Post by beaupre716 on Jun 12, 2006 2:54:32 GMT -5
As some of you might have noticed, this board turned in a troubling direction about three days ago. Maybe I should have foreseen it. After some taunting and contemptuous posts appeared on certain threads, the wars began.
I thought I was prepared for this and let it go for awhile. But soon many were calling and messaging me, insisting that the posts had gone beneath constructive criticism. After a careful reading and some soul searching, I reached for the delete button.
I was not eager to do this. In fact, part of me still questions the decision. My own view of censorship has been that if people have something to say, let them say it. If it is valid, we will all benefit. If it is invalid, it will be dismissed in time.
But my logic came under fire when people I know and respect asked me to put a stop to the maliciousness. I balked at first, wanting still to stand behind my free-speech principles. But as the protests increased, I began to question my boundaries. I had banned threatening and violent speech in my opening post, but should name-calling, insults and personal issues be allowed to live?
I ended up putting aside an entire thread. Ironically, that thread had began with the opening post that I thought would stand as a call to civility for users. But the thread had descended into so much bitterness and questionable information that it seemed it no longer served any constructive purpose.
Since that main thread has been pulled, things have calmed. But I know that time will bring more trouble lest I set new guidelines. So, along with the previous bans on threatening or violent speech, users shall not:
--Indulge in name-calling. If you feel the need to question someone, leave out the taunting.
--Drag out personal or meaningless issues. If it's not relevant to the improvement of local racing or at least motocross, it doesn't belong here.
--Bring needless cruelty to a debate. It is OK to post respectful, purposeful critiques. It is not OK to try to hurt someone's feelings by using gratuitous derision.
My hope is that these guidelines will lead us to more productive conversations. I don’t intend to be a Big Brother figure to anyone, as I think unfettered debate is the only way we’ll be able to collectively improve our race scene. But, as we’ve learned over the last three days, unfettered debate will quickly descend into contempt and revenge fantasies if we abandon the concepts of respect and temperance that we all supposedly learned so long ago.
So let the debates carry on. Let’s just keep them civil.
I thought I was prepared for this and let it go for awhile. But soon many were calling and messaging me, insisting that the posts had gone beneath constructive criticism. After a careful reading and some soul searching, I reached for the delete button.
I was not eager to do this. In fact, part of me still questions the decision. My own view of censorship has been that if people have something to say, let them say it. If it is valid, we will all benefit. If it is invalid, it will be dismissed in time.
But my logic came under fire when people I know and respect asked me to put a stop to the maliciousness. I balked at first, wanting still to stand behind my free-speech principles. But as the protests increased, I began to question my boundaries. I had banned threatening and violent speech in my opening post, but should name-calling, insults and personal issues be allowed to live?
I ended up putting aside an entire thread. Ironically, that thread had began with the opening post that I thought would stand as a call to civility for users. But the thread had descended into so much bitterness and questionable information that it seemed it no longer served any constructive purpose.
Since that main thread has been pulled, things have calmed. But I know that time will bring more trouble lest I set new guidelines. So, along with the previous bans on threatening or violent speech, users shall not:
--Indulge in name-calling. If you feel the need to question someone, leave out the taunting.
--Drag out personal or meaningless issues. If it's not relevant to the improvement of local racing or at least motocross, it doesn't belong here.
--Bring needless cruelty to a debate. It is OK to post respectful, purposeful critiques. It is not OK to try to hurt someone's feelings by using gratuitous derision.
My hope is that these guidelines will lead us to more productive conversations. I don’t intend to be a Big Brother figure to anyone, as I think unfettered debate is the only way we’ll be able to collectively improve our race scene. But, as we’ve learned over the last three days, unfettered debate will quickly descend into contempt and revenge fantasies if we abandon the concepts of respect and temperance that we all supposedly learned so long ago.
So let the debates carry on. Let’s just keep them civil.