From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Sat May 25 2002 - 03:40:12 MDT
Gina Miller wrote:
> I can see how you would have been offended, along with other people(myself
> included) after having read some of the vexing posts. But one thing I like
> about this list is that it rarely engages in censorship. I do not ever want
> to see a Committee for Unextropian Activities! And I am grateful Max More
> has tried to keep the list pretty open.
>
It is funny how people wring their hands over "censorship" when
no censoring of even extremely tasteless material is being done.
When tasteless material is starting to offend people we talk of
at least not sinking to "censorship" Yet let one person express
a viewpoint contrary to most and much of the list will sometimes
jump on that person for weeks and no one considers that
"censorship" or raises the issue at all. Rather curious, don't
you think?
I don't mind if someone here is airing highly prejudicial
opinions per se. I do mind, a lot, when some claim that is
actually a virtue of brave and even "Extropian" thinking. I
don't think when a lot of people respond negatively to such
prejducial postings that this is in any wise "censorship". It
is people responding honestly and often straight from their
heart. I don't know how the censorship question should even
have been raised here.
Now, I have seen the "openness" taken so far on some lists that
one really nasty individual could drive almost everyone else
away. I think the right thing is more of a balance. We don't
allow certain kinds of weeds in the garden if we expect the
garden to bloom with what we want to see in it. It is up to the
list owners and administrators to draw those lines and usually I
think the ones here work pretty well with some occassional
erring too much toward liberalism even when people and
relationships are getting unnecessarily hurt. (imho of course)
- samantha
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