it doesn't offend anyone is ridiculous, that's not free speech and it always shocks me in these topics how quickly people are willing to throw away their rights so easily.

Freedom of speech isn't all sugar and rainbows but the societies that practice it benefit from it hugely. If we're so willing to throw it away to punish some moron with the brainpower of an amoeba then I'm not looking forward to what comes next. As I said before cases like this are a very slippery slope.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

On the same premise: it's fine (for example), to go give verbals to your gay neighbour that he's a sick, perverted bent shot, who likes the brown and Aids was God's way of getting rid of types like him?

It's fine to go upto a disabled wheelchair bound person, give them **** and mock them by saying, "hey dude, if you don't like it....WALK away ya crippled spastic".

That's seems to be what you are saying.... free speech and all that?

At what point do you think 'far' is 'too far'.... or don't you?


*Serious note: the above are only examples of what people DO put up with in real life, and should not be taken as my personal opinion, by anyone reading*

Originally Posted by Dezzy

'Freedom of speech is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear'

People are going on at me like I'm defending his actions, I'm not but true free speech isn't all pretty and the idea within this topic that free speech is only okay as long as it doesn't offend anyone is ridiculous, that's not free speech and it always shocks me in these topics how quickly people are willing to throw away their rights so easily.

Freedom of speech isn't all sugar and rainbows but the societies that practice it benefit from it hugely. If we're so willing to throw it away to punish some moron with the brainpower of an amoeba then I'm not looking forward to what comes next. As I said before cases like this are a very slippery slope.

Care to address the post above and the points I made in that Dezzy?

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

Care to address the post above and the points I made in that Dezzy?

Online and Real life are two different things and completely incomparable. You can easily ignore stuff like that online while it's a completely different matter in real life. You can't hit an ignore button when you're walking down the street and if someone's up in your face like the examples you've given then they are obviously looking for it to escalate into something that is a punishable crime.

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Online and Real life are two different things and completely incomparable. You can easily ignore stuff like that online while it's a completely different matter in real life. You can't hit an ignore button when you're walking down the street and if someone's up in your face like the examples you've given then they are obviously looking for it to escalate into something that is a punishable crime.

You cant really ignore anything online when you are aware of it, you know its there. Others know its there and could refer to it. So saying you can ignore stuff online is simply ignoring the truth.

You can avoid things online just as you can in real life, however this is then placing restrictions on yourself, restrictions that shouldnt have to be applied.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Shasown

You cant really ignore anything online when you are aware of it, you know its there. Others know its there and could refer to it. So saying you can ignore stuff online is simply ignoring the truth.

You can avoid things online just as you can in real life, however this is then placing restrictions on yourself, restrictions that shouldnt have to be applied.

Exactly.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Shasown

You cant really ignore anything online when you are aware of it, you know its there. Others know its there and could refer to it. So saying you can ignore stuff online is simply ignoring the truth.

You can avoid things online just as you can in real life, however this is then placing restrictions on yourself, restrictions that shouldnt have to be applied.

But you don't have to engage in everything you see online just like you don't in real life. If someone is saying nasty things about you then WHY would you want to be emotionally affected by it when you don't have to be? It's not restricting yourself, it's not letting them win. People only troll for a response and your reply pretty much says to me to give them what they want. The way to deal with abuse is not to give them a response and that's a lot easier to do online then it is in real life, thus the two aren't comparable.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

But you don't have to engage in everything you see online just like you don't in real life. If someone is saying nasty things about you then WHY would you want to be emotionally affected by it when you don't have to be? It's not restricting yourself, it's not letting them win. People only troll for a response and your reply pretty much says to me to give them what they want. The way to deal with abuse is not to give them a response and that's a lot easier to do online then it is in real life, thus the two aren't comparable.

Even if that abuse is about your dead son/daughter and mocking it on their memorial pages?

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

But you don't have to engage in everything you see online just like you don't in real life. If someone is saying nasty things about you then WHY would you want to be emotionally affected by it when you don't have to be? It's not restricting yourself, it's not letting them win. People only troll for a response and your reply pretty much says to me to give them what they want. The way to deal with abuse is not to give them a response and that's a lot easier to do online then it is in real life, thus the two aren't comparable.

The same could be said by ignoring them especially online, you are letting them win. They have posted something offensive and by you simply ignoring it and leaving it online they have won.

However by reporting the offensive item/posting/thread then steps can be taken to ensure its moderated, and no that doesnt mean removed, but fairly moderated and dealt with in a proper manner.

