Banning the Freedom of Speech

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   CrystalSingletonposted 13 years ago

   Wow, i read the other thread on being banned. RUDE, for knocking someones personal opinion even if it's not your own. Some of my most popular hubs are the ones people hate the most. Controversy sells and activates the mind, so if you are mad about what you read, don't report it, make a comment. I never delete my comments either, it helps keep the hubs alive, even if their comments are rude, like on my single parent hub. I get a lot of hate mail on that one. LOL. Controversy? Sales Tactic? Freedom of Speech.

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      rhamsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think the banning of free speech was the issue as was the disrespect that was shown as the key elements of the individuals involved.  If we can't respect each other and their opinions then we become just argumentative and no good comes from any of it. I have had some very heated conversations with some people in this forum but I learned something from all of them.  And yes I did disrespect a few but that was not how I wanted it to turn out.

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      Poppa Bluesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree. I hate censorship. However the creators of Hubpages, own it and are responsibile for the content so they can do as they wish, unfortunately for the rest of us.

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      MikeNVposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      There is a difference between commenting on an opinion and a personal attack.

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   marinealways24posted 13 years ago

   Free Speech isn't politically correct for some. lol

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      starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well I think its the way people go about freely speaking , I mean gee , when it starts to get rude with cut downs and being crappy to someone who dosn't quite agreee with you thats kinda where the line should be drawn I guess , but sometimes one cant quite help it either , maybe some exceptions should be made here and there

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   OregonWinoposted 13 years ago

   I agree, freedom of speach is great and should be protected, even if it does offend others.  But those who use it to maliciously attack others and then run and hide behind "freedom of speach" are not only morally wrong but also cowards.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My feelings exactly.

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   Mishaposted 13 years ago

   Again, and again, and again. This is the PRIVATE platform, and HP owners set and enforce any rules they want, and you agreed to abide to those rules when you signed up. There is no freedom of speech here, and never been. Get on terms with it, would you?

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      Arthur Fontesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Misha are you a freedom blocker?

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      IntimatEvolutionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Misha, this is very well said.  This isn't a government run political or religious forum.  I think people forget that it is a business.  Another note worth mentioning is that some heated debates are just a ploy to gain more fans and traffic to their hub site.  Like a business tactic.  I have a friend here on hubpages, that recently after a highly heated debate- he did lose 1 fan, however gained 4 new fans, his traffic increased 3 folds and his adsense double that week.  So, one must always keep it in the back of their mind, that hubpages is a business nonetheless, not a government enterprise ruled by an American constitution.  Despite what one thinks it should be!

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      Sufidreamerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      'Tis true - if somebody comes into my place of business and starts insulting my customers, they will be unceremoniously thrown out and freedom of speech be damned. My place, my rules.
      
      It is the same with HP - just because it is online does not mean that you have freedom of speech. It is a business
      
      EDIT: Crossed posts, IE, and you said it far better

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         IntimatEvolutionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Sufi! OOO

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      goldenpathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Though we disagree on subjects of religion I very much agree with your comment.  If I owned my own platform I would want all participants to operate within certain parameters to ensure the integrity and good name of the platform.  Once you drop all rules and regulations it would not take long for the platform to crash and die.  At the heart we all want to work within guidelines as it serves to keep us in check and conformity.

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      TMMasonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You are absulutly correct, Misha.

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5. 64

   Mishaposted 13 years ago

   Nah, I am an eye opener

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      Arthur Fontesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Very good, I also am an eye opener.  I spend a great deal of time educating the disenfranchised members of my neighborhood.  I do not feel that hubpages restricts anyone's freedom of speech.  Yes people here agree to the rules when they sign up so as long as it falls within the rules we are free to spout whatever dribble we like.

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   marinealways24posted 13 years ago

   Regulation through bannation.

