I agree to a certain extent, but one of reddit's best attributes has always been having the freedom, as an average user, to speak your mind. Not that I support being an asshole on the internet. Like you said, there is some truly heinous shit on certain parts of reddit. I just believe that banning it tends to take us into an awkward grey area, in which site administrators decide which content is okay for us to see and we don't get a say. In a situation like that, the site becomes less user driven and more admin driven. That's what's been happening with reddit recently. It's no coincidence that this exodus began when the reddit admins began cracking down on subs like FPH. It's part of the larger issue of lack of transparency, commercialization, and censorship on reddit. Users don't feel that reddit is "theirs" anymore. And that disullionment all comes back to admin censorship of content. Even if said content is disgusting and immoral.
Well, to be fair, the site rules/etiquette on Snapzu state from the beginning that they don't allow racism or hate speech. So I think anyone who 'migrates' here shouldn't try to change that or push the limits of that rule.
Plus we know that it's not for advertising interests considering there are no advertisements. Even better, it seems to be consistently enforced and for the purpose of maintaining the culture of the community.
It's not that I'm especially fond of "hate speech". I'm not. I hate it. But the fact that it's not allowed implies that controversial opinions are not allowed. It sets a precedent for other types of speech to be banned. This is why it's better to err on the side of free speech.
Are you saying that you cant see any distinction between speech that is just controversial and speech that is not only controversial but also specifically designed to harass and intimidate certain groups of people off the forum?
I'll have to think about that. "Hate speech" is a pretty vague thing, and it could be abused in any number of ways. What I consider "harassing and intimidating" is likely different than what you consider "harassing and intimidating". This is why a lot of people prefer to filter the content themselves rather than having an admin do it for them. It is a tricky subject, no doubt.
Well in real world legal contexts, that problem of subjectivity is solved by 1) using the Reasonable Person standard, and 2) considerations of intent. It shouldn't be any different online.
I guess I don't understand why no hate speech necessarily sets that precedent and I definitely don't agree that "no hate speech" implies "controversial opinions not allowed". Even controversial views can be phrased in a way that isn't hateful. I think if this rule bothers newcomers then Snapzu might not be the best place for them.
It was an honest opinion. The whole reason I posted this topic was to discuss how an existing community might have concerns about an influx of redditors opposing the feel of a community. If one of the basic site rules causes significant amount of ire for new users, then there are other websites they might feel more comfortable participating in. I'm a new user - there's not much I can do to intimidate.
No worries. I just wanted to illustrate how it's easy to misinterpret people's comments. I'm just wondering how invested I want to get in a site that's not 100% free speech. No doubt there will be heated discussions on here from time to time, and I don't want to have to worry about getting kicked off just because I said something that's not PC.
Unless you're planing on setting up an overtly bigoted tribe or constantly spewing bullshit, you have nothing to worry about. I have conversations on here with people I don't agree with all the time, and I don't even downvote them for the most part. It's really not such a slippery slope as all that. The reputation score feature will likely do much of the work to censure assholes... BUT if assholes were in the majority, then reputation would work for and not against them, SO it's important to establish what kind of community we're going for here. It is possible that you would get kicked off if you're doing your best to be a dipshit, but if not, I really think your concern is unwarranted. If you don't want to get invested, that's your call. Free speech is usually balanced with other values, not framed as a 100% guarantee.
I agree to a certain extent, but one of reddit's best attributes has always been having the freedom, as an average user, to speak your mind. Not that I support being an asshole on the internet. Like you said, there is some truly heinous shit on certain parts of reddit. I just believe that banning it tends to take us into an awkward grey area, in which site administrators decide which content is okay for us to see and we don't get a say. In a situation like that, the site becomes less user driven and more admin driven. That's what's been happening with reddit recently. It's no coincidence that this exodus began when the reddit admins began cracking down on subs like FPH. It's part of the larger issue of lack of transparency, commercialization, and censorship on reddit. Users don't feel that reddit is "theirs" anymore. And that disullionment all comes back to admin censorship of content. Even if said content is disgusting and immoral.
Well, to be fair, the site rules/etiquette on Snapzu state from the beginning that they don't allow racism or hate speech. So I think anyone who 'migrates' here shouldn't try to change that or push the limits of that rule.
Plus we know that it's not for advertising interests considering there are no advertisements. Even better, it seems to be consistently enforced and for the purpose of maintaining the culture of the community.
It's not that I'm especially fond of "hate speech". I'm not. I hate it. But the fact that it's not allowed implies that controversial opinions are not allowed. It sets a precedent for other types of speech to be banned. This is why it's better to err on the side of free speech.
Are you saying that you cant see any distinction between speech that is just controversial and speech that is not only controversial but also specifically designed to harass and intimidate certain groups of people off the forum?
I'll have to think about that. "Hate speech" is a pretty vague thing, and it could be abused in any number of ways. What I consider "harassing and intimidating" is likely different than what you consider "harassing and intimidating". This is why a lot of people prefer to filter the content themselves rather than having an admin do it for them. It is a tricky subject, no doubt.
Well in real world legal contexts, that problem of subjectivity is solved by 1) using the Reasonable Person standard, and 2) considerations of intent. It shouldn't be any different online.
I guess I don't understand why no hate speech necessarily sets that precedent and I definitely don't agree that "no hate speech" implies "controversial opinions not allowed". Even controversial views can be phrased in a way that isn't hateful. I think if this rule bothers newcomers then Snapzu might not be the best place for them.
I absolutely agree. However, who decides what's hateful? All it takes is for one person to get offended by something that you said.
An honest opinion? Or thinly-veiled intimidation? Do you see what I mean now?
It was an honest opinion. The whole reason I posted this topic was to discuss how an existing community might have concerns about an influx of redditors opposing the feel of a community. If one of the basic site rules causes significant amount of ire for new users, then there are other websites they might feel more comfortable participating in. I'm a new user - there's not much I can do to intimidate.
No worries. I just wanted to illustrate how it's easy to misinterpret people's comments. I'm just wondering how invested I want to get in a site that's not 100% free speech. No doubt there will be heated discussions on here from time to time, and I don't want to have to worry about getting kicked off just because I said something that's not PC.
Unless you're planing on setting up an overtly bigoted tribe or constantly spewing bullshit, you have nothing to worry about. I have conversations on here with people I don't agree with all the time, and I don't even downvote them for the most part. It's really not such a slippery slope as all that. The reputation score feature will likely do much of the work to censure assholes... BUT if assholes were in the majority, then reputation would work for and not against them, SO it's important to establish what kind of community we're going for here. It is possible that you would get kicked off if you're doing your best to be a dipshit, but if not, I really think your concern is unwarranted. If you don't want to get invested, that's your call. Free speech is usually balanced with other values, not framed as a 100% guarantee.