Our open forum.......

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by Section103

Maybe its been said upthread, but the 1st Amendment does not apply to Net54 in any way, shape or form. It only guarantees that "Congress shall pass no law". Congress isnt about to pass a law regarding Net54. You are not guaranteed the right to say whatever you want here, at your workplace or anywhere outside of the public arena. This is a private enterprise.

And if it's not a First Amendment issue, then it has to be a matter of what's best for the community. Having slanderous comments and false accusations swirling around the message board can hardly be considered to be good for the community.

[cubsfan-budman]

Originally Posted by cyseymour

And if it's not a First Amendment issue, then it has to be a matter of what's best for the community. Having slanderous comments and false accusations swirling around the message board can hardly be considered to be good for the community.

I think that being able to speak freely is what's best for the community. Not some biased arbiter making choices about who can say what about whom.

I absolutely avoid the CU boards because of the censorship I've seen over there. I don't care to have that type of environment over here.

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by cubsfan-budman

I think that being able to speak freely is what's best for the community. Not some biased arbiter making choices about who can say what about whom.

I absolutely avoid the CU boards because of the censorship I've seen over there. I don't care to have that type of environment over here.

No one would want to see it become like the CU boards, CU obviously has their own agenda. But knocking out the most egregious slander is still a reasonable thing to do, especially if it is causing court cases or unjust harm to people's reputations. Everyone will still feel free to post, they just won't be able to write false accusations about people. That isn't trampling on anyone's rights - in fact, it's the rights of the people who are being slandered that are being trampled upon.

[cubsfan-budman]

Too subjective. Leave it as it is.

Who defines "most egregious"?

Originally Posted by cyseymour

No one would want to see it become like the CU boards, CU obviously has their own agenda. But knocking out the most egregious slander is still a reasonable thing to do, especially if it is causing court cases or unjust harm to people's reputations. Everyone will still feel free to post, they just won't be able to write false accusations about people. That isn't trampling on anyone's rights - in fact, it's the rights of the people who are being slandered that are being trampled upon.

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by cubsfan-budman

Too subjective. Leave it as it is.

Who defines "most egregious"?

Well, there's moderators for a reason. Sort of like with Adrian's posts... why a fifteen post limit? Why not ten, or twenty? Or forty? Who can define it? Ultimately, you go with the best judgments of the moderators... that is their job and role within the community. Certainly, deleting scandalous or libelous posts would fall within that role.

[cubsfan-budman]

Originally Posted by cyseymour

Well, there's moderators for a reason. Sort of like with Adrian's posts... why a fifteen post limit? Why not ten, or twenty? Or forty? Who can define it? Ultimately, you go with the best judgments of the moderators... that is their job and role within the community. Certainly, deleting scandalous or libelous posts would fall within that role.

I think the limit on Adrian was done playfully more than anything else. I think that Adrian wasn't entirely familiar with general forum etiquette and the post limit helped reinforce that.

I do go with the best judgement of the moderators...he's chosen to have the forum be open and uncensored when it comes to topics and opinions.

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by cubsfan-budman

I think the limit on Adrian was done playfully more than anything else. I think that Adrian wasn't entirely familiar with general forum etiquette and the post limit helped reinforce that.

It wasn't done playfully... a lot of people were complaining about him... that's why it happened.

Originally Posted by cubsfan-budman

I do go with the best judgement of the moderators...he's chosen to have the forum be open and uncensored when it comes to topics and opinions.

He's asking our opinion because he's not sure he's doing the right thing, and in fact, he isn't.

[ALR-bishop]

How does one know when normal everyday slander becomes egregious ? Who determines when something is slander in the first place ( actually in this case libel). Is truth a defense ? Who determines the truth. Leon---you sure have your work cut out for you