Someone I don't know and who doesn't know me said something interesting to me in another thread here.

He/she said, "Does the American version of free speach apply to an internet web forum based out of Europe?"

What's interesting to me is:

- that someone would think free speech has anything to do with the united states. Do people really think free speech is peculiar to the U.S.?

- that someone would think I was born in the United States or consider myself "American" as opposed to just human

- that there's some kind of U.S. vs Europe feud or something

- that people buy the propaganda that America includes only the U.S. and not Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Chile and everywhere in South, Central and North America.

**smiles**

I say this just to remind people that free speech is a more universal concept than any one country and that people must not make assumptions about people they do not know.

**bows**

Just thought i'd add, the forum isn't based out of Europe, it's based in the USA.

Things just keep getting better here.

It all really comes down to compassion, anyway.

People have feelings. Moderators protect feelings regardless of right and wrong. Sometimes it is true and correct and often even justified to say bad things about people or to people.

But i've learned that this not only perpetuates hurt feelings, bickering and damages the community, but in the long run more harm is done.

I view moderators as bouncers. In most cases a bouncer can quell a fight by using soft words and a gentle hand on someone's shoulder, whispering in their ear to make them calm down.

Sometimes bouncers have to throw down (Yes I've been a bouncer, hehe.)

The reason it's not about right and wrong is that what hurts feelings ends up wrong in the long run.

This being the internet, of course, posters often can't defend themselves, which is another reason for bouncers.

**shrugs**

People quote Rules of Conduct everywhere on all forums. I even moderated stratics for five months. Guess what, I never read the rules of conduct. I never read them anywhere.

Why? Because it just comes down to compassion. Right and wrong aren't something you find written. They're something you learn after lots of mistakes, be they in real life or on the internet.

You get in a few dozen or more fights in real life, and somewhere along the line you learn that no matter how tough you are, no matter how rarely use lose a fight, each broken nose you give, no matter how justified, makes the world just a little bit worse.

Force is still necessary sometimes. Bouncers are still necessary usually. But free speech comes with a price, and sometimes that price is a punch in the nose

The Freedom of Speech which is found in Amendment One of the US Constitution applies to the government. It means that you can't be arrested or otherwise actioned by the US, State or Local governments about what you choose to say as a citizen of the US. There are some exceptions, such as libel and slander.

The First Amendment does not apply to private businesses or enterprises, so a forum such as this is perfectly within its rights to abridge your speech in any fashion it so chooses.

Always liked your style Arjuna.

To answer the other poster's question. I'm never sure if the poster themselves know what they are comparing to, and I've been thru this debate for many years.
There is the concept of free speech in the overall scheme of humanity in which one feels the have the right to be free to say what one wants, when and where he wants. As Arjuna points out that reality is that thatwith the right comes the responsibility of knowing how to use that right.
Every one has the right to free speech, as long as they are willing to pay the price with it.

As for the "American version" of Free speech. For ages those in power quelled what folks wanted to say. When the US constitution was written, they added an admendment that gives any on the right to critique the government without retribution. It in no way states that you have the right to come into my home a say what you want without reprisal.
So in the context of privately owned forums, they can keep the forums focused by removing that which doesn't contribute. Most posters

Did any of that make sense?

no

j/k

I'm very certain you are not unique in having been a Stratics moderator who didn't know their own ROC.

Wrong. When those who are able to fight the good fight give up, the world becomes just a little bit worse. Hence the world we live in today.

Anyways, this has rapidly moved off topic as far as general discussion of Ultima Online...

From the law viewpoint, this is absolutely correct.

**smiles**

While I'm sure you meant it as some form of sardonic attack, I thank you for the opportunity to make a philosophical clarification.

I know my rules of conduct very well. **retypes with emphasis on the appropriate words** I know MY rules of conduct very well.

Notice the difference? I didn't volunteer to be a moderator. I was drafted, but I accepted and did my best out of the respect for the people who needed my help at the time.

If you get drafted in real into the military, does your ethos change? Or do you stay the same and do your best within your own rules of conduct to life.

I would say that some people do the former while others do the latter.

When they asked me (not techncially even asked) to moderate for them, I told them that I am an opinionated loud mouth that always speaks his mind and asked them whether they were really sure they wanted me.

They said yes please, so I did my best as myself. I told them frequently, if they didn't like how and what I did, they should let me go, and so they kept me not for my ability to read the Rules of Conduct but because my inherent conduct met their needs at the time.

If I may now be so bold and possibly offensive to change the subject and use someone else as an example, I think SilverFoot is a perfect example of what I mean about someone who has moderated forums for many years and has always made wherever he (she?) moderates a good place not because of whatever is written on a particular link but because of a blend of personality, compassion and appropriately timed punches.

I got to know SilverFoot (with me as a poster and him as a moderator) a long, long time ago at the MyUO official UO forums. They had a lot of moderators but a couple stood out for their personality, ability to talk to people, and sensitivity to what's going on. SilverFoot was one of those which I've never forgotten and that I've had the honor to run into again and again over the years.

Good moderation has nothing to do with proscribed rules of conduct just like good forums have nothing to do with proscribed rules of conduct.

Proscribed rules of conduct are there for people who have not yet learned their own inherent and civilized rules of conduct yet. Proscribed rules of conduct are there for people who have somehow gone enough years in life that now they are posting on forums and haven't learned self moderation.

But proscribed rules of conduct have nothing to do with knowing ones own rules of conduct. Knowing your own rules of conduct comes over time in different ways for every human being.

Some people are lucky and learn them through institutions--institutions such as asian martial arts classes, medieval chivalry, hindu dharma, european-style military, books, religeons, hard knocks or anywhere.

We're certainly not born with them, and they certainly don't stick to us without also developing compassion (since without the ability to understand your fellow humans rules mean nothing).

In the American Bill of Rights free speech is guaranteed. (no it does not apply to online forums) For some reason many Americans assume that we are the only country that has free speech. I'm not sure why they would think that but there is no convincing some people.


and yes, Silverone was always the best mod on the MyUO Boards. I miss those boards....