General / Off-Topic just wondering

[Vladimar Rubicon]

I haven't been on the forums in a very long time. I just popped in to take a look and I'm troubled by this ban on anything regarding pretty much anything of interest people might like to discuss other than the game- after all this is "off Topic" right? I'm from America and have been seriously troubled by the UKs ban of journalists and prosecution of individuals for their speech. And in the face of all this I come on here and FREE SPEECH is Banned here also?!!! What is wrong with the people who run this forum? Are they not aware that they are acting in the very same fashion as the government officials who've sided with oppression and totalitarianism?

I can't get over the irony here.

 

[AJW]

Sadly, your grasp of what 'free speech' means is rather lacking. You are free to set up your own website, and (subject to laws restricting content: there are no jurisdictions I know of that don't place some restrictions on what you can publish) you can write what you like on it. You can, if you wish, allow other people to add content to your website. And you can, if you wish, impose restrictions on what other people can place on your website. Because it is your website.

You have no more 'right to free speech' on someone else's website than they have a right to erect a 15 ft-high advertising hoarding saying 'an idiot lives here' on your front lawn.

 

[Chris Simon]

I haven't been on the forums in a very long time. I just popped in to take a look and I'm troubled by this ban on anything regarding pretty much anything of interest people might like to discuss other than the game- after all this is "off Topic" right? I'm from America and have been seriously troubled by the UKs ban of journalists and prosecution of individuals for their speech. And in the face of all this I come on here and FREE SPEECH is Banned here also?!!! What is wrong with the people who run this forum? Are they not aware that they are acting in the very same fashion as the government officials who've sided with oppression and totalitarianism?

I can't get over the irony here.

As far as I'm aware, the only two things that are banned here are politics and attacking other people.
If these two things are the only thing that interests you, you are in a wrong forum, mate.

 

[Manticore]

What the two guys above me said and also:

If you're talking about the ban on political discussion, I support it.

Politics is a rubbish topic.

As for any bans on vulgarity etc. this is supposed to be an all ages friendly forum (as is my understanding since there seem to be a lot of children on the boards).

 

[Lucifera Danzig]

I haven't been on the forums in a very long time. I just popped in to take a look and I'm troubled by this ban on anything regarding pretty much anything of interest people might like to discuss other than the game- after all this is "off Topic" right? I'm from America and have been seriously troubled by the UKs ban of journalists and prosecution of individuals for their speech. And in the face of all this I come on here and FREE SPEECH is Banned here also?!!! What is wrong with the people who run this forum? Are they not aware that they are acting in the very same fashion as the government officials who've sided with oppression and totalitarianism?

I can't get over the irony here.

Speaking as a fellow American, I'm compelled to make two points here:

1) Your "constitutional right to free speech" is only valid in the U.S. The U.S. Constitution has no jurisdiction outside of the U.S.

2) The U.S. courts - and courts of other countries - have ruled on many occasions that free speech does not include violation of codes of conduct established by a private venue. It only precludes the government making laws that hamper free speech. Any private venue owner has the right to create and enforce a code of conduct for their venue (such as a forum) and enforce it. And if you signed up on this forum, you agreed to that code of conduct. If you don't agree to it, you aren't entitled to use it.

These points are valid in the U.S. as well as outside of it, and have been for a long, long time. Being American has no bearing on these objective points, nor does it give you or me any special accommodations on a forum hosted in another country.

 

[Jenner]

"Free Speech" as you are using the term is not applicable to this forum, or for any other gaming forum. When you create your account here you agree to abide by the forum owner's rules, and the forum owner is well within their rights to require such.

'Free speech' means the government cannot impinge your right to say what you want (with certain restrictions allowed even so). It does not mean private individuals or companies have to host your speech without restriction.

/thread