Locked Topic - Is this Censorship?

[Eric the Viking]

Censorship is the XXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXX for the purpose of protecting people from XXXXXXX by selectively limiting XXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXX ideas deemed XXXXXXX by some XXXXXXX.

Common in any society, XXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXX, censorship is often seen by its XXXXXXXXXXX as a XXXXXXXXXXX to XXXXXXX the spectrum of XXXXXX, and prevent any XXX XX XXXXX against the XXXXXXX. As censorship often XXXXXXXXX or XXXXXXX changes a XXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXX, it is sometimes seen as a XXX XXXXXXX on XXXXXXXX XXXXX. Censorship can completely XXXXXXX XXXXX XX XXXX with even minimal use. The result is to make the XXXXXXXX XXXX more palatable with gross neglect to XXXXXXXXX XXXXX. One form is to take XXX XXXXXXX content out of context.

[Kathy Bowles]

Things get a bit silly and can get offensive and personal. This is supposed a space where people can interact on any topic but I do think the posts were all getting a bit too much and NickB was correct in his actions as moderator.

Not the first time this has happened - is it?

[NickB]

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One of the jobs of moderators is to prevent flaming getting out of hand, as it can be very damaging to an internet community. It can be difficult to decide where to draw the line, and it is perhaps unfortunate that the flames in this instance were directed at the administrator. Rest assured though that persistent flaming of any individual on this board will not be tolerated. It is not and never will be a free for all, and indeed you will find very few fora on the web that are. Those that are largely unmoderated tend to not last very long.

If anyone does feel that they have been the victim of any kind of abuse through this board then please PM me as we don't currently have a 'notify moderator' button.

In the meantime, I shall refrain from commenting on any matters that do not directly affect the running of this board unless it is in my capacity as admin and moderator.

- N

[Pentlandpirate]

particularly as I am posting this under my real identity.

I was going to say a few posts back, I can't believe this is the Nick B I know from the last year or two. What's wrong with you Nick? You don't know Mona Lott personally, so don't take it as a personal attack. If 'little man' was the trigger, just let it go. You know the one who is first to throw an insult has already lost the argument. Rise above anything that MIGHT have been an intended insult. Bald short-arses can be superior. Just look at me.

This site has resisted censorship and banning or blocking members for a long time. Those who offend should be asked to apologise, retract what they said, admit that what they did was wrong and that should be enough.

After a quiet spell on the site I'm glad to see it's got back to what it was designed to do: be a forum for local issues.

[longshanks]

Okay, which one of you is Longshanks. Is it Mona or is it NickMacB? Or is one of you Spiderman?

Long Face (Identity stolen)

ps Censorship only demeans the censor.

[spiderman]

What's goin' on here, Shankers? You're not the baddie any more............................................

.............or are you? I suspect that Nick associates you with Mona........................hence his touchiness yesterday.............are you?

I'm unique of course.........

P.S. http://www.dlas.org.uk/join-campaign-ag ... orship.htm

[longshanks]

Strangely enough Spidey old chap when Mona started posting some time ago I was convinced that he was one of NickMacB's many identities (eg Swarm et al). How wrong I was !
At risk of incurring the wrath of he who must be obeyed I agree with much of what Mona says, and the way in which he (or she) says it. I fear that NickMacB has become a little oversensitive of late. I recognised this recently when I was accused of laying traps (for whatever reason) and have decided to conciously be very nice to all for the time being.
Mona'''keep posting ! Its people like you who make this forum fun and interesting at times.
Nick MacB;;;yout can't expect everyone (or for that matter anyone) to agree with you. When they don't its not personal. And please don't delete arbitarily parts of peoples posts. That smacks of totalitaritism or paranoia. We all love you. Chill.
Peace and Love to all.
Long Wallace (change of name to appeal to all by choice)

[Mona Lott]

Phew thanks, Longshanks, I have been feeling quite paranoid and victimised since yesterday!! Though receiving praise or agreement from you probably won't count for much with some other folk on this forum!! However, I do appreciate it. Fancy forming an exclusive club for Chat bad guys/ bad gals/evictees? "The Nicker Knockers"? "The Nicklocked"? "The Twisted Nickers?" "The Nickers-Off Club"?

[Seil Sally]

.....and a very Merry Christmas to all who contribute!!

[spiderman]

And peace and goodwill towards men (and women, Sally!).......and freedom for all...............in which spirit, any chance, Nick, of unlocking the Seileachan thread?...............it was quite valid and interesting before, you must admit, you took it a little off-topic.....and anyway you owe it to poor Minksie who just joined Seil Chat in order to post the thread and must now be wondering what she started in this apparent nuthouse............and finally just do it please because locking the thread is unnecessary and undesirable and a slight on us all and probably does you no credit either....so please, Nick, we all love you, need you back in good shape, thank you for all you do and want our chat site back without the evil slur of censorship.....please...

[longshanks]

Isn't it ironic that a topic entitled "unlock The Topic" is now, itself, locked?

