Blogs are Not Free Speech Zones

Published on August 27, 2004 By Gideon MacLeish In Blogging

Just a few thoughts to clear up some misconceptions on blogs.

First, I do value the opinions of my readers, as long as there's a degree of respect given to my blog. In all of my time on joeuser, I have only deleted one response, and that was because the response was so vitriolic it wasn't worth commenting on. I won't allow such blogs to stand on my thread.

If I feel it is important enough for me to respond, I will leave the original post. That is only fair; taking snippets out of context destroys your chance to be fairly represented in a discussion.

The thing you need to realize in regards to free speech, though, is this: Firstly, I am obligated to the owners of this site to hold true to the Terms of Service I agreed to when I signed up. I take that obligation seriously, and will use whatever tools I have at my disposal to ensure that my blogs remain within the TOS guidelines.

Secondly, I have a right to freedom of speech within those guidelines. This means that if I feel I am being harassed by an individual, or if I am just plain annoyed, I have the right to blacklist them from my site. I don't blacklist often, and have to this point restored every person that I have ever placed on blacklist, but I defer the right to use this tool as I see fit. I value comments, but if the thread's going to degenerate into a spitfight, it does you no good, and it does me no good to continue.

I try to invite and elicit well thought out discussions on my thread, and, frankly, I think I've been party to many excellent discussions on this site. But it is my blogsite, and I intend it to reflect who I am, not be filled with angry diatribes as I have seen on some sites.

signing off,

Gideon MacLeish

Comments

Manopeace

on Aug 27, 2004

I agree 100%...Blogs are definitely NOT free speech zones. i have one blogger (not quite sure whether to call him a person or not) blacklisted. He will remain there until he is finally removed from this site altogether.
I in no way feel obligated to give him a platform to spout his hate and contempt for humanity. I just hope that others will do the same and watch him vanish into his noble hell.

Lenbert

on Aug 27, 2004

Hmmm......I agree with that and I disagree with that to a certain point.

As for my posts, yes I will try to remain within the Joeuser TOS.

As for replies to my posts, I do not think I would ever blacklist anyone. I have a completely different view of negative replies.

First of all, the "kind", intelligent negative replies are more than welcome. The agressive negative replies are acceptable as well, although, not entirely welcome.

A few months back, I posted an item in "Humor", about a certain ethnic segment of the US population. I considered it completely harmless, yet I was called a "racist pr*ck" in one of the replies. Several weeks later, a highly prolific writer here at JU posted a joke in Humor, which was an obvious shot to a different ethnic population. All of his 30+ comments, positive and negative were "kind" and intelligent. So, I asked him "How is it that you can get away with this?" His response was "It's not about you."

I had to think about his response a little bit, and I've come to the conclusion that he's right. My posts are MINE, but who cares about the negative responses? Basically I realized that I was taking the responses far too personally, and in reality, I shouldn't. There is no reason why I should stress over some jackass with a computer who takes the time to flame me in a response. They aren't worth my time, effort or stress. I know when I'm scrolling through 30+ responses to someone's post, I will gloss over the blatantly obvious replies that were posted by idiots. I am sure that the more intelligent readers at JU do likewise.

LLS

Amitty

on Aug 27, 2004

actually, technically, open forum responses to people are still considered free speech. You have a right to post, they have a right to respond. For that right, you are also able to delete it. If you express something that someone doesn't like, you should have realized by now that people will respond, and it is their right. You always have the right to delete them

Ravenblack

on Aug 27, 2004

IMHO, if it's your space or your assigned space, you can delete, ignore and ban as you please. It's like inviting people into your house, if they are trashing up your place, you can throw them out. That is your right.

Manopeace

on Aug 27, 2004

If you express something that someone doesn't like, you should have realized by now that people will respond, and it is their right.

It is also MY right not to give a platform to racial slurs or chauvenism of any type. At this point, I am sure that the peter can say nothing non offensive to someone. Not on my blog!

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 27, 2004

It is also MY right not to give a platform to racial slurs or chauvenism of any type. At this point, I am sure that the peter can say nothing non offensive to someone. Not on my blog!

Right, and that's the main thrust of my argument right there. People have the right to free speech (within JU TOS) on their OWN blog, but I don't have to give them air on mine. Like I said, I like opposing views, and in my time here, I have only deleted one comment, but I defer the right to delete others.

Shovelheat

on Aug 27, 2004

"Free speech" is a myth. Along with innocent until proven guilty, the governments here to help you, and money don't buy happiness. The closest thing I have ever seen to a true "free speech zone" is a detox cell.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 27, 2004

The closest thing I have ever seen to a true "free speech zone" is a detox cell.

...I love it.

Actually, as far as free speech, no government actually can give it, or take it away. I have the freedom to speak openly in ay country in the world; I just may be severely disappointed in the consequences of said speech.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 27, 2004

I think youre all confusing JU with America. We have no "rights" at all on JU, legally or otherwise. We participate at the whim of the owners, who are providing us with a free service, and they can banish any account at any time, even if it has broken no terms of service. Im not saying they've ever done this, and hopefully they never will. Im simply pointing out that there are no such things as "rights" on JU, just rules and guidelines.

I'm confusing nothing with nothing, personally. This basically was a response blog to someone who asserted that I had no right to blacklist, as I was violating that other person's freedom of speech. You raise excellent points that reinforce my position

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