Indiscriminate Censorship on Cycling Forums

[Saucy]

Yesterday, I posted to a thread entitled "“What would you rather have between your legs” . My post contained a derogatory term for female breasts. This post was (apparently) edited by a forum moderator to delete all sentences in my post using this term.

I can understand if someone found this term offensive (although this is a term I have seen on TV and have friends who say it). However, I would like to point out that the title of the thread is “What would you rather have between your legs” and invites men to choose between a bike or a female. Was my post any more offensive than the title of the thread or any of the other posts in that thread? I don’t think so.

I would also like to point out that I have read undeleted posts in other threads which make racist remarks, ex) referring to racially mixed people as “mongrels” and derided those who date outside of their race.

So, its offensive to make a joke about breasts but its okay to offend and humiliate people from mixed ethnic backgrounds? I don’t get it.

I don’t have a problem with my posts being edited if someone feels it is offensive. Sometimes I get carried away. However, I do have a problem with my post being censored for something relatively innocuous when there are equally if not more, offensive posts in these forums.

I also think that if a post is edited by a moderator, it should say so at the bottom of the post, but this is a minor quibble.

I challenge the moderator who edited my post to justify their haphazard censorship policy. Somehow, I don’t think they can.

 

[Rompinrhino]

oh boy oh boy oh boy. Blood is in the water...

I thought your post kicked by the way.

 

[less'go]

Hey saucy, looks like it's been deleted altogether -- I of course wanted to read it and see for myself, but your post is nowhere to be found. Did you say the big, bad "b__b" word? Pretty tame considering the heavy innuendo of other threads. Perhaps the moderator is a stickler for vocabulary?

 

[Vo2]

This is exactly the reason why I take a hard stance against trifling threads such as the one in question. A palace revolt because of a "derogatory term for female breasts"!

It is easy to resolve, however. I have deleted the thread.

Please point me to the thread that "offends and humiliates people from mixed ethnic backgrounds", and I will moderate it appropriately.

As for me justifying my "haphazard censorship policy", I don't need to. This forum is not a democracy.

 

[Ratty]

Originally posted by Vo2
This is exactly the reason why I take a hard stance against trifling threads such as the one in question. A palace revolt because of a "derogatory term for female breasts"!

It is easy to resolve, however. I have deleted the thread.

Please point me to the thread that "offends and humiliates people from mixed ethnic backgrounds", and I will moderate it appropriately.

As for me justifying my "haphazard censorship policy", I don't need to. This forum is not a democracy.

We're not worthy, we're not worthy!! VO2, long time no hear. I like your style.

Speak softly, and carry a big stick.

I also found the thread offensive coz it did not refer to a Look bike, but rather a Giant.

 

[Julian Radowsky]

Way to go V02!
I never got a chance to read the thread in question, but I feel no loss at not being given the opportunity.
The thread was most likely childish and not even remotely related to the intent and spirit of CyclingForums.
We really do not need the kind of questions or discussions that 16 year old boys would have in the school locker room!

 

[mjw_byrne]

Originally posted by Vo2
As for me justifying my "haphazard censorship policy", I don't need to. This forum is not a democracy.

I've seen this attitude on other forums before. If democracy is thought to be a wonderful enlightened philosophy in "real life", why do moderators (even ones from America, the so-called land of democracy) seem to have such an aversion to it? Power corrupts, perchance?

 

[Fixey]

Originally posted by Ratty
We're not worthy, we're not worthy!! VO2, long time no hear. I like your style.

Speak softly, and carry a big stick.

I also found the thread offensive coz it did not refer to a Look bike, but rather a Giant.

Frankly I find this post offensive. How dare you mention a foul "Look" in the same sentance as my Revered "Giant" for penance you should say 100 Hail Jan's and kiss my rossy Butt...

 

[rek]

FYI; there's an auto-swear-censor installed on this forum.. no ****ing **** you ****ing ****ers.

Originally posted by mjw_byrne
I've seen this attitude on other forums before. If democracy is thought to be a wonderful enlightened philosophy in "real life", why do moderators (even ones from America, the so-called land of democracy) seem to have such an aversion to it? Power corrupts, perchance?

More likely a case of they pay the bills and work hard to keep the board running, and want to see the place run the way they would like to see it run. When you're on a BB, you're not a "citizen" with rights -- you're a guest of the administrators.

And Fixey, how dare you mention "Look" in the same sentence as "Giant". For penance you need to give us 100 indignant Gallic shrugs of shoulders, and croissants for breakfast every day for a month.

 

[mjw_byrne]

Originally posted by rek
More likely a case of they pay the bills and work hard to keep the board running, and want to see the place run the way they would like to see it run. When you're on a BB, you're not a "citizen" with rights -- you're a guest of the administrators.

Of course - but is that an excuse for them to act like tyrants (I'm not saying they have done here, but I've seen it happen on other forums)? Seems a bit inconsistent that someone might be pro-democracy when they're using their right to vote, but anti when they're moderating a forum, you know - believing in democracy when they're the citizen whom it protects, but letting it go out the window when they're the one with the power.

 

[Ratty]

I rode past a few giants today.

VO2, please delete any references to Giants.

Thanks Bud.

 

[cfsmtb]

Hmm, don't know of threads actually being deleted on aus.bicycle, but offensive language/posts are often edited.

Read below:

".....This forum is a gateway to the aus.bicycle usenet newsgroup. Any posts you make in this forum will be propagated to usenet. Please read our USENET FAQ before using this section...!"

Unfortunately sometimes this editing completely garbles the "discussion". And the usual complexities of posting between aus.bicycle and cycling forums usually butchers a lot of "discussions"

Despite the problems mentioned above I have no issue with potty mouthed language/dodgy concepts being deleted. Usually the posts are infantile anyway.

PS, In aus.bicycle we can't post images. Even mentioning the topic starts major flame wars. Techno Retrogrouch newsreaders vs Internet based Cycling Forums.

*sigh*

 

[steve]

Of course - but is that an excuse for them to act like tyrants

yes, I own it.

Seems a bit inconsistent that someone might be pro-democracy when they're using their right to vote, but anti when they're moderating a forum, you know - believing in democracy when they're the citizen whom it protects, but letting it go out the window when they're the one with the power.

In general we 'moderate' or 'remove' threads ONLY when people report them. This was a trashy thread, several people complained, I don't see the problem. Don't like it? there's a whole internet full of ****ty forums you can post **** on, try it.

regards

 

[steve]

cfsmtb - Nobody can edit postings to sections like aus.bicycle, are you talking about the 'word censor' picking up text and converting it to **** for example? If so, maybe it needs turning off altogether?

In regard to images its a non-binary newsgroup, posting images isn't a good idea unless you want some abuse from other users

 

[cfsmtb]

Originally posted by steve
cfsmtb - Nobody can edit postings to sections like aus.bicycle, are you talking about the 'word censor' picking up text and converting it to **** for example? If so, maybe it needs turning off altogether?

In regard to images its a non-binary newsgroup, posting images isn't a good idea unless you want some abuse from other users

You're correct on the first point, ta. But turning off the word censor may open up a bigger can of worms...

Should of been more articulate,re: aus.bicycle/cycling forums. If users are only posting from aus.bicycle, the threads may not appear on CF. Same in reverse.

Now we've only got to convince the retrogrouches to foresake their newreaders and come over to the Dark Side. Then we maybe able to look at pics too.

BTW, Steve, you're one of the CF mods right? Good work, keep going. I mod on several email lists, it does tend to be a thankless never-ending voluntary job.....

 

[steve]

Originally posted by cfsmtb
You're correct on the first point, ta. But turning off the word censor may open up a bigger can of worms...

Should of been more articulate,re: aus.bicycle/cycling forums. If users are only posting from aus.bicycle, the threads may not appear on CF. Same in reverse.

I've come across a few examples of that, but I put it down to the dogey news server work runs as it was missing 1000's of posts in other groups like aus.cars etc.. (I don't use that server for this site). If you come across any in the future just email them to me on [email protected]

 

[jhuskey]

Never owned a Giant. I do have a Look and a Trek.(Still doesn't make me multi-cultural) Sometimes it is ok to act like a 16 year old , with an emphasis on sometimes and I have no problem with womens anatomy. Of course bottomline, life just isn't fair!

 

[mjw_byrne]

Originally posted by steve
In general we 'moderate' or 'remove' threads ONLY when people report them. This was a trashy thread, several people complained, I don't see the problem. Don't like it? there's a whole internet full of ****ty forums you can post **** on, try it.

regards

Sure, I wasn't objecting to the removal of the particular thread in question. The moderating on cyclingforums actually strikes me as pretty lenient. I was just talking about admins in general who seem to enjoy ruling their forums with an iron fist, as though it's their private little fascist state and they're playing dictator.

 

[Ratty]

To the BOYZ Steve and VO2, and all the other moderators on this forum.

Awesome facility. Keep up the good work.

I'll sit up front for you guys and do the pulling. Of course, you fellas, (and girls where appropriate) are legends and will ride off the front anyway.

And we'll entertain no further debate over the iron fists. These boys have carbon at their disposal.

By the way, insofar as the GIANT issue is concerned, I'm afraid the winner of the TDF is going to be riding a GIANT. Telekom spent their budget on their riders and didn't have enough cash left for decent bikes. hehehe

Flame away. . .

 

[less'go]

Ratty, looks like you're buttering up the moderators again. Down, boy, down.

In any case, you're right, Steve and the others do an excellent job, and they deserve much thanks.

S