Sounder mailing list etiquette and future direction

[Liam Proven]

On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 6:10 PM, Nils Kassube <kassube at gmx.net> wrote:
> Liam Proven wrote:
>> Part of the nature of humour, free-ranging discussion and learning is
>> sarcasm, irony & a modicum of gentle mockery. Prevent me from using
>> these techniques, you are restricting my freedom of expression. When
>>  I am restricted from expressing myself, in effect, I consider myself
>>  to be censored, and I am not tolerating that.
>
>> OTOH, the chap here that kept issuing some kind of muslim dedication
>>  - that is violently offensive to me, as a hardcore atheist. I am not
>>  posting any message dedicated to anyone's  god, nor am I even
>>  replying to one. I myself would move for a total ban on all mention
>>  of any religion, including those to me rather hateful sigs
>>  proclaiming that people espouse any particular variety of primitive
>>  superstition.
>
> Isn't a "total ban on all mention of any religion" the same kind of
> censorship that you don't tolerate?

Well-spotted.

My point is, one can ban mention of certain words, or even certain
concepts if one wishes, and if people play along & follow the rules,
it can work.

But trying to limit how people can express themselves - to say that
there are not only things one can't say, but ways one can't say them,
whole modes of expression that are not allowed - that, for me, is a
step too far.

I can avoid profanity and I generally avoid name-calling as a matter
of principle, but if I am not allowed to occasionally say "you're an
idiot" to an idiot, then I really can't be bothered to play any more.

-- 
Liam Proven • Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
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