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In Reply to: Re: Constructive suggestions please posted by susie on August 09, 2004 at 03:01:42:
Susie, if we deleted your posts every time you said something we didn't want you to say, that would be censorship.
When we ask for a moratorium, when we plead for you to temporarily cease doing something that has been been very counter-productive (as many here will readily testify to), that's asking for your voluntary co-operation.
If we put "no politics" permanently into our official rules and guidelines (which we haven't done), then that's defining the topic as one unsuitable for our boards - our perogative - it still wouldn't be "censorship."
As an artist yourself, you might use the word "censorship" quite freely to mean anything that goes against your free artistic (read: "emotional") expression, and you are emotional about politics.
However, "censorship" is a loaded term because it can be easily taken to imply that we are motivated by self-interest, self-preservation and/or fear of the truth. And the fact is it has nothing to do with any of the above.
On the other hand, this whole argument of ours can be taken to imply we are trying to decide for everyone what is in their own best self interests (something that you already tried to suggest we are doing). We are not trying to be everyone's big daddy or a replacement cult, providing an environment conducive only to cultivating complete single-mindedness and agreement in all things.
It's plain and simple, if you read my post to you.
1) It was causing more trouble for us and everyone and outside the general scope of this board
2) It was outside the general mandate of this site (however your point about joining and being in The Family was largely about politics was taken and is a good one)
3) People were tearing each other down
4) Friendships were lost
5) Other important and sensitive posts were being shoved out of the way
6) etc etc etc (please see several lengthy explanations already posted to you)
Having said all that, notice that I left it open, that we were trying to create a solution, that we could create another whole board for this purpose. Didn't you see any of that? Or was I totally cryptic? Or was it that you expected a new board to pop up overnight (and since nothing happened it's just all about "censorship?")
It would be interesting to see you address the points that were brought up by the other coordinator Roger. The way you have phrased it, you find any mention of "Jesus" offensive, which IMO is going far too far (we did after all emerge from a "Christian" cult), no different than the Fundamentalist dogma that goes the other way, the kind we have objected to very strongly (the kind that suffocates any other expression than its own). People have to have a place to sort out and salvage their own faith issues. We are doing our best to provide a place for that. Yet we get complaints from Chrsitians about the amount of toleration we show to anti-Christian posts, and vice versa. Perhaps one indication that we're being fair and even-handed is when we get accused by all sides of giving too much room to the other. ;-)
Anyway, a possible solution to all the above, and we are discussing that right now, is to create 2 extra headaches, er... I mean boards. The extra boards if they happen, will be a Christian one, and a general purpose let 'er rip board with minimal moderation. To do that we have to review and redefine the purpose of each board so we have no overlaps and it's clear what should be discussed where. You'd be surpised at the number complications we have to offset. All in all, our job is a huge one, it ain't easy, so please give us more time and patience than you've been doing so far.
Thanks
WC (gen coord)
