http://globalconscious.com/board/ Global Conscious Tag: victimization en Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:03:29 +0000 http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-319 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:10:15 +0000 javalizard 319@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>Thank you. Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I apologize for my delay. Things have been very twisted in my life. Sigh.</p> <p>Your generous offer of help is very much appreciated. If i were struggling to keep this site going I would let you know and a button would appear.</p> <p>Let me just add this: It would be absolutely reasonable that if the website made them angry for some reason that they can (and probably should) tell me. That would actually be a respectful thing to do ;) It would be unreasonable to hold on to it and make my and your experiences/life bad.</p> <p>I have some new news too but i'll post that in another thread. </p> http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-315 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:08:13 +0000 Gnarly 315@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>Glad you replied, Brad. Regarding the first two paragraphs... Agreed. Absolutely. Easy to see it from that perspective. My words, perhaps too often, can become a brand of cynical satire. And really, I meant nothing more than satire, and just another perspective on the situation, which at the time seemed to have an uncanny resemblance to historical human behavior in the world at large. I likely would have done the same thing, had this been my creation. Alas, it is not, but I do run a business outside of the digital world, and I do indeed have the right to refuse service to anyone. Your actions encompass nothing more than what any owner/operator would do should a patron break the rules established by that owner/operator. I am lucky enough that I can refer difficult people out, or I can let them know they are not a good fit, and someone else could better serve them. Your reasons for confronting and dealing with Cragg were spot on. However, examining the situation is worthy of time for any thinking user here, whether they were directly involved in it or not. It is an open thread, and thankfully, this is a site where a discussion of this nature is poignant. I hope you have grown from the process of considering this and not found it just to be a mere thorn in your side. </p> <p>"Besides, two things. I provide this service out of my own pocket. My own time, my own dime."</p> <p>Want help? By donation? PayPal donation? Just ask. I realize that you are not asking for money in the above statement, and while you may never want to add a mandatory cost to the use of GC, I would be happy to donate to your maintenance of the site, or just the annual cost of maintaining the site name, the URL, etc. as an option, not a requirement for use. No one else has to hand over a dime if they don't want to, but asking for help? If you need it, ask. Whether I am around and using the space or not, I'd be happy to know that the space was covered. Shutting it down for lack of funds would be a sad thing indeed. Let us help you before that day arrives. I practice Vipassana meditation and have always appreciated that the Vipassana centers around the world only take money on optional donation. Some meditators give cash, some give their time in the kitchen or wherever. The only reason you should bear one-hundred percent of the burden is if you choose to, but if strapped, you may find a great deal of help waiting to flood your direction. Donation is a good way to go considering that no one need feel the bum or lose the chance to grow, should they be strapped for funds, and this includes you.</p> <p>"Let me ask you this... Is it ok for a hacker to bring down a website? If you ran a website, would you try to fix the problem or would you just let them do it for however long or much they wanted?"</p> <p>Again, I concede the point. Indeed, a hacker is always free to bring down a site, but you also have the right to build the fortress. Expecting to eliminate the hackers from existence, not likely, and you know this, but the hacker's attack and the defense of the space is two halves of the same thing in balance, and neither will be free of the other. Cragg gambled. Cragg lost, and I agree that it was not the content as much as it was the rules of the structure that made this an issue at all. Any creation exists in concert with structure. There is not one art form that is not draped on some form of predictable structure. If the leaving of our thoughts must occur within the parameters of this structure you have laid down, then so be it. It is your show, and while we are contributers, we are not the creators, and you are at least due that respect in my opinion... or I am sure to be free to go off and build my own site, and do as I want to there, right? I get it. </p> <p>"My second point is this. Running a website requires specific skills, attitudes, communication, and thoughts. It's where the rubber hits the road. Driving a car is not the same experience as the building the car. When you have to make choices about other people's fate..."