Hello everyone. I agree with the vast majority of the comments made in this thread. However, I disagree with one sentiment expressed several times here, and that is that there is no censorship on this site (or in one comment, anywhere on the internet). Of course there is; there is censorship almost everywhere.
If I were running a forum, I wouldn't have any censorship at all, with the possible exception of disallowing mass posts at once that can completely trash a forum. Freedom of speech (the kind that you find in books, for example) is a philosophy that can work in areas of our society that it has not been given much of a chance to. This is true with TV (except cable, which has been given the chance), radio, many parts of the internet, and many more parts of our society. I believe that the encouragement of individuality and open-mindedness that is inherent in complete freedom of speech far outweighs any of the negatives.
However, with all of that having been said, there are more ways than one to run a forum, and I think Yoda, Caity and others do a very fine job. Please don't think that I am suggesting that individuality and open-mindedness do not exist simply because there is some censorship; perhaps just not quite as much as they could.
If I were running a forum, I wouldn't have any censorship at all, with the possible exception of disallowing mass posts at once that can completely trash a forum. Freedom of speech (the kind that you find in books, for example) is a philosophy that can work in areas of our society that it has not been given much of a chance to. This is true with TV (except cable, which has been given the chance), radio, many parts of the internet, and many more parts of our society. I believe that the encouragement of individuality and open-mindedness that is inherent in complete freedom of speech far outweighs any of the negatives.
However, with all of that having been said, there are more ways than one to run a forum, and I think Yoda, Caity and others do a very fine job. Please don't think that I am suggesting that individuality and open-mindedness do not exist simply because there is some censorship; perhaps just not quite as much as they could.
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One of the biggest myths told is that being intelligent is the absence of the ability to do stupid things.
One of the biggest myths told is that being intelligent is the absence of the ability to do stupid things.
Last edited by firegod; 02-01-06 at 11:18 PM.