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

All power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absloutely. Anyone who colludes in the restriction of freedom of speech colludes in the maintainance of the status quo which accepts the oppression of individuals as necessary and right and no I am not talking about this site and events within it , I'm talking about how the world worlks. In every little way that you justify censorship by saying it is necessary, by every littel way you restrict freedom of speech you allow the greater injustice es in the world to prevail. You become part of the problem not part of the solution; once the BBC got their hands on this site I hjoped it might change bt I feared it wouldn't . It won't change folks. I know you disagree with me now but moderation and yikes buttons and censorship will still be here in six months time and a year and three years and those of you who remain will tell yourselves it's OK the greater good makes it alright, but in your hearts you know it doesn't. Censorship by whatever name is never ever, ever OK. THere will always be a reason why the censors will remain on this site however plausible the reasons given. Mark and the team need to earn a crust so no blame there. You are all free to make your own minds up - don't blame them - its the nature of the system and the system has firmly taken hold of h2g2 and it won't let go. You read it here first. Where else to go? Anywhere that believes on freedom. You'll know when you find it - treasure the moments and move on. Goodbye Mark and the team and thanks for all the fish. All power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Androyd,

If you feel you must do this, I do understand.

Please send LeKZ your email address. A lot of people there have become very fond of you.

And, wherever you land, let us know.

'k?

Thanks.

Appreciating, Understanding...

and Sorry

x x Fenny

Take care.
You have my email address; enough said.

Annie
aka AGB

See you androyd. Take it easy - hope you find the utopian dream you're looking for.

Mark

Well goodbye. I'm not allowed to swear or do or say certain things for my job, but I don't consider it censorship, and I don't consider it censorship here either.

DAMN! Awesome little statement there, but I wish you'd stay and fight!

"utopian dream?????"

What, you mean the kind of average, taken-for-granted liberties found on every other online community in existence except bbc and maybe Disney? Gimme a break.

Wow Subcom - are you *really* implying that except for us and Disney, there aren't any other sites who moderate to this level?

Can I have some of whatever it is you're on?

*fetches *

See you androyd - I hope you'll come back if h2g2 ever changes to what you want it to be - but in the mean time I guess I have to wish you bon voyage. I hope you find a pleasanty resting place...

Love, Lucinda

No, I was using hyperbole for comedic effect.

Are you really saying that the liberty seen at MOST other online communities would be a "utopian dream?"

If anyone bumps into Androyd IRL, tell him some of the old "Rupert" chat rooms are still live... Link to mine at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A521407#back3 - if he wants space to "vent" he's always welcome. That goes for anybody else here too...

I always had the impression that ACEs had a little more "insider knowledge" of what was coming up on the Guide... When they start bailing out, it gives me a baaaaaaaad feeling...

I'm still here! *waves*

Phew! I genuinely read your posting as a really cynical comment, Subcom. It might be worth thinking about using smileys, if you don't want to get misinterpreted.

I was referring to androyd's comment "censorship by whatever name is never ever, ever OK", which in the *real* world is (IMHO) a utopian dream.

I don't think censorship is a terribly good thing, but that doesn't mean I'd be happy to have h2g2 full of people swearing and being defamatory (to name but two examples of things we moderate). androyd's dream is a site where there is never any whiff of censorship, ever. I believe that's a utopian dream (though a commendable one) because at the very least, a site with absolutely no censorship couldn't avoid breaking the law by publishing illegal material.

I wasn't dissing him dream, just saying that I believe it's not realistic. I'd love to be proved wrong, but I really don't think I will be.

I'm still here too!

I don't think smileys have that much power to dispell or soften cynicism. Oh well. Maybe I should have added one to my comments that got bounced from the bottom of DNA's welcome page.

"Your opinion of world events are no longer allowed here."

Doesn't seem to work.

When did you post that?

Yeah, but contrast and compare:

"What, you mean the kind of average, taken-for-granted liberties found on every other online community in existence except bbc and maybe Disney? Gimme a break."

"What, you mean the kind of average, taken-for-granted liberties found on every other online community in existence except bbc and maybe Disney? Gimme a break. "

"What, you mean the kind of average, taken-for-granted liberties found on every other online community in existence except bbc and maybe Disney? Gimme a break. "

Same words, various smileys, totally different vibe. Not that I'm saying that using smileys suddenly makes communication perfect, but if you're being comedic but your sentence can be misread, it can help to make it more obvious that you're not being too serious...

Perhaps if the [URL Removed by moderator] message incorporated a smilie, