Freedom of speech on DPS?

[nategesner]

This is in response to a couple posts from user Snoop when another user mentioned God in an assignment thread. The original post and Snoops first response are here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebubblybeginner
I'm so excited, I just have to share this!

We opened our own pest control company in April of '02. We have struggled and sweat blood over this baby. Finally, last December we were counseled to claim bankruptcy. After praying for a long time, we decided that wasn't what God's Word says to do so we would stand on faith and trust Him to see us through. We stand here today, a year later, having just paid off the last personal credit card bill a month early (my husband keeps all the cut up cards in a jar as a paperweight reminder of what we've been able to do through HIM). We are debt free other than our refi at 4.78 for 15yrs. The business is on it's way to being debt free and we didn't even have to let people go. Now THAT'S God's economy!

(not for contest)

Snoop responded:

Originally Posted by Snoop

Just so you know, god had NOTHING to do with your success. It was ENTIRELY down to your own good business accumen and skill.

Please be advised that this is a photography forum, not a religous one. I respect your right to your beliefs, but please keep them to appropriate forums. God is NOT appropriate for this forum. And if I get banned for this comment, so be it, but it had to be said.

Now that everyone has some background, here's my response to Snoop and other users that wish to limit our speech any time it doesn't match their personal world view:

Snoop, the rules for forums are limited, but very clear:

1. Be polite.
2. No advertising.
3. No links to illegal software.
4. Picture sizes limited to...

First, thebubblybeginner did NOTHING to break any rules. She simply shared a photo in line with the assignment guidelines and then provided her personal narrative, just like every other user. Your response was to attack her simply because you don't believe in God and apparently don't believe anyone should be allowed to talk about anything you disagree with. The only one to violate any rules was you because your first two lines clearly attack her faith as ridiculous and her God as non-existent.

This site is privately owned and maintained. If you find the mention of God or religion inappropriate, contact the site owner and ask them to consider changing the rules to limit speech. While you're at it, you might as well attack athiesm, evolution, ghosts, Global Warming, and any other topic that someone might disagree with or take offense to. But before you take this step, might I recommend you read "1984" by George Orwell?

The way I see it, you have three options.

1. Grow some thicker skin and realize that you might not agree with every post from every user every time. Enjoy the freedom to speak your mind while allowing others the same leeway and, most importantly, BE NICE!

2. Petition the owner of this site to change the rules to meet your personal world view.

3. Leave. Find another site, create another site, or stop visiting photography sites altogether. Just leave us to enjoy the site as it exists and stop trying to impose limitations to our speech.

[embrodak]

I respect that this is a photography website. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but when I take (staged) pictures, there tends to be some story or emotional impact behind them. Sharing those stories or emotions are to me a huge part of the photograph. Just because religion and politics and the like are touchy subjects doesn't mean that they're never motivating factors in photographs. Now, I'm no Christian, but I would hope that if I took a picture of... say... a starving Iraqi child and said that it represented a voiceless victim of the Bush administration's greed, that someone would allow me to have my opinion and to share the emotional context in which I took that photograph.

[PowerPix]

God, Guns, Freedom.....we're good.

I have freedom of speech, and you have the right to remain silent!!!

[i speak in math]

Should I post my hardcore porn images in this thread or make a new one?

[A-Lyn20]

VERY well said, Nategesner

[FrankLamont]

Oh, look these debates go on uselessly for a long time.

Key note: internet. If you don't like it, don't post unless you're invited to or it's a formal argument/debate.

[Digidave]

The Administrators & Moderators of this forum have never restricted anybodies speech(as far as I know), nor should they in my opinion. Unless of course, they were being mean or nasty toward one particular person. That would be breaking the rule of "Be Nice".

Given that photography is a visual art, & this is a family friendly forum, there has to be limits/rules on the contents of your photos. They will not allow photos depicting sexual acts or human sacrifice. Would you!? Beyond that, I think everyone needs to just chill out a little bit. We all have thoughts, feelings, & opinions on various subjects. Personally, I try to keep mine to myself but if someone else shares theirs, I won't lose any sleep over it. There have many, many moments when I wanted to jump up on my soapbox & really lay into another forum member but I bit my tongue & let it go. I woke up the next day, & yes, the sun did rise. Imagine that!!

[Sime]

Originally Posted by Digidave

The Administrators & Moderators of this forum have never restricted anybodies speech(as far as I know), nor should they in my opinion. Unless of course, they were being mean or nasty toward one particular person. That would be breaking the rule of "Be Nice".

Given that photography is a visual art, & this is a family friendly forum, there has to be limits/rules on the contents of your photos. They will not allow photos depicting sexual acts or human sacrifice. Would you!? Beyond that, I think everyone needs to just chill out a little bit. We all have thoughts, feelings, & opinions on various subjects. Personally, I try to keep mine to myself but if someone else shares theirs, I won't lose any sleep over it. There have many, many moments when I wanted to jump up on my soapbox & really lay into another forum member but I bit my tongue & let it go. I woke up the next day, & yes, the sun did rise. Imagine that!!

Errr, Dave.... just watch what you're saying or I'll have to ban you!.. haha ;-)

I'm open to any viewpoint - If people want to mention that a herd of midget pigmy goats dressed in lederhosen came out of a dark cave and fixed their flat tyre - you know, that's fine... This is a photography forum, but if something helps you describe your photograph or you have something that you want to share (in general chit chat) whose place is it to stop you? (Unless it's out of order... then it will be one of our ace moderators, or me that stops you...) Debate away, but keep it nice... (I've not finished my first coffee of the day and the ban hammer is sitting here on my desk )

[wulf]

We expect people to interact with politeness and respect. We expect people to keep images in most areas "family friendly" / "safe for work" and even the nude section is explicitly not for pornography. We expect that the discussions will be photography-focused (although this general chit-chat allows a little more leeway).

We represent a wide variety of "tribes and tongues" so sometimes the best post to make is no post at all. If someone seems to be running up a flag for a point of view that you consider objectionable or stupid you don't need to respond. If your point of view is really so much better, it will probably triumph in the long run and, in the meanwhile, there are countless places on the internet where you can happily debate the topic.

If what you see is strongly objectionable or constantly repeated by the same person, then use the report button (pinkish rectangle at the top right of every post) to let the mods know. We have the power to issue admonishments, delete and edit posts and even ban users.

Wulf

[fletch]

If you want to debate the existance of god then try here:

Flickr: Discussing The Atheist Bus... in FlickrCentral

Its even related back to photography (of an atheist bus!), as you can see its a long a fruitless debate and has no place on DPS.