</p> <p>Brad, it is a brilliant space, and I doubt that anyone that has spent time here would disagree, unless they had decided that they were personally insulted by something they read, which likely happens all the time. There is more unmoderated free speech here on the open spool than just about anywhere else on the net. The old time users know that GC is the best. A great deal of mental dismantling and dissection has taken place on this site since its inception, and the value of that cannot be measured. Topics commonly avoided and designated taboo in public have had a full examination here from time to time. The people who stick around, grow, but granted, they play and post within the structure. All satire and examination aside, you have done a great job of keeping it pure and true to its original purpose, and it is still developing. Your lack of time to moderate it has made it a special place to be sure. </p> <p>In all fairness to you, I would revise the earlier statement implying that you had not released your creation to the 'wind, sand, and waves of fate', and instead state that you have, to an extent, perhaps the furthest extent feasibly possible. Maybe it is fair to say that you have released the space to as great an extent as to be just short of full on typographical anarchy. You have done that, and the space has never stopped evolving. The use of the site coupled with the ceaseless turning of the message spool is an excellent reflection of all things transitory, including mind, in that GC has never become anything, because it is always in a state of becoming. I love that about this space, appreciate your efforts, and I am glad you continue to maintain it. I hope we can continue to lift the rocks here, in the format you have provided, relatively unmolested, and see what lies under all of our motivations, habits, and reasons for undertaking any course of action, including the actions and subsequent reactions that started this very thread. Thank you. </p> http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-314 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:35:51 +0000 javalizard 314@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>Philosophizing about freedom, lack there of, structure, anarchism, responsibility, "governing," rule of law, and fear is fine. Even if i didn't support that, you're welcome to say what you will. Yelling "fire" in a crowded movie theater is bad mojo. Here, if you do that, there are remarkably few, if no, consequences for such actions. That's getting damn close to anarchism if you ask me. This is not a philosophy I ascribe to... it has more to do with my inability to "police" the website. I have better things to do and i don't want to reduce your freedom. In other words, your freedom here on GC is completely my choice. If i wanted i could shut GC down with one click of a button. If i wanted i could ban you. I don't need a reason but i hold myself to high standards and commit to needing one before taking action. Before changing the website, i would contact you to try to resolve the situation unless expediency is required.</p> <p>I laid out a number of "rules" to keep the website somewhat sane and civil. I'm not really sure you can comment on what happened because it didn't happen to you. If you read my previous post about trying to resolve the situation without force, how can you say "slam them up against the wall"? Reasoning with others when these others are unreasonable still requires action if they won't self correct.</p> <p>Besides, two things. I provide this service out of my own pocket. My own time, my own dime. You're telling me that i can't try to be reasonable with people? Pure anarchism? The reality is that there are morals and ethics if not for the individual then for the community. Let me ask you this... Is it ok for a hacker to bring down a website? If you ran a website, would you try to fix the problem or would you just let them do it for however long or much they wanted? My second point is this. Running a website requires specific skills, attitudes, communication, and thoughts. It's where the rubber hits the road. Driving a car is not the same experience as the building the car. When you have to make choices about other people's fate (I'm not talking about life or death here, just access or usability of the website) you need to make choices. Philosophy does play a major roll in my choices about the system but sticking to one philosophy doesn't necessarily always give the effect I'm looking for. With all due respect, philosophy is being used in this case as a rationalization tool.</p> <p>Ask yourself this question... what will benefit the most people while negatively affecting the least? </p> http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-312 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:59:45 +0000 Gnarly 312@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>without accepting change what is possible is no more<br /> -Brad - GC Admin </p> <p>Well, well, well. Put down the rule breaker's, slam them up against the wall. Limit their movement, their access, and their ability to cause upset or disturbance in the structure of the established, "System", lest they dare think to take advantage and exceed the boundaries of the accepted status quo of an established, "normal", placed there by the self-assigned, master-god-creators, and self titled digital executioners that have labored so hard to establish and maintain the community. By all means, maintain the herd by eradicating those that would step outside the rule of law. Future readers of this forum will certainly re-consider any attempt to deviate from the rule of law and will thus remain ever docile on the wave of fear generated by the potential for their own digital execution. </p> <p>It is certainly a tragedy when any creator fails to arrive at the time and place where they can release their creation to the wind, sand, and waves of fate.