Free Speech Does Not Allow You To Say Whatever, Whenever, About Whomever You Want.
Monday, October 1, 2012 @ 3:45 AM
Commenting on 250News is a “PRIVILEGE” Not a God given right even though you might think free speech allows you to say whatever, and whenever ,about whomever you want.
We try to do our best to allow you to make your comments, to make your point, and to offer up your suggestions.
Lately that has given way to name calling, language that we will not accept and posting in some cases up to ten times in one article.
We also have been beset with a further problem, people using whatever story has been posted to seek leave to get their own idea on their own little topic across. An example of this has been the bombardment of those who want fluoride removed from our water. You have long ago made your point , take it to a higher level, as you may have seen already you have not been able to change the minds of the local government, seek a higher authority, but above all use the Friday Free For All, or post on the topics that relate to fluoride, or we will begin removing posters.
Keep in mind also, for those that have registered under several different names in order to add to their point; we will ban all of your registrations.
For those who think they can use whatever language that they deem appropriate to slag someone else, or libel someone else, we will cut your privileges.
If you cannot act in a civil manner then please, find a site that will accept your ranting and leave 250 News alone. If the only way that you can make a point is by slamming or libelling the other poster you have no business on this site or for that matter any other venue that takes comments.
I’m Meisner
Comments
Well said Ben
Yes! Thank you Ben!
Now THAT was a great column Ben. Thanks!
Well said.
I thought that we had democracy,but
obviously NOT!!!!!!!
This is a privately owned and run website; democracy has nothing to do with it. Meisner can run his site any way he chooses. We’re here at his whim.
To bad it comes to that, I always liked this site because it did not come across as censored, I don,t like the name calling etc but some other sites one can not post unless the moderator agrees with your post and will remove it and so gives a slanted impression of peoples oppinion
If you feel that your free speech has been threatened because we will not tolerate bad language, name calling, or endlessly going on about a topic that has no bearing to the story at hand, then your perception of free speech and ours is totally at odds and you should find a site where they permit that type of conduct.
We are not moving in the direction of pre approving the comments, nowhere does that appear in my editorial.
Common sense seems at times to get lost and that really is what it is all about.
faxman: “This is a privately owned and run website; democracy has nothing to do with it. Meisner can run his site any way he chooses.”
Exactly. It’s too bad that so many are unclear on the concept.
Free speech is an oxymoron no different than free election. Neither exists in reality
For instance, as has happened occasionally on here, someone will post a link to site promoting a product or service. That is advertising and should not be free on a site which makes money to pay for its airtime and staff costs through paid advertising.
The writings on this and most other such sites have to stay within a reasonable standard of a social norm.
I would think that to stay within the social norms of an informal friendly gathering in someone’s house or a pub, or a coffee house would be a good place to start to set a standard.
No one is threatening censorship. The editorial was focused predominantly on thread highjacking and personal attacks. I agree with Ben completely on this particular issue. It’s his sandbox and we are guests in it. I swear, the negative attacks between posters on this site lately has been getting almost as bad as the fact that Prince George is still putting flouride in our drinking water…;)
Easy fix is to have two Friday forums
FFFA= Friday Free For All
FFFA(ON)=Friday Floride For All(Or Not:)
“We are not moving in the direction of pre approving the comments, nowhere does that appear in my editorial.”
Should I repost my post then Ben? Didn’t take you long to delete it. There was no swearing or name calling in it and it was on topic about rights and privilege.
This is a privately owned and run website; democracy has nothing to do with it. Meisner can run his site any way he chooses. We’re here at his whim.
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Faxman,I guess this allows you to call me an ASS on another post yeterday becaise I thought Christy Crunch was off base at the UBCM convention.
Cheers
“Faxman,I guess this allows you to call me an ASS on another post yeterday becaise I thought Christy Crunch was off base at the UBCM convention.”
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… :)
Contrary to popular misconception, free speech does not mean that anyone can say whatever they want, whenever they want. Society has always placed limits on that. There have been many awards for libel by the courts because people exceeded those limits. Ben is the one who would have a major headache if that were to happen, so please have some consideration for him in his position as the site’s owner.
For those who absolutely insist they can say what they want when they want, or are fixated on a single issue, there is a very easy way to do so without treading on anyone’s toes. Set up your own website. Then all you have to do is get people to read what you write. Of course, you will find that the law regarding libel still applies, profanity less so, and the cost is minimal or free.
Personally, I find Opinion250 quite free and easy on posting with a lot of leeway. There are plenty of sites with much more restrictive rules which are adhered to strictly.
Faxman, Thanks, your part of the problem not the solution.
Cheers
So retired, maybe you can enlighten us as to why using childish derogatory terms for the Premier is acceptable?
