On 2004-08-15 13:05:00, GregFL wrote:
Free speech is good, even obnoxious free speech. However when you say it you own it and frankly many of the things said around here are childish, without crediblity, and/or just plain idiotic.
Buddy, you always get right down to the salient core of things.
"when you say it you own"
There are two sides to this. One, you cover very well, the personal side. Like it or not, accept it or not, doesn't matter, we all build reputations for ourselves. More like we all provide the raw material w/ which others construct our reputations for us. The process is somewhat out of our control, but not entirely.
Some of the more hostile, inflamatory stuff that goes on here, I wish it wouldn't. I hate to see ppl hurt each other's feelings, get all paranoid and angry, etc., especially when the cause for all the angst turns out to be untrue. As a friend, or even just as a fellow Earthling, I'd suggest that no one should ever bother getting worked up and unhappy over what you think might be someone else's motives for doing somthing. You just can't know that, ya know? Or, to be a little more sardonic and cliche, never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by ignorance.
But if it happens, it happens, I can't tell people what to do or how to think. Not only would it be futile for me to try, but often times I'm wrong anyway. Hell, probably at least half of my incentive for hosting these forums is to learn something. And you never learn anything by shutting people down or controling the discussion.
There's another side to it, though. And, much as it FUCKS up my weekend, I have to think about it just lately. That's the legal side.
While I'm not responsible for what people say here as hosting provider, I am responsible as a citizen and responsible human being if I wittness an actual crime. So whoever's suggesting murder, encouraging suicide or making other violent threats, I want you to understand that you're really not all that anonymous. I'm not in any great hurry to make a federal case out of any of this. Frankly, I think it's just bullshit intended to start a brawl, piss people off, divert attention or some other reason that's entirely your own business. But understand that if I'm presented w/ a subpoena or other legally compelling document, I will certainly turn over requested logging info. This has nothing to do w/ the policy I set for the forums; it's not just a good idea, it's the law.
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe. -- My First Summer in the Sierra , 1911, page 110.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395353513/' target='_new'> John Muir