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7. 69

   Highvoltagewriterposted 13 years ago

   Do we want the HubPages to become like the Jerry Springer Show? Seriously,controversy can be a good thing and like sex, it sales.. and yet bickering just for the sake of bickering is wrong and to me quite boring! For God sake GET OVER the whole banning thing, you are flogging a dead horse!

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   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

   
   
   I agree...

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      Arthur Fontesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      lol I like the word flogging

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      marinealways24posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I am reporting you to animal protection. lol

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   Randy Godwinposted 13 years ago

   Apparently you are right, Sufidreamer.  Controversy always gets attention and I suppose this is why HP allows trolls to..troll.
   
   A three day ban doesn't sound bad to me because I was banned permanently from Helium with no appeal whatsoever.  In my case it was for exposing wrongdoing on the site, not for calling others names.  As we say down here in the south-"don't let your mouth overload your ass."

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      Sufidreamerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Must admit, I signed up to Helium, a long time back, but got a bad vibe and never bothered posting any articles. I followed the thread you had going about them and was glad that I did not.

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10. 69

    Highvoltagewriterposted 13 years ago

    LOL! That is just tooo funny! Were did you get that one? The dead horse I mean..

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11. 94

    Dolores Monetposted 13 years ago

    Censorship is so in the eye of the beholder. The Freedom of Speech thing has led to some people feeling it's perfectly okay to Bear False Witness, to threaten, when Freedom of Speech means that it is our right to express opinion. That doesn't relate to advertising, businesses, or the freedom to, say , incite a riot. Or yell FIRE in a movie theatre (that is not on fire)

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    jiberishposted 13 years ago

    It's not so much what is said, but how it's said that gets some banned!

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    IntimatEvolutionposted 13 years ago

    May I ask, who was banned or is banned? Is everyone talking about particulars or rather commenting on "what if" scenarios.

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       Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       its not what if, it happened. DogSiDead, bovine curency, smooth as silk, tantrum, blood and latex...and lots of threads got closed when no one was saying anything  acussatory, so things got really confused and everyone jumped to conclussions.
       too many people, too many ideas, too much time on our hands..all that.

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14. 94

    Dolores Monetposted 13 years ago

    How about there could be a special forum just for people to go crazy on. They could lash out, insult, talk wildly, lie, and generally spew all their venom. All would be okay. It would be like an enter at your own risk type of thing. And if you go there, you have to be prepared to get reamed.

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       Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       its the religion forum... 

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          Jane@CMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          True!  There are web sites like Ning, you can set up your own social room and invite your social online friends and chat all you want - you administer it so you have the power

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       Maddie Ruudposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Anyone is free to create such a forum elsewhere.  This is not going to happen at HubPages, for reasons I'm sure you can understand.

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          Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          hey Maddie. Hope your well.  been a long couple of days at work?

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             Maddie Ruudposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Thanks, Justine, I'm hanging in there.  Was out of town all last week until Sunday night, trying to get back into the swing of things.  Funny how fast things can spiral out of control when I'm not looking... Thank goodness for Jason!

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                Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                ha!! what a welcome back? I bet Jason is glad to see you!! it'll all get sorted. New years blue moon and all....Its like if I try to take a nap and wake up, and theres cereal everwhere, rabbits in underwear drawers, and all my lipstick is broken...
                anyway, hope y'all have good new years.

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                   cosetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   it could be worse. they could be wearing your underwear
                   
                   
                   hey, that sounds like the makings of a good country song actually (or hub):
                   
                   
                   it'll all get sorted
                   New years blue moon and all
                   Its like if I try to take a nap and wake up,
                   and theres cereal everwhere,
                   rabbits in underwear drawers,
                   and all my lipstick is broken...

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                      Justine76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      
                      go ahead!!! they left me locked out of the house for hours once....you should have seen thier faces when they realized I couldnt get inside......

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                         cosetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                         haha cute!
                         
