Whatever happened to “I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it?” I went to a certain blog, that shall remain nameless (no one who visits here, I can tell you), and decided to take part in a little discussion. It was about a theater in Utah banning the movie “Brokeback Mountain.” This post isn't meant to be about your or my opinions on Brokeback Mountain or the theater's right to show or not show it. I can't tell you exactly what my side of the conversation was, since ALL of my comments were deleted, but I can give you the gist of it. The commenters on said blog were discussing a certain “societal norm” related to said movie, and I decided to jump right in and ask why they felt that way. Based on the answer I received, I asked where in the bible a certain “societal norm” was prohibited. I don't know if I asked a third time, or not, because after that all the comments I wrote were summarily deleted and from the tone of the blog owner's comment, I think he was trying to ban me. Out of spite, I left two more comments saying that for each comment that was deleted, I would make two more. Those two were deleted by the next time I checked, but it turns out that my IP address was actually blocked. I didn't know that someone with a dial-up connection could have their IP address blocked, since a new address is generated each time I access the Internet. I spent about a half hour finding a list of anonymous IP hiding services. I then went back to vent my rage in the form of five IP-hidden, ban-free comments.
But this post isn't about the content of my comments, or about the movie or the theater. This is about someone maliciously silencing my political voice. It's about censorship. Instead of ignoring me until I left (and believe me, I would've gone away pretty quickly) this “blog owner who shall not be named” just removed all trace of me and banned me for life. I can understand how someone might want to delete one of my random senseless comments. For example, if I went to a political blog and wrote “Never in my life were you ever so fish-like, what with the inside of an inner tube”, I wouldn't mind having that comment deleted. But taking comments that I made to ask a legitimate question and just going “Poof! It's gone!” is not just an insult to my dignity and intelligence, it's an affront to the very tenets of free speech that the United States was founded upon.
What would you do, in my position?
But this post isn't about the content of my comments, or about the movie or the theater. This is about someone maliciously silencing my political voice. It's about censorship. Instead of ignoring me until I left (and believe me, I would've gone away pretty quickly) this “blog owner who shall not be named” just removed all trace of me and banned me for life. I can understand how someone might want to delete one of my random senseless comments. For example, if I went to a political blog and wrote “Never in my life were you ever so fish-like, what with the inside of an inner tube”, I wouldn't mind having that comment deleted. But taking comments that I made to ask a legitimate question and just going “Poof! It's gone!” is not just an insult to my dignity and intelligence, it's an affront to the very tenets of free speech that the United States was founded upon.
What would you do, in my position?
Gyrobo-
I've been banned from countless liberal blogs, including Democratic Underground for voicing my opinions. My blog was even spammed several times. I just want you to know that it works both ways. There are a lot of Conservatives that act like Communists and likewise with Liberals.
Dissent, when done respectfully, is a beautiful thing. I've learned countless lessons from disagreements.
I'm more outraged with political blogs that do not allow comments. Controversial social issues should be discussed, and not ignored.
I wonder who banned you? PS> I'm a programmer, and if you need any Anonymous Proxies to use just let me know. I made a spoofing program because I went through the same thing.
I would enjoy that program. Although I'm taking computer science, I've mostly specialized on web design. Which language did you make that program in, and more importantly, where can I download it?
Very sorry to hear you were banned countless times. I've read your comments, and although biased, they were at least reasoned.
Comments that are thought out shouldn't be banned.
Also, I didn't include the name of the blog or its address because I'm hoping to just walk away. If he deletes my comments again, I'm just going to say something along the lines of "Hey, I just came here for reasoned debate, but you acted childish and immature, so now I'm leaving."
The Blogosphere is too large a place to get hung up on the grubbly planks.
Visual basic. I will fine tune it considering some of the proxies no longer work...it will contain over 10 working proxies.
What is your e-mail? I would rather keep the program a secret between you and I if that is okay? I use it to avoid peoples sitemeters, and haloscan banns.
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He banned you because he can. Its his blog and he can do what he wants, plain and simple as that. He doesn't OWE you a forum to practice your "free speech."
