Closing and deleting threads?

[Sophist]

Personally I think it is very undemocratic to close any thread, people should be able to express their views freely regardless if it runs off topic or not. As all of the people on here seem to be hail from democratic countries, I cannot understand the censorship of often intersting threads. I am from England and freedom of speech is a highly held value, agree or disagree with someones opinion surely they have a right to express it. From my own personal point of view, I am an aetheist but I do not object to all the mentions of your Gods, I could as this is a pet forum, but everyone should be allowed their own views good, bad, right or wrong. We all have freedom of choice if we dont like where a thread is leading dont read it simple really.

Even in democratic countries, there are boundaries inside free speech made to deal with disturbing the peace and hate speech, for example.

Disturbing the peace may get you a closed thread.

Hate speech may get you a deleted thread.

It doesn't make Karen and Paul censorship-loving, Democracy-hating commies.

[gwen]

In democracy there are no boundaries to free speech it is just that free speech, you may not agree with what is said but they have every right to express their opinion. I dont think that the analogy of hate speeches is relevant on this forum as this is a 'pet forum' and I have never read anything vaguely close to such a thing. I just see that if people disagree with the general concencus of any given thread the thread is closed eg. any debate that dicusses the pro and cons to pit bulls it gets closed, open and frank dicussion should be encouraged not thwarted. (I use this only as an example I dont have any particular opinion about pit bulls.)

People should be more tolerant of opposing views right or wrong, good or bad. While as in this instance, I disagree with what you are saying, I would absolutely defend your right to say it.

[Lady's Human]

First off, this forum isn't a democracy, it is a benevolent dictatorship, with the ultimate arbiter being a fuzzy brown rabbit.

Second, there ARE limits to free speech. You cannot, for example, incite riot in the US without charges being brought against you, and I'm sure the same holds true in the UK. As this is a private site, not a government run site, the first amendment doesn't exactly apply.

[gwen]

Actually Britain is more of a democracy than America but that is whole other show, my point is on the whole members of this forum are very nice individuals and have given me lots of helpful advice and support I've just noticed that if there is discord with the concencus opinion the thread is closed, We dont have the first amendment in England so on that I cannot comment, my point is just because things become for want of a better word 'controversial' the thread is often closed.

Karen - I'm really not critising you personally I appreciate that you have a job to do, It's just what I've noticed and when I saw this thread it was my opportunity to air it.

[Karen]

I've just noticed that if there is discord with the concencus opinion the thread is closed,

That's never why a thread is closed. You'll find many, many, many, many threads and posts where there is discord with the consensus, and they are allowed to remain.

And while it is your stated opinion that Britian is more of a democracy than America, I beg to differ, but that's a topic for a Dog House thread, not a Town Hall one!

[DrKym]

Gwen you are leaving out one important thing, many threads are locked or deleted at the OPs request.

You need to bear in mind not all are closed or locked because Karen or Paul says oh my, this isn't the topic, sometimes they are locked because the OP has asked the admins to do it. Sometimes deleted by the poster, for their own reasons.


Just my opinion.

[Sophist]

Gwen, I think there are few opinions that would rank as the 'consensus' opinion of all or even a large majority PT.

Really, it is a pretty diverse bunch with very different background experience and ideas. To imply that we aren't allowed to disagree here is a little silly, and would be more than a little impossible for the Mayor to begin to enforce.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Actually Britain is more of a democracy than America

As a Brit I'd like to disassociate myself from this remark

[Lilith Cherry]

Me too , Brody's Mum. I think Karen does a wonderful on this board! Right now, I happen to be living in Communist China and even here speech is pretty free with the exception of political views; governments and political systems have nothing to do with personal opinions on Pet Talk.

[Karen]

Gwen, you are pretty new here. Do a search on pit bulls and you'll see countless threads about the same subject. Most of them go on and on and on and on.

Also some of the very recently closed or deleted threads had to do with untruths being told within them, or people getting very, very upset.

I do the best I can to keep this place civil and peaceful, keep in mind that people here represent everyone from age 13 up, and people of every political stripe and leaning imaginable, as well all different religiouns, ethniticies, countries of origin - you name it!

[Varga]

I think it's only right that a thread is closed or deleted when it goes way off topic and people start to make personal insults. I've seen many forums die because the administrators have not paid enough attention to what's going on in the forum.

On the other hand I have also experienced a forum dying because the administrators were too strict and flamed/banned anyone who didn't use correct grammar or generally asked too many "stupid" questions.

I think this forum has a very good balance.

The Dog House is the place for controversial subjects and as far as I've seen everyone gets their say and the thread dies down naturally because people either agree to disagree or they learn something.

-Varga

[Sophist]

In democracy there are no boundaries to free speech it is just that free speech, you may not agree with what is said but they have every right to express their opinion. I dont think that the analogy of hate speeches is relevant on this forum as this is a 'pet forum' and I have never read anything vaguely close to such a thing.


People should be more tolerant of opposing views right or wrong, good or bad. While as in this instance, I disagree with what you are saying, I would absolutely defend your right to say it.

You don't think the analogy holds? Possibly it is because the whole whole PT/ right to free speech/ censorship analogy you started doesn't hold. I was just trying to work with what you gave me.

Also, I dare you to look one of the pit owners in the eye and tell them that someone railing on that their furkid should be banned as a natural born man-killer is not hate speech.

And I defy you to start a thread on the merits of Old Roy dog food without disturbing the peace.


Nice Voltarian-esque closer, though. I disagree with plagiarism, but I will defend to the death your right to loosely paraphase.

[Cataholic]

You don't think the analogy holds? Possibly it is because the whole whole PT/ right to free speech/ censorship analogy you started doesn't hold. I was just trying to work with what you gave me.

Also, I dare you to look one of the pit owners in the eye and tell them that someone railing on that their furkid should be banned as a natural born man-killer is not hate speech.

And I defy you to start a thread on the merits of Old Roy dog food without disturbing the peace.


Nice Voltarian-esque closer, though. I disagree with plagiarism, but I will defend to the death your right to loosely paraphase.

What are you referring to? I am thinking there is more to this post than meets the eye...

[jennielynn1970]

Even in democratic countries, there are boundaries inside free speech made to deal with disturbing the peace and hate speech, for example.

Disturbing the peace may get you a closed thread.

Hate speech may get you a deleted thread.

It doesn't make Karen and Paul censorship-loving, Democracy-hating commies.

And the USA isn't as democratic as you'd think.... right now we have a president who wasn't really elected the first time, and is pretty much a putz and not the greatest public speaker. it's pretty embarrassing. If he could control everything, I think he probably would. He's very small minded.

Free speech aint always free.

I think Karen's explanation is a good one. Why have a post stay up that is nasty or insulting.