                         
                         well i was gonna comment further on this banning drama but i flatlined on this issue. imma go write another hub. hi starme how ya doin'

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    starme77posted 13 years ago

    sounds good to me

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    kirstenblogposted 13 years ago

    Is it really so difficult to say what's on your mind in a respectful manner? I would have thought it would be easy for a bunch of writers, crafting your words to say what you want within the bounds of acceptability should be a welcome challenge for a writer. It certainly is a fun challenge for me

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       TMMasonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       We are all writers here, and we can dig at one another without cussing and talking in a string of foul epitaths.
       
       Be creative.

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          kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Exactly! If I can come up with a new clever angle for arguing my side of a issue I tend to sit back and grin like a darned fool but its fun. My understanding of my own beliefs become more defined in the face of challenge.

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             EmpressFelicityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             Nicely put - I'd go along with this 100%. 
             
             The only people on here who really wind me up are the ones who sponge off other people's efforts.  (Like the ones who post duplicate content in their hubs and then come over all trollish when called out on it.  Or the ones that pretend to be affiliate marketing gurus (even though they know sod all about affiliate marketing) )

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    cosetteposted 13 years ago

    anyone who got banned was banned because something they said was in violation of HubPages' TOS, and NOT because someone else ratted them out or complained about them. i don't think calling someone a "C--t", "brain-dead moron" or insulting their mother falls under the umbrella of "free speech".

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       Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       LOL It definitely does - as long as you allow for free retaliation

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          cosetteposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          ah.
          
          
          well, i'm just gonna drag out my Drama Prairie Dog

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       starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Nice answer! me neither

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    Highvoltagewriterposted 13 years ago

    What is amazing to me is how long a thread like this can continue...I think we should see if we can set a new world recorded for the longest thread! Come on people we can do it!

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    yoshi97posted 13 years ago

    *sigh*
    
    I've heard the freedom of speech debate for years on forums. Yes ... we all have freedom of speech ... no ... we don't enjoy that freedom everywhere we please.
    
    Go into a public library and start cussing out loud and see how long you're allowed to remain there. Next, do the same thing in a rowdy bar. Different response, eh?
    
    And can you yell "freedom of speech" in a library while you are being tossed out? You certainly can, but it won't help your cause - and suing the library will produce a nil result as well.
    
    Freedom of speech originated as a means by which citizens can speak out against their govenment without fear of reprisal and extended out to being able to report scandals "freedom of the press" with the same protection.
    
    Freedom of speech and freedom of the press DOES NOT allow one to insult another publicly. That's a crime, and it's called libel (or slander). As such, none of us has the right to say whatever we want, wherever we want.
    
    What's being proposed by some is that Hubpages should ignore its own TOS and allow "adults to be adults", saying whatever they want to whomever they want - without any intervention. As we all agreed to the TOS when we joined, and the TOS states we can't do this, then we all agreed not to do this when we joined. So, by proxy, we are asking Hubpages to work the way *we* want it to work. That's just not going to happen - nor should it!
    
    If you walked into my house and insulted my fiancee or my kids I would drop you where you stood and drag you out of my house - and not just for three days - it would be a permanent ban from my residence. Freedom of speech does not give one the right to insult a member of my family inside of my household.
    
    As I can set the rules for my own household, then I think it only fair that Hubpages be allowed to establish the rules for their own household and expect us to abide by them.
    
    Don't get me wrong ... I had friends banned too, but if I crossed the line I would expect to be given a three day pass and would accept I had crossed the line.
    
    My only infraction here to date was when I had a hub that I forgot to mark as commercial and I received an email about it. Ya know what? I fixed the hub immediately without a fuss and then went on to fix another they had missed. I worked *with* management to stay within the TOS, and things would run a lot smoother here if everyone else did the same.
    
    I love you all like you were my brothers and sisters. All I'm asking is to let it all go and understand we are in someone else's house and must abide by their rules. If we do that, we can all get along and share in the bounty.

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       Arthur Fontesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       yoshi97 Very well said...

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