When you start leaving comments just for "spite", and to "vent your rage", that might be a clue as to why someone would ban you. Its not a government sponsored blog. Its a retiree's personal blog.
We may have free speech but we don't have the obligation to listen.
I never said he had the obligation to listen. I said he had the obligation to not censor me. He can ignore me all he wants to, but I take offense when people stomp me out before they even know me.
And I didn't leave any comments out of "spite" until he started deleting my carefully thought out political comments. I stand by my claim that it was childish of him.
The top of his blog says "All comments are welcome. Even the ones I totally disagree with. I only ask that you keep your comments short and to the point. Please, no long winded speeches." I followed his rules and he still banned me from posting comments. What does that say about him?
Gyrobo-
What is your screen resolution? 800 x 600?
This may be trickier than I thought considering my resolution doesn't get any larger. Windows XP right?
P.s> I wouldn't have used that Guarantee because you may get spammers and threats.
I've gotten that before and successfully ignored it. I can do it again.
My screen resolution is 1280 x 960, and yes, Windows XP Home.
Does the program need to be configured to my specific resolution?
Fear of discussion is symptom of deeper insecurities, just like homophobia and xenophobia often cloak a blockage in understanding or accepting ourselves (percieved negative or threatening traits are projected on a scapgoat "other" in order to avoid owning up to them ourselves).
My suspicion is that the owner of that blog has a lot of growing to do. I think you idea of just walking away from it is best, since it is nothing you are likely able to help him or her with.
It's annoying to be silenced though.
Well, then you are just too easily offended. He has the absolute right to censor you. Its his blog. Does a radio station owe you air time? Does the newspaper owe you a column?
No, they don't owe me anything. But blogs are a unique new medium, and those contentions don't apply here.
And technically, he doesn't "own" his blog. He doesn't own the servers or the blogging tools. Blogger lets him use theirs. In effect, all he "owns" is what he writes. The rest is not his property.
And since I wasn't using language that could be described as "bad", and since I wasn't intentionally trying to bother anyone, I see censorship as an infringement on my right to free speech.
Anyway, the whole thing is moot now. He changed the header of his page to include "But comments must have a valid point and at least make sense."
I take that as an apology and explanation, and I don't think I shall ever again visit the blog of someone so immature and unpleasant.
My last comments, which he probably deleted by the time you read this:
Amazing! You've changed your header to include
But comments must have a valid point and at least make sense.
I'll take that as an explanation and an apology. None of my comments have a point, and they rarely make sense.
Gyrobo | Homepage | 01.15.06 - 1:41 pm | #
Therefore, I take my leave of you. We've done all we can together, (name). You'll just have to make all your future decisions on your own.
I said good day!
Gyrobo | Homepage | 01.15.06 - 1:43 pm | #
Let it go. It's not worth your time. People are free to do stupid things. Unfortunately, censorship is one of them.
Gyrobo, I have faith in you that you will figure it out. Some people can be so irritating. I ran across a person on a blog that caused me so much frustration & called their friends to pick on me, & beat me up bloggingly. OUCH! I finally just deleted all memory of them from my computer...What's the point of obsessing about these jerks.
pEACE TO YOU.
I have already let it go. I agree; this isn't worth my time or effort. Some people are just unable to handle other's views.
I'm gay. And I've been banned from political sites--not because I'm 'liberal'--but because I held opposing views to the owner of the blogs.
It's ridiculous.
You did the right thing.
I can understand why this would be upsetting. Obviously they had a different agenda.
If they didn't want an assortment of comments, they shouldn't have posted something controversial.
I think that since they didn't have answers to your questions, it was easier for them to just "ignore" you.
I should make another, less serious post. Wash away the angry thoughts...
I was going to say something lame, but Cabe said something intelligent. So I'll just say "yeah, what he said."
Originally posted 1/15/2006 12:12 AM
Got ya. <E-MAIL REMOVED>
Do you know a lot about Java? That's the only programming language I know that isn't web exclusive. I know nothing about visual basic. And I'm new to the whole "proxy" thing, since I never needed it before.
But I DID manage to find a list of 100 or so allegedly free public proxy servers, although I had to enter the password twice.
Hope it's of some use to you. The link to it is near the bottom.