Same thing goes for the furlong comments. I gave my opinion and did not slander him or use profane language. Still ALL the furlong posts were deleted friday. All I did was post what was said on the air on CBC on friday morning and that was deleted. So where does it end? And what exactly did I say to cause deletion? Just depends who you are I suppose as to what gets deleted or not. Still would like to know what caused the posts to be deleted. It’s just a waste of time to post on here anyways if it aint getting deleted, then the poster is getting name called and bullied from others.
Anyone who has been posting on O250 for a long time knows that these “forums” are about as open as they get. Also, anyone who has listened to Ben on the radio before O250 was formed, would have a decent understanding of where his opinions lie on various issues.
I think O250 has done an admirable job of staying in the background and letting debate occur, even if the comments may not support the individual viewpoints of the owners or contributors. I think Ben has always been fair in those regards, whether it was through this medium or his radio show.
If you can’t seem to get your points across on this particular venue, then I suspect it’s the way you are approaching your contributions and not the fault of the administrators . . .
Well stated, NMG. I get the feeling on many of these posts that there is no such thing as,”here is my opinion and let’s hear yours, and then let’s agree to disagree”. It seems that some people need total victory or nothing, and the longer the discussion goes on, the more caustic the words become. It is OK to have differing opinions – No, it is healthy!
It’s about civility.
It should be possible to have a debate, ie an exchange of varying points of view on a particular topic, without the discussion taking the side route into the gutter.
Civil debate, without the trash, would seem to be what Ben is addressing here.
Some would be able to do it, some others may not.
But yes NMG and HabsFan, open debate is a good, valuable, healthy thing. Sometimes one can even expand their mental capacity!
Thanks to 250 for the opportunity.
I for one, really appreciate this site. I also appreciate all the good information related. I don’t appreciate name calling, belittling or bullying. I think Ben et al deserve a lot of credit for being so liberal in their attitude towards what is posted here but there is a limit as well. Respect it. Thanks.
mattyc, I too had a post deleted on Friday morning because I wrote about Furlong. I hadn’t said anything bad either about Furlong. It wasn’t until I went back into Opinion250 that I noticed it was gone. I then looked at other news stories on Opinion250 and realized that the Furlong story wasn’t allowing posts. Sorry ’bout that Opinion250.
“The right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, as with libel, slander, obscenity,sedition (including, for example inciting ethnic hatred), copyright violation, revelation of information that is classified or otherwise restrained under gag agreement, and incitement to commit a crime.”
Ahh Wikipedia….
Profanity, swearing and cursing denotes a lack of command of the English language. Blame it on your high school English teacher.
Well…honestly if you need to resort to childish name calling in order to get your point across…maybe your position isn’t as strong as you think it is.
Really, its only the people who are standing on weak footing to begin with that need to resort to these kinds of antics to begin with……
lonesome sparrow wrote: “Easy fix is to have two Friday forums”
I suspect that nottoo many people realize that there is an active “letter to the editor” secton on Opinion 250.
Click on “views” and pull down menu will have a hyperlink called “Letters to the Editor” of all things……. :-)
Same policies about decorum, of course, but the topic can be anything.
When you get there, it will say: âThis is your area. Opinion 250 is providing this space for you to make comments on items that may not be related to articles appearing on our site. Please respect the laws of libel and slander, and keep your comments within the boundaries of good taste.â
Around 120 posts since 2005 â¦..
That’s only reasonable, Mr. Meisner.
There has to be some sort of minimum standard of conduct, or the website/blog would soon lose credibility.
metalman.
Faxman you just cant leave it alone can you I guess you didnt read Ben’s Miesners editorial.
Cristy Crunch is not a slurr its a statemenr of fact viewed by many. I am merrily the messenger.
Cheers
“Faxman you just cant leave it alone can you I guess you didnt read Ben’s Miesners editorial.
Cristy Crunch is not a slurr its a statemenr of fact viewed by many. I am merrily the messenger.
Cheers”
My last post in this thread was at 10:07 this morning…you’ve obviously confused me with one of your other fans.
PS. A lot of people think you’re an ass… I’m not merry but I am the messenger. :)
Whats funny is, seeing some of the regular offenders, posting here under this story like they are innocent of the offences mentioned above.
Why don’t I have all the time in the world to rant all day long? Lol
I think the rules are more than fair. It should open up for more continuing intelligent debate. I like that people can speak their minds here and appreciate the open forum. Keep up the great work 250.
“Cristy Crunch is not a slurr its a statemenr of fact viewed by many”
It is neither a slur nor a statement of fact.
It is simply the name given to a cereal in a parody used in a political TV commercial put together by the NDP.
http://vimeo.com/45557396
Or the sake of balanced reporting, here is an ad by the ICBA which, oddly enough, does deal with facts. ;-)
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-politics/business-group-intensifies-attacks-on-bc-ndp-leader/article2374421/?service=mobile
Thank God, Finally
Good move Ben….
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