</p> <p>Free speech galore, as long as it is via tyranny of the majority democratic rule within the laws established by that majority. Have a nice day, or else. </p> <p>"Sweet the sin<br /> Bitter taste in my mouth<br /> I see seven towers<br /> But I only see one way out</p> <p>You got to cry without weeping<br /> Talk without speaking<br /> Scream without raising your voice</p> <p>You know I took the poison<br /> From the poison stream<br /> Then I floated out of here<br /> Singing...ha la la la de day<br /> Ha la la la de day<br /> Ha la la de day"<br /> -U2 </p> http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-311 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:28:22 +0000 javalizard 311@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>Just for the record, there have been remarkably few incidents of "censorship" of which i can count on one hand. This is over the course of the whole operation of this website which was started in April of 2004. These incidents are when i and other members have been attacked multiple times seriously degrading and jeopardizing the community. Attempts to rectify these situations without technological force was not successful. The other situation is when the system and/or community is knowingly abused. The latter is the case here.</p> <p>Just because this is the internet doesn't mean you can leave your responsibility behind. </p> http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-310 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:05:37 +0000 javalizard 310@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>First, if you were banned you wouldn't be posting here.</p> <p>Second, while GC was in a major transition (getting fixed) and some of the functioning of the site were not working correctly you posted HUNDREDS of messages in a very short amount of time (no more than a few hours). Your conduct was abhorrent in that period of instability. You took advantage of the system to the diminishment of all the other users of the site. It's not about content or censorship. I don't really care what you, or anyone else for that matter, writes. This is a democratic zone and you broke the rules thus causing your own diminished access. Normally these rules are enforced by the system. In this broken time period the rules were not enforced. It was up to you, the user, to play nice within the community. Clearly, you have demonstrated why these rules absolutely need to be enforced.</p> <p>Your Jesus-based tower of rage is very unbecoming and is not converting anyone. Calling people names won't help your attempt. If you want to open peoples' ears you may want to start out without the slap in the face.</p> <p>Indeed you were singled out for being a poor community member at the exact moment when i, the rest of the users, and the system needed you to be examples of good citizens. Just because you hold Jesus in your heart doesn't make you a decent community member. These are two very separate and distinct things.</p> <p>If you have a good reason why you did the thing you did (hundreds of messages in a few hours) i'll consider allowing your home ip address again. I've very seriously debated blocking your work IP and terminating your account over this but decided that a moderate approach is best. </p> http://globalconscious.com/board/topic/beware-censorship-here-on-global-conscious#post-309 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:18:20 +0000 Cragg 309@http://globalconscious.com/board/ <p>My IP address has been blocked at home for more than a week and I have had to sneak access to the site from my employer's IP. Other posters are trying to tell me it is a glitch while they ALL seem to have regular access from home and I do not!!! If I had not tried to gain access remotely, no one would have ever known, as I am completely denied access from my home IP! It does not help when the site creator IGNORES attempts at rectifyingt the situation!!!!</p> <p>I was singled out and censored here, and never received a reply to four attempts at requesting an answer on two email accounts to the site manager and creator Brad Anderson. </p> <p>I have observed anti-semitism, hate speech, paganism, and nazi sympathizers here, and they are left to post unchecked. I have attempted to share the blessed word of our savior, Jesus Christ, and have been banned! </p> <p>This is a warning to future visitors and users! You will be censored if Brad deems it so. What are the parameters? Who knows! Where does it end!!!!!</p> <p>"When any government, or any church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, 'This you may not read, this you must not see, this you are forbidden to know,' the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man whose mind has been hoodwinked; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything—you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."</p> <p>Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)<br /> Source: "If This Goes On—", Revolt in 2100 </p>