*FWEET* Foul! Un nun-like behavior! Two weeks in the penalty box. [short, but funny]

[Saydrah]

I work for a website. Most of you know which one, but I'll not name it here so as not to trigger any Google Alerts, and I'll thank the folks who do know not to call it out by name, either-- most of our members really are much nicer than this, and I'd hate for this to be someone's impression of our site.

That said, we have a member who is a nun. For a woman of the cloth, she's always been a bit sharp-tempered, and she does not live in a convent, but she does talk about her religion and has provided some much-needed guidance and friendship to others at times. So, in general, I quite like her.

However, last week she made a rather rude reply on our forum to someone who had insulted her.

Mod: Cool guy who moderates the forums
SN: Sucky Nun


Mod: (message entered while deleting post) "Your post has been deleted for: Abusing other members."

SN: (email to customer service) "Why was my post deleted when you allow ____ to post things that are so much worse?" (not true, _____ has been temp banned before for similar things)

Mod: <insert well-reasoned explanation, quote from terms of use, and suggestion that if another member is harrassing SN, SN is welcome to report this to a moderator or admin>

SN, having failed to get her way immediately, posts a blog on our site. Now, to get the full effect I would have to show this to you in 30 point font in neon colors that change every line, but here's the basic message:

"HOW DARE YOU CENSOR ME I HAVE BEEN DELETED THIS IS AKIN TO SHOOTING ME OR TAKING AWAY MY RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH THIS IS LIKE GAGGING ME PHYSICALLY I FEEL SO ILL RIGHT NOW SO MUCH FOR THIS BEING A SAFE PLACE TO EXPRESS MYSELF AND ________ CAN JUST DO WHATEVER SHE LIKES I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED TO ME!!!!"

So, of course, Mod deletes her blog post and gives a message explaining that issues with the moderation are to be addressed privately, and offers to pass along her complaints to his supervisor if she likes. He also emails her the same.

Email comes back returned as "not accepting messages from this address."

Meanwhile, the nun takes a couple days to compose a more full complaint. The latest communication from her is something along these lines, sent by email to Mod:

"This is ILLEGAL what you are doing! You cannot take away a person's right to free speech. (Website) is a publicly traded company and I WILL be calling a lawyer and making sure you assholes get arrested and are going to JAIL for censoring my freedom! Also, I will be making sure ALL of your shareholders know what goes on under the table here!

You protect all of your favorites and not anybody else! You are all just a bunch of lying, scheming assholes and are BREAKING THE LAW! I will personally make sure your stock price drops through the floor!"

(Amusingly, our stock price sucks already but rose 100% shortly thereafter)

Mod responded by giving the nun a 2-week timeout to consider whether or not she wants to continue speaking to members and admins in this manner.

[One-Fang]

LOL. Yeah good luck on that freedom of speech lawsuit, jackass. Hehehe.

It's funny how many people think that whole 'freedom of speech' clause means they can say anything they want, anywhere they want, and nobody, anywhere, can censor them.

[Rapscallion]

I don't often see that sort of argument here. When it comes, it's hilarious

Rapscallion

[Darkwish]

I don't often see that sort of argument here. When it comes, it's hilarious

Rapscallion

I bet it is!

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I bet it is!

Oh yeah . . . . let's just say it's never dull . . .

[bainsidhe]

Aw, shucks. Are we missing out on some great stories?

[Nyoibo]

There is no such thing as freedom of speech on a website is there?

[One-Fang]

No. Freedom of speech means the government cannot force you to remain silent. You are entitled, say, to stand on a street corner and say that people who eat toast are the reason there are peadophiles in the world. You are entitled to publish criticism of the government.

You are not entitled, on a privately owned forum, to make comments the owners deem inappropriate. Eg on CS.com you will have your post removed if you personally attack another poster. You do not have a 'free speech' right here. It is a private space, not the US government.

[MadMike]

There is no such thing as freedom of speech on a website is there?

Especially not on one hosted outside of the U.S.

[LoTech]

There is no such thing as freedom of speech on a website is there?

Of course there is! It just has to be YOUR website!

Remember, boys and girls! As A. J. Liebling said: "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one."

That nun can print or say anything she wants to, but she can't force anyone else to print it!

[nomorecarts]

You are entitled, say, to stand on a street corner and say that people who eat toast are the reason there are peadophiles in the world.

I'm SO doing that

[Nyoibo]

Down with the toast eaters.

Back on topic, what ever happened to "turning the other cheek"?

[Broomjockey]

Back on topic, what ever happened to "turning the other cheek"?

Ran out of cheeks, moved on to @$$es.

[BroSCFischer]

No. Freedom of speech means the government cannot force you to remain silent. You are entitled, say, to stand on a street corner and say that people who eat toast are the reason there are peadophiles in the world. You are entitled to publish criticism of the government.

Acutally, there are legal abridgements to "Freedom of Speech". Those are known as Libel and Slander. You can not say just anything you want about anyone you want. But most people don't think about that when they are being censored, only when they want other people to be censored.

SC

[Canarr]

Down with the toast eaters.

Actually, studies have shown that 90% of all violent crimes have been committed within 24 hours of eating bread. Also, 98% of all convicts consume bread on a regular basis.

Anyway... it's always interesting to see some people's definition of free speech.