Free speech..

[Consumer dude]

What do we mean by free speech and what are the rules. All comments welcome..

[postggj]

I call free speech a fundamental right under law, and censorship in any format is abhorrent

 

But there are limits

 

A persons own point of view must not cause alarm, harassment or distress to another individual.

 

IN THAT I MEAN, NOT BREACHING THAT INDIVIDUALS "PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS"

 

To attack an individual orally is fine, any aspects of a public figures life are "fair game" as they chose to be in the lime lite

 

As stated, we must act within the law though

[honeybee13]

This the Wikipedia definition for the UK.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_by_country#United_Kingdom

 

HB

[Crazy Diamond]

Seeing the disappearance of a certain thread, I think my version of what free speech constitutes may be somewhat different to what the current's standards on here.

 

Thanks for the link, Honeybee. So, nothing that was written earlier elsewhere was in breach of this then... Excellent. Looking forward to the thread reappearing then?

[postggj]

Wikipedia is fine for reference, but needs to be defined under statute, not an internet page

 

we have the Public Order Act

Police reform Act

 

And now the European convention of human rights

 

The previous two Acts of parliament need to be compatible with the conventions rights

[Crazy Diamond]

Free speech is apparently a thread being pulled as offensive (presumably), whilst one much more offensive has just been posted... I have reported it, hope to see it pulled as quickly as the other one was.

[postggj]

unless a statement is unacceptable in the remit of grossly offensive and punishable by law, censorship should not be applied

 

as i have already stated

 

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

 

George Orwell

[Crazy Diamond]

unless a statement is unacceptable in the remit of grossly offensive and punishable by law, censorship should not be applied

 

as i have already stated

 

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

 

George Orwell

 

You might want to mention that to a few peeps, I don't think they've read Orwell. Or even Wiki.

[postggj]

might be the Daily Mail though

 

that true bastion of truth and integrity

[Crazy Diamond]

might be the Daily Mail though

 

that true bastion of truth and integrity

 

Oooh, careful, that's seditious talk, that is.

[postggj]

i might get gagged for that comment, grossly untrue

[Crazy Diamond]

i might get gagged for that comment, grossly untrue

 

[citizenB]

Censorship of any media format is abhorrent

 

People should be allowed to express their views no matter if people disagree with those comments, as long as those comments are made within the law

 

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

 

GEORGE ORWELL

 

So, it is ok for you to tell people what they do not want to hear. However, when people return the compliment and tell YOU what you don't want to hear.. you don't like it. Did I miss something ?

[postggj]

i am no longer commenting on this thread, i can see where it is going

[ukaviator]

I posted this recently after someone had to be Moderated by the team:

 

Many of the online sites where you may think "free speech" is protected, you actually don’t have the same right to free speech that you would in a truly public forum. This is true of Facebook, Twitter, and pretty much all the major social media sites I’m aware of. Review their Terms of Service and see for yourself. While it may seem that you’re entitled to free speech just the same as you would in a public forum. Some online services are quite liberal when it comes to restricting your free speech rights, while others are more restrictive. We aim to be around a long time and have to constantly be careful about what we say.

 

This isn’t some draconian conspiracy. It’s largely a matter of business realities. Creating and managing a highly social website isn’t free. If someone is going to go to the trouble to host and maintain such a community, especially one that may become very popular, they want to make sure they have enough control over the management of the site to fulfill their reasons for building the community in the first place. Unbridled free speech can easily degrade the quality of a community and run afoul of the site owner’s agenda. Allowing unbridled free speech on this website would be a very bad idea. It’s easy enough to predict what would happen because I know what our moderators deal with on a daily basis, and I’ve seen what happens to other forums that have done that. Within a few months, the site would be overrun by spammers and marketers looking to promote their wares. Hope you understand the reasons for moderating some posts and threads.

[postggj]

I said i would not comment again on this thread, but i will make one last point

 

I can see the reasoning on what has been posted by ukaviator

 

I for one would not like to see CAG end up in the Pitts of bad taste like Money Saving Expert has become, that is a prime example of a site left to run on its own devices. It is no more than a platform for bigots and people with anti social behavior problems to vent there frustrations.

 

Any forum can set its own rules, if you do not like them then you just move to another forum, but considering sites like CAG are here to help and advise people, over censorship can have the opposite effect.

By all means moderate when due to unexceptionable behavior, but do not be tempted to go down the lines of

News-speak

Edited April 9, 2013 by squaddie

[Guest]

there is no free speech as such. we are only at 'liberty' to say or do what the law or whatever society one is in says can or cannot do. ie a 'liberty' ie civil liberties. if the law restricting one is not illegal, then the one is restricted.

[postggj]

But the law restricting free speech will be unlawful if it tries and surpass a higher courts directives

[Guest]

you're missing my point. there is no free speech. only speech that one is at liberty to say.

[postggj]

i know exactly what you mean, at last, an educated response and question for a change