Am quite surprised at your stance really given you are a moderator.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

But you don't have to engage in everything you see online just like you don't in real life. If someone is saying nasty things about you then WHY would you want to be emotionally affected by it when you don't have to be? It's not restricting yourself, it's not letting them win. People only troll for a response and your reply pretty much says to me to give them what they want. The way to deal with abuse is not to give them a response and that's a lot easier to do online then it is in real life, thus the two aren't comparable.

Therefore again: you are saying it's perfectly fine for people to be insulted, abused and harassed online - your answer is to just ignore it.

My answer would be: boot such a person off a forum. Your answer is let them say what they want, regardless.

I'm stunned. (and I have to be honest and consider the meaning of the word 'troll').

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

But you don't have to engage in everything you see online just like you don't in real life. If someone is saying nasty things about you then WHY would you want to be emotionally affected by it when you don't have to be? It's not restricting yourself, it's not letting them win. People only troll for a response and your reply pretty much says to me to give them what they want. The way to deal with abuse is not to give them a response and that's a lot easier to do online then it is in real life, thus the two aren't comparable.

So it would be a waste of time reporting any post on this forum that offended me if you were the only Mod online at that time?

Have you since being made mod ever infracted, warned or even banned anyone for something offensive?

You obviously dont have to answer that question above. I can just browse the ban list

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Shasown

So it would be a waste of time reporting any post on this forum that offended me if you were the only Mod online at that time?

Have you since being made mod ever infracted, warned or even banned anyone for something offensive?

You obviously dont have to answer that question above.

Reporting a post would come under the same umbrella as my ignoring argument, it's a passive response instead of an active one so that the troll isn't getting the reaction they want.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Shasown

So it would be a waste of time reporting any post on this forum that offended me if you were the only Mod online at that time?

Have you since being made mod ever infracted, warned or even banned anyone for something offensive?

You obviously dont have to answer that question above.

It does beg the question: what point is there in reporting posts - ie; if the report is being attended to be a moderator who thinks there is nothing wrong with insulting and being abusive.


As for the question you asked above: I can categorically confirm that has happened to me on a personal level and to no small amount either.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Online and Real life are two different things and completely incomparable. You can easily ignore stuff like that online while it's a completely different matter in real life. You can't hit an ignore button when you're walking down the street and if someone's up in your face like the examples you've given then they are obviously looking for it to escalate into something that is a punishable crime.

Really.

So it's acceptable then for one person to refer to a gay person online in the manner I described?

It's acceptable then for a person to refer to a wheelchair bound person online in the manner I described.

More pertinently, given that you are a moderator of this forum: therefore your own personal thoughts on free speech will impact upon your moderation of posts..... or 'lack of' perhaps? Given that your opinion here is very much that "You can easily ignore stuff like that online while it's a completely different matter in real life".

You have achieved the almost impossible..... I am not only shocked, but disgusted and almsot speechless.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Pyramid*

Really.

So it's acceptable then for one person to refer to a gay person online in the manner I described?

It's acceptable then for a person to refer to a wheelchair bound person online in the manner I described.

More pertinently, given that you are a moderator of this forum: therefore your own personal thoughts on free speech will impact upon your moderation of posts..... or 'lack of' perhaps? Given that your opinion here is very much that "You can easily ignore stuff like that online while it's a completely different matter in real life".

You have achieved the almost impossible..... I am not only shocked, but disgusted and almsot speechless.

You're so determined to make a personal response that you completely missed the point. I never said that it's okay to abuse someone online just that it's easier to deal with then in it is real life as a user can be ignored, blocked and banned ETC. That's a fact, a lot of sites put measures in place to deal with abuse. Such measures don't exist in real life where abuse can and often will escalate into something more.

[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

You're so determined to make a personal response that you completely missed the point. I never said that it's okay to abuse someone online just that it's easier to deal with then in it is real life as a user can be ignored, blocked and banned ETC. That's a fact, a lot of sites put measures in place to deal with abuse. Such measures don't exist in real life where abuse can and often will escalate into something more.

You brought your personal stance on the matter onto the forum. Not I.

I'm so determined?? I see you have refused blank to address the two examples that I gave you - it is clear that you probably don't agree that even online, those example are acceptable otherwise you would have said so, but you avoided doing that: I'm sure if someone had to say that to you personally, they'd get infracted. In fact. I know they would.