How Does Free Speech Apply TO On Line Communities?

http://blaisegv.com/community-management/does-free-speech-apply-to-online-communities/

THIS ARTICLE MAY BE FOUND, UNDER THE ASHTAR COMMAND GUIDELINES POST . . . BY BEN, THIS ARTICLE APPEARED ATTACHED TO THIS SITE(ASHTAR COMMAND GUIDELINES LESS THAN 48 HOURS AGO! PERHAPS THERE HAS BEEN A POLICY CHANGE ON THIS SITE. CAN YOU HANDLE IT?

{The answer folks, is : Conduct trumps free speech. Because this is not a country, it is a Private setting.

A Private setting, Which, we gained access to, by GIVING :our word, that we would abide by the Guidelines and rules of conduct. This includes No Accusatory, insulting, remarks or Hate Speech.}

"Community Managers will have faced this statement at some point in their careers: “What about my free speech!”

One of the aspects of effective Community Management is user content moderation, ensuring that a clear code of conduct is adhered to to ensure the health of the group developing in your community. Of course, this means removing content which at times is skirting the edges of your guidelines, and this can result in unhappy participants claiming their right to free speech has been impinged upon.

Regardless of laws governing different countries, should we as Community Managers work on the principle that free speech is an absolute right within an online community? Or should we always endeavour to enforce a code of conduct?

The bottom line is this: As a human being, the participant has a basic right to express whatever they wish. However, this right is always framed within laws of acceptable behaviour when exerted in public, and rules imposed by the owner of the space when expresses privately. An online community space is very rarely public (unless run by a government agency), which means that it cannot be compared to a nation-state and its participants to citizens.

To use an analogy, the communities I look after for a company I represent are an extension of our offices. We put on a little daily party, everyone is invited, but we set the basic rules. If we ask you to take your shoes off on the way in, you would as you wouldn’t get in otherwise. If we ask you to restrain from using certain types of language or discussing some topics, we can expect adherence to this rule as well if you want to stay at our party. The concept of “free speech” is null and void in the context of a private space.
Online or offline, same rules

If one of your participants suggests they have an unalienable right to express themselves online, you can agree with them and point them to free hosting and WordPress. They can express themselves till they are blue in the face online, just not in your “house”. Those accusing you of censorship are a bit like those friends of friends who appear in your house, smoke in the kitchen, turn the music up a little bit too loud and suggest you should chill out when you challenge them. By allowing your boundaries to be tested and not reacting firmly, you run the risk of your community participants losing their respect in your code of conduct.

{I believe this settles the matter . . . .regarding the question of Whether this Site is Public or Private Space.

Conduct (Guidelines) it in turns out, trumps "Freedom of Speech, after all!}

Enjoy the clarification Folks!

Be Love

Be Peace

Does free speech apply to Online Communities?

Managing

All Community Managers will have faced this statement at some point in their careers: “What about my free speech!”

One of the aspects of effective Community Management is user content moderation, ensuring that a clear code of conduct is adhered to to ensure the health of the group developing in your community. Of course, this means removing content which at times is skirting the edges of your guidelines, and this can result in unhappy participants claiming their right to free speech has been impinged upon.

Regardless of laws governing different countries, should we as Community Managers work on the principle that free speech is an absolute right within an online community? Or should we always endeavour to enforce a code of conduct?

The bottom line is this: As a human being, the participant has a basic right to express whatever they wish. However, this right is always framed within laws of acceptable behaviour when exerted in public, and rules imposed by the owner of the space when expresses privately. An online community space is very rarely public (unless run by a government agency), which means that it cannot be compared to a nation-state and its participants to citizens.

To use an analogy, the communities I look after for a company I represent are an extension of our offices. We put on a little daily party, everyone is invited, but we set the basic rules. If we ask you to take your shoes off on the way in, you would as you wouldn’t get in otherwise. If we ask you to restrain from using certain types of language or discussing some topics, we can expect adherence to this rule as well if you want to stay at our party. The concept of “free speech” is null and void in the context of a private space.