Well Nick, me old chum, you demanded an apology for what you perceived as a libel against your goodself in a post I wrote about democracy.

Only too happy too oblige:

My profuse apologies to NickB (humbly I've dropped the Mac)
I am obviously guilty of totally misreading the Community Council's accounts so I'm completely wrong. Do please accept my humblest apologies.

Without detracting in any way from the above I do feel, old chap, that you are remarkably sensitive at the moment and are tending to read into posts (mine and others) things which are not there. Your over reactions may make some of your readers (not me I hasten to add) feel that you're somehow losing your easygoing, liberal, and tolerant personality which we all came to love and admire. Chill.

Long poo (by choice)

[spiderman]

Spot on, Shankers.

[NickB]

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My profuse apologies to NickB (humbly I've dropped the Mac)
I am obviously guilty of totally misreading the Community Council's accounts so I'm completely wrong. Do please accept my humblest apologies

I have not seen the Community Council's accounts, but if they DO include an annual fee for website maintenance or hosting then I can assure you that it does not go to me nor to Webcraft UK Ltd. You brought this up once before in August of this year and had to retract it, so why bring it up again?

If the Community Council are paying someone for allegedly hosting a website that purports to be a community site then that person is receiving money under false pretences and should be exposed forthwith and an invoice sent to them for any monies received in previous years. If you have indeed seen such evidence in the Council accounts then I think you are duty bound to bring it up with them.

Meantime I have emailed a representative of the Community Council with a link to this post and the other relevant threads - including your August one - so they can examine your allegations for themselves.

- N

[longshanks]

you are remarkably sensitive at the moment and are tending to read into posts (mine and others) things which are not there.

No Nick, I have not made any "allegations" about anyone receiving any money under false pretences. I said:
"I am obviously guilty of totally misreading the Community Council's accounts so I'm completely wrong"

Presumably you have accepted my apology for the alleged libel?

Longshanks

[NickB]

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I haven't accepted your apology because you made the same allegation in August and apologised for it then:

http://oban.ws/seil/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=515&start=20

As you have then gone on four months later to repeat the allegation I attach no more significance to this apology than to your previous one. No doubt you will bring the same thing up again in a few more months. I am more interested in how you came to 'misread' the Community Council accounts. What worries me is that someone may be getting money from the Community Council under what are blatantly false pretences, as there is patently nothing else online that could remotely be considered to be a Seil Island Community Website. I have therefore asked them to look into it.

- N

[NickB]

.

I have received a reply from the Community Council, the pertinent text from which I quote below:

There is absolutely nothing in the CC Accounts relating to any payment whatsoever to you or anyone else for our computer services.

As you say, you give your services entirely free of charge and we are extremely grateful to you for doing so.

The CC Accounts are, of course, publicised and approved at our AGM each May and anyone is entitled to have a look at them. If the person with the query wishes to do so, they are welcome to see a copy.

Longshanks, did you ever read them? If you did, it looks like a trip to Specsavers might be in order.

If you aplogise again - for having accused me twice - I may find some seasonal forgiveness . . .

- NickB

[spiderman]

For heaven's sake, Nick, go take a pill. This nonsense is going too far. Every message dafter and more frantic than the last - censorship, editing entries, locking every second thread, unstable "moderation", over-reacting, inventing non-existent insults and conspiracy theories, pontificating pompously..........Goodbye forever..... ..I'm sure you're doing this for all the best motives but it's all gone pear-shaped somehow for reasons best known to yourself ......I guess the Green Goblins won in the end...but one thing's for sure, we need peace on earth and goodwill and we're certainly not finding it here on this site.. ...THE FINAL KAAPPOOOOOOW

[NickB]

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Sorry to see you go Spiderman but if you don't like the rules then I guess you will have to find somewhere else to play.

I can't believe you find another poster's misrepresentation of Community Council expenditure - repeated twice on a public forum - to be a trivial matter I should have a laugh about. If this accusation had been made about any other member of the forum and they had complained then the whole thread would have immediately been pulled - which in retrospect is what I should have done.

I refer you again to the FAQ provided for forum users (link above) - this is the standard phpBB2 FAQ that comes with the download, written by the very open minded open source community who created and develop the forum software:

What are Administrators?
Administrators are people assigned the highest level of control over the entire board. These people can control all facets of board operation which include setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc. They also have full moderator capabilities in all the forums.


What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) whose job it is to look after the running of the forums from day to day. They have the power to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally moderators are there to prevent people going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.

These capabilities aren't built into the software for nothing. If you want to play without rules then you will have to look elsewhere. Sorry.

- NickB

[Seventhseil]

spiderman leaving? seems I have heard this before...

[Pentlandpirate]

There's no need for anyone to leave, least of all Spiderman.

But Nick, I've got to agree with others, in the last week or two you have gone overboard on a couple of issues.

You are taking things FAR too seriously! You've already replied many posts ago, in considerable detail, about the status of this site. No more needs to be said.

WE LOVE YOU, so will you let us LOCK you to save you from yourself?