h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"What is a "really inflammatory post which might draw the attention of terrorists trying to decide on a suitable target" ? Do you really believe that Al Qaeda will decide on their targetting on the basis of what they read on h2g2 ?"

from what i can gather a possible scenario is more along the lines of another media source misreporting something on h2, for instance, as being the BBC publishing something inflammatory about the war. i think examples of this were given earlier in the thread.

i imagine the BBC was already considering itself a potential terrorist target. that it wants to have more control over the information that it publishes because of this i can understand.

i still don't agree with how its gone about it though. i especially think that the policy should have been discussed on h2 prior to implementation. or at least some warning given. and h2 could have set up a dedicated thread here that it stringently self moderated.

Kea, i have been following this thread from the outset (along with other threads) and have heard some very fair comments and explanations made by yourself.
Thankyou.

I thought you may be interested in this
F94020?thread=258677

Mort

I refuse to try to read the backlog....but I got the jest of the complaints.

Folks...H2G2 was not designed to be a political forum....as a matter of fact, quite the opposite. It is an informational guide. Nothing more and nothing less.(oh, and with a touch of humour to take away the blandness)

When politics get hot, it shuts down the debate...as it should.

Politics really have no place here. That is the job of political websites.

Lets' try not to get the two types confused!!!! BBC=political...very dry, H2G2=informational with humour.

NM

I would like more explanation, can we talk about the history of the country, the first war, whats been happening to the Kurds for the last 15 years and the Marsh Arabs.

If I get moderated I'll take that as a no, but I would like to be told.

The simplest thing to do is simply avoid that type of conversation altogether, isn't it?

H.

Abi, your link does NOT exist!

I wish to complain about this ludicrous and idiotic censorship regarding the discussion of the illegal Iraq Invasion in essentially "private" conversation threads. The whole idea of h2g2, communicate freely with others around the 'Net, is being flushed down the lavatory by these neo-fascist actions!

Protect this system and oppose this censorship! You Moderators/Hosts must be utterly dismayed at this action?

BW(4)

Well my inflamatory post got yanked I accused a certain corporation of behaving like a certain dictator, this is getting silly now is anyone going to explain what can and can't be said or are we going to have to lay siege to h2 towers untill we get an answer

*waves red flag*

I agree. I'd start a manifesto, but it'd probably get censored.

BW4 - Nobody can open an essentially "private" conversation with you until you put something into your personal space.

It's panic that's all, it was like that in the last Gulf War, all the BBC progs were yanked and the schedual was filled with David Dimbleby and a load of armchair generals but the public revolted when they refused to show Neighbours, after howls of outrage from every home in the nation they relented and started to show it again. The BBC are just over reacting, someone out there has a severe case of paranoia and unfortuantly they can't see how rediculas they're making everyone else look

Hi Italics any chance of an answer to post 325?

Exactly! I've been talking to a bunch from "Radio 5 Live" in a thread called "Is this ...." for months. We don't hurt anyone and if we get way over the top the Mods explain and we calm down. Our views are private, personal and normally just done in jest but in no way reflect the official position of the BBC!

We'd like to keep it that way, but by demanding we CEASE any discussion or mention the invasion it is tantamount to censorship at the request of the British government! It is in other more "earthy" language, COMPLETE B*LLOCKS!!

This is plain ridiculous, if I were to say something along the lines of: You can play Iraq in Red Alert 2, I'd be modded!

> kea
> Post: 321
>
> ... another media source misreporting something on h2 ...
> as being the BBC publishing something
> inflammatory about the war...

This, given a presumably finite moderation budget, *is* a valid reason for restraint
_______________________________________________

> Fairly Strange
> Post: 324
>
> ...H2G2 was not designed to be a political forum....
> It is an informational guide

This, in my opinion, *isn't*


The threads are intended to be 'permanent' with each and every post dated

As time passes, they might well be regarded as a dynamic time capsule recording the thoughts and feelings of a diverse range of (predominantly English speaking) people throughout the world

Gaping holes appearing at key points in our history will undermine hootoo as the resource it would otherwise be

But... at least this thread (and the many others like it) will bear testament to the fact that many of us resent censorship and/or abhor violence

And, hopefully one day soon, the hidden posts will re-emerge

Or not.

>>> So, thought for the day Ashley love- we're only bitching about the BB policy so much because h2g2 is such a great place.

As someone who has worked in newsrooms in times of crisis in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s it seems to me that the idea of grouping people together to discuss an issue in one forum is a sensible idea - it encourages debate over a wider audience and is also easier for journalists and community experts to cast an eye over any potential security breaches, trolls and inflammatory postings.

The system isn't perfect, but it is there nonetheless.

A DNA-based crisis site would be ideal, Egon pet, and there is a thread on the Hub - F94020?thread=258677 - discussing it.

Ashley

any chance italics of some clarification of issues raised in post 325?

Of course you can talk about the history of the country, the first war, the Marsh Arabs and the Kurds as long as you stick to those subjects. If discussion on these leads to the current situation, then please go to the designated free speech areas.

If you want more on the Marsh Arabs, may I recommend the Edited guide Entry penned by yours truly (A762716)

Ashley, i'm wondering if anyone knows if the removed war posts will be put back once the situation is over?