Over the last four plus years I’ve had to delete two real comments. Oh, I’ve deleted buckets of duplicate postings, spam comments and spam trackbacks, sure, but of real comments I’ve only delete two. And edit one, but that’s just to fix typos. I don’t remember what the first one was; I remember the second one being completely out of place – as it was on a business related post – and in what I deemed to be extremely poor taste. I’ve since heard that the person that left the second comment is pissed off by my actions, claiming he’s got the right to Freedom of Speech and he won’t be back to my blog.
Hoo, I love fresh idiocity in the morning.
Freedom of Speech. Riiiiight. I did a quick tour over the blog and I was shocked that I haven’t had to spew out this little blurb before. I mean I’ve had a bunch of insulting and negative comments left on this blog – those all live on. I don’t care about myself; thick skin and all that. In fact, I take a good deal of pride in that the majority of my comments have lived on… even the dumb ass that was demanding my home telephone number for a “in person” confrontation.
But as with all things, there comes a time when for the “good of all readers” that a comment needs to be pulled. It’s just like chat room monitoring. Yahoo! Chat never had moderators and it was always a free for all; Y!Chat is dead and gone now because childish people can’t monitor their own shit. *shrug* Fact of life. It’s why they have rules for debate on the floor of the Senate and we all have teachers keeping an eye on the playground during recess… humans have a habit of testing borders at all ages I guess.
My border got pinged and I acted. Deal with it. Besides, everyone has the freedom to read – or better yet not read – my blog, true, but the freedom to allow for comments is solely at my discretion.
And of course that dovetails into yet another person acting irresponsibly only to use “Freedom of Speech” as a scapegoat. I’ve mentioned it before, in a few other posts, FoS is a touchy thing online. The chick with the vulgar t-shirt. Anti-Team wear being banned at Yankee Stadium. Even pre-Internet chat room drama.
Here’s the simple facts of Freedom of Speech on this blog: I own the content. I pay for the hosting fees. I designed the templates. I keep the shit spinning. This is a privately owned site – so long as I don’t violate the terms and conditions of the people that own the server, I will run it as I see fit. Does that mean the First Amendment holds no sway here? Bingo: it don’t. While I pride myself on not censoring the thing, I am not going to leave up comments that are outta place, insulting to other people (I’m fair game but no one else should have to deal with it), or anything that feels like I’m having a cheese grater shoved in my pee hole. I see no reason to deal with it. Got a problem with it hit Alt+F4 to open the complaint form or go whine to the ACLU.
Better yet, instead of complaining to me, why don’t you use your Freedom of Speech properly and start your own blog?
Hell, I’ll even link back to ya, if it’s good reading: the more blogs the better.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Randy is not a part of congress, or any of that crap. He’s a private citizen. he’s entitled to his rights too. BAM
are you not exercising your freedom of speech by taking a post offline I mean that is just saying that Randy doesn’t think post x was appropriate for Randy’s site…
Exactly Tim! Ya just kinda redeemed yourself. *snickers*
The right to freedom of speech is also the right to censorship. You take that risk on any anything you publish to be publically viewed. I mean, it could even be quoted, or trackbacked..whatever.
What I usually tell readers of my blog: It’s my blog. Ill do what I want. If you want to post your own uncensored stuff, put up your own blog.
On the about me section of randy’s blog I don’t think it talks about any wife so Anna have you won randys heart are you attempting to win his heart are you Randy or are you just being silly? I mean you don’t have to be pro randy if he says all people should gamble and jump off clifs… Do you always have to be on his side? I don’t know I guest this post walks the line of inapropriacy
Uh…no, I just agree with him on a lot of things…like Halo, and the things that were posted on his blog that were deleted.
Infact, I disagree with him on many things. 1) He tries to say that the italian mob back in the day is part his lineage, and he implies that a lot of what they did was “okay”…out of heritage. Seriously, he tried to imply that mob activity was okay. 2) Honestly, I don’t understand his facination with the newest and bestest. Well, I do…I just don’t go out of my way to be nutso about it. 3) I am better at halo. 4) He should never shave his head bald.
BTW, Randy is married. To his fish. :)
That post was written at a funky time of night, as is this. It made sense to me, as does this. :S
Well I’ll keep reading one way or the other. Even if you delete my insightful and sometimes witty replies. Thanks keep on blogging! ;)
She disagrees with me all the time. Sorta nutty, actually, especially since I never do that “I told ya so” bit. Counter productive, that..
As to that list, 1) the Italian mob is a part of history… I’m not bringing my family or Family into this converstaion :) 2) I’m a Geek. Self explanitory. 3) That depends on how On I am that night, lah! 4) We’ll see.
o.O
Yer SO getting stuck with a plasma granade tonight!
This Randy sounds like the old friend I am looking for before I die. If this Randy owned an old Cadillac in the past 3 years please email me.
This Randy has never owned a Cadillac – not it. :|