Online or offline, same rules

If one of your participants suggests they have an unalienable right to express themselves online, you can agree with them and point them to free hosting and WordPress. They can express themselves till they are blue in the face online, just not in your “house”. Those accusing you of censorship are a bit like those friends of friends who appear in your house, smoke in the kitchen, turn the music up a little bit too loud and suggest you should chill out when you challenge them. By allowing your boundaries to be tested and not reacting firmly, you run the risk of your community participants losing their respect in your code of conduct.

The participant is a guest in the host’s community; this invitation is extended subject to the host’s discretion at all times.

Similarly, walking into a cinema or bar automatically results in you giving up some of your freedom of expression. Any behaviour which the owner or manager deems socially unacceptable (beyond legal obligations) such as talking too loudly, using profanities or aggressive behaviour will result in a warning and/or being ejected from the venue. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to spend time in such an environment, either by accepting to behave in line with the code of behaviour in place, or petitioning for a change in them. Otherwise, you’ll watch a film at home or throw a house party.

Protect your community at all cost

As a Community Manager, your role usually veers between anarchy and tyranny, usually settling on benevolent dictatorship most of the time as it’s virtually unheard of to manage to please everyone. Once you have put your code of conduct in place and publicised it, you can allow your community to get on with it, but must ensure you intervene when necessary to enforce your rules, fairly or course but firmly to maintain the direction you wish your community to take. Your Terms & Conditions will most like have a section like this:

We reserve the right delete any material posted by users in the community, or to restrict or terminate your access to all or any part of the site at any time in our sole discretion and without notice.

If you witness behaviour on the part of one or more participants which you feel is harming the health of your community, you have a duty to protect those who accept and post within your terms. Unless your rules are in fact overly restrictive and need reassessing, you must act swiftly and decisively in dealing with damaging behaviour. Above all, be fair, consistent and impartial in your actions.

It is common to be accused of being a Nazi dictator or likened to African despots when enforcing your community rules. This should not be taken as a sign of failure; in fact, it is a sign that you are ensuring your community maintains a standard of behaviour congruent with the type of user you want to attract.

Have you been accused of trampling all over someone’s right to free speech? How did you handle it? Or do you think the community should have full ownership of the code of conduct?

Protect your community at all cost

We reserve the right delete any material posted by users in the community, or to restrict or terminate your access to all or any part of the site at any time in our sole discretion and without notice.

It's all well and good that this is all our house. And the truth be told, we are all big boys and girls here. If we can't cop a bad word or two what hope do we have in saving the planet.

The issue is the door policy does not accurately reflect the state of affairs in the house.

People join a community with a certain expectation of conditions. They make friends, and as light workers they are perhaps the only friends they have in the world. It is the only community that truly understands them. It is then, in my opinion, unreasonable and potentially cruel to tell them to harden up or leave. They joined because they expected a no tolerance policy to violent behaviour. If the door policy said - it's open slather, only for the committed they could then make an informed decision about joining or not. they then cannot complain about the conditions because they knew what to expect.

You can't make it so ambiguous. So open to interpretation.

Be honest about the door policy. Otherwise you are enticing people into an environment that is falsely advertised.

And I say this even though the discrepancy between the policy and the actual conditions has ultimately worked out in my personal best interests.

It is a matter of integrity. Be true to your word.

Namste.

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Comments

faith November 19, 2012 at 12:43am

We all made an agreement to adhere to the guidelines, to a code of conduct : NO HATE SPEECH.

No accusatory remarks and no insulting remarks, You will notice that before the categories, there is the word, “SPIRITUAL” Spiritual Blogs, Spiritual Forum , Spiritual Videos.
The point of the word Spiritual means self enforcing or "YOUR WORD IS YOU BOND"
Laws were made to deal with those who can not keep their word. The public arena is where these individuals can be found.
Here, on Ashtar Command, we gave our word, to live by this agreement, breaking this agreement is breaking your word . . .

HOW IS IT THAT, IF SOMEONE BREAKS THEIR WORD, THEY THEN, FEEL JUSTIFIED IN DEMANDING THEIR RIGHTS? (to free speech) Which, in fact, apply to certain countries, not PRIVATE SPACE! Which this Website is considered . . .
(read the article attached to this post :)

If you don't feel obligated to keep your word, why do you feel justified in demanding your rights? . . . (imagined though they might be.) Rights are relative to environment and conduct . . they are not universal . . . as the bully code would have us believe.

" Keep your Word Before You expect to Demand Your Rights ! "

Be Peace
Kelly Lightchalice November 19, 2012 at 12:10am

Good points, Faith. Thank you for shining the logic upon this matter :) I'm sure many people here on this spiritual site would rather discuss spiritual matters in peace.
Peter Panayiotis Karanikas November 18, 2012 at 10:28pm

I want to clarify that when I say it has worked out in my personal favour, I mean I have become more compassionate as a result.
Peter Panayiotis Karanikas November 18, 2012 at 10:20pm

It's all well and good that this is all our house. And the truth be told, we are all big boys and girls here. If we can't cop a bad word or two what hope do we have in saving the planet.

The issue is the door policy does not accurately reflect the state of affairs in the house.

People join a community with a certain expectation of conditions. They make friends, and as light workers they are perhaps the only friends they have in the world. It is the only community that truly understands them. It is then, in my opinion, unreasonable and potentially cruel to tell them to harden up or leave. They joined because they expected a no tolerance policy to violent behaviour. If the door policy said - it's open slather, only for the committed they could then make an informed decision about joining or not. they then cannot complain about the conditions because they knew what to expect.

You can't make it so ambiguous. So open to interpretation.

Be honest about the door policy. Otherwise you are enticing people into an environment that is falsely advertised.

And I say this even though the discrepancy between the policy and the actual conditions has ultimately worked out in my personal best interests.

It is a matter of integrity. Be true to your word.

Namste.
Drekx Omega November 18, 2012 at 10:11pm

My opinion is that we cannot expect Ben to moderate everything and we should all assume responsibilty for moderating our own blogs and discussions....This process is simple to set up and just requires attention to what is being said between bloggers and if a troll has entered to take the subject off track or not....So vigilance before each is approved.......OR, the alternative is to only allow friends to post and all to view...that way it becomes automatically regulated and does not need close attention before approvals are granted...

Ben should delete character assassination attempts on fellow members, where particular persons or person is named and shamed on this public website and unable to reply....

He has done this on occasion when necessary....

The other thing to check is when members CONTINUALLY ATTACK fellows here, by constantly producing attack blogs or discussions, which are attemps at libel.....If it persists, remove membership....it has been done beore and Ben has the power to do this....Often after much patience has been exhausted by him and others...

Remember, this is Ben's website and free speech comes with responsibilities on ACC.....
John Jancar November 18, 2012 at 10:03pm

Well if Ben's gonna start doing this, then he's making a big mistake. And I don't really want to be part of a site, who will go around censoring people, because "it's my house and I make the rules". He never really did that before, only now, because people are making a big stink about it and bringing up the censorship issue. If you guys would just leave it alone, and not try to control how this site is supposed to be, then there wouldn't be a problem.
BarbaraLee November 18, 2012 at 9:42pm

thanks Faith...let us all be an example and respect each other...Mom taught us all to treat people the way we want to be treated...john, you are going to bed without dinner...much love to all
faith November 18, 2012 at 9:41pm

Well, John, I got this article, Off of this Ashtar Command, Site, where it had apparently been placed by Ben, right under the guidelines posted. Go there, won't you. Apparently Ben, got some advice about this matter, from an Online Consultant. Again, John, this article was found, on this site, apparently placed here, by Ben. So, your beef is with Ben . . not me. I am only the messenger of what appears to be a Ashtar Command Policy change! Go see for yourself. The article appears at the end of the Site guidelines Post, by Ben, It appeared there less than 48 hours ago, and I just passed it along.

Are you able to go with the flow . . . . or must you attempt to control?

Be Peace.
John Jancar November 18, 2012 at 7:48pm

Well this isn't your house, Faith...it's Ben's house. And Ben says it's all of our houses, in effect...making it a public site. You just feel the need to control, and feel the need to stifle peoples free speech...even when it has nothing to do with you...and you need to just drop it.
Luke Skywalker November 18, 2012 at 6:16pm

Yes thank you faith..

much love to you and to everyone always...

Namaste..

Luke.

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