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

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No. Apparently you're Judean People's Front. Explains everything. Splitters.

We at the People's Front of Judea however heartily recommend the book "Reinventing Revolution in Mexico" edited by John Holloway of Edinburgh University. The best analysis of FZLN / EZLN theory and practice, as well as the development of the organisation in the first ten years, as well as their actions since 1994. I plan to plaster who sections of it across the net as soon as i get my copy back from Czech Republic, where i've just spent a couple of weeks reading it to people.

Interestingly i noticed that several of the Czech Airforce members i saw / met on trains and trams had amongst their military insignia badges saying quite clearly "NO LOGO". Socialism with a human face survives it would seem.

I'm in the process of tarting up the Zapatista Organisation entry.

If anyone fancies coming over and looking at what i've done to it (and if anyone has any suggestions) the origonal is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A364718
and my new and improved version at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A682085
I just need to chase up the quotes now.

Does anyone know what happened to the researcher in question?

You do not have to THREATED to limit a persons speech. All that is required is that you NOT ALLOW THEM TO SPEAK!! This is exactly what censorship is! It stops a persons view from being said... I have just been moderated, and consequently REMOVED because my entry was about alcohol, and a drinking game. The game involved drinking quickly and this is deemed 'harmful.' This is correct, I must agree that drinking quickly is harmful, yet people should be allowed to make their OWN DECISIONS. There is, sorry WAS, a warning at the bottom of my entry which stated that "this is a form of binge drinking which can lead to many serious health implications" I then mention a couple of these implications. So I wrote this entry, which I was very proud of... it was my child, so to speak, yet because the BBC do not believe that people are INTELLIGENT enough not to actually do it, they removed it.

You see, censorship/moderation/whatever you want to call it, is an insult to peoples intelligence. It implies that they are not fit to read/view/hear something. The censors/moderators must be very disturbed people. After all, they must sit for hour after hour, day after day, week after week, seeing and hearing that which we mere mortals cannot comprehend. That which would destroy us.

sorry, that should be THREATEN not THREATED...

Hi Natai,

In defense of the moderators, I have to remind you that at BBC this is a group of people who are given instructions about what things they ought to censor. Presumably their guidelines are put together by the Editors at h2g2 and the people above their heads at BBC. Now some of the Editors have been here since before the BBC clamped down, so we know they aren't the ones who enjoy limiting what we can write on h2g2.

It's not moderators or h2g2 Editors who we should direct our complaints to regarding censorship, but the nebulous BBC decision makers who give instructions to h2g2 staff and then back away without anyone really knowing who they are, without participating in h2g2 or getting to know any of us.

No amount of complaining to the moderators (and maybe even to the h2g2 Editors) will get things changed. To get things changed, we'd have to convince Ashley Highfield and people high up at BBC.

that was actually a reply to an earlier (much much earlier) comment from someone who was stating that to 'limit someones free speech you have to threaten them.' I was just trying to point out to the individual that that is not the only way that free speech can be limited. If what we say must pass through someone else our message will undoubtably be garbled before our intended audience hears it. This is also yet ANOTHER way to remove a persons free speech.

To be able to say what I want, when I want. That is all I want in life. I am aware that it is impossible, however... morons of the world have decided that we the people are not intelligent enough to hear what is said. To paraphrase Fox Mulder: "It is out there, it wants to be heard." Eventually someone will realise that it is impossible to offend someone. It really is. You can CHOOSE to take offence, but that is YOUR choice. If I tried hard enough I could take offence to absolutely EVERYTHING in the world. Every form of media, every TV show, EVERY website, etc.

But I don't. And neither do most people. There are a few who choose to take offence at every little comment that is made, and it is because of these few, who lack a sense of humour or are just plain ignorant, that the rest of the world must suffer.

That is the whole point. It is impossible to offend me, unless I DECIDE to take offence.

Natai,

You're making some interesting points there, Natai. My point was just that holding moderators personally responsible for this censorship is like yelling at cops that they should change the laws. The message has to get through to the lawmakers, because even if the cops wanted to change things, they couldn't do it without convincing the lawmakers.

I used to feel angry at the moderators and sometimes the h2g2 staff when they censored me. But I realized that complaining to them or insulting them is fruitless if they can't change things. The only result is that it creates hard feelings.

So I'm not saying that censorship is right or that I disagree with your point. Just suggesting that you aim your righteous message at the people who decide and plan the censorship in the first place, people in a position to change it. If you search for an email address for Ashley Highfield somewhere on BBC, I'm pretty sure he's still in charge of BBC New Media. Not sure if he'll respond or take any action, but you'd be adding your voice to other people who have complained about censorship on h2g2. (There have been others who emailed him directly.)

Alternatively, you could telephone the duty desk and ask to be put through to his office - they offered to do that for me last time I called, but I was seeking other info...

(A873632 )

The thought that any contribution I make to H2G2 may be used in any context the moderators may decide makes my writing concise, to the point and very, very banal.

If that isn't a lack of free speech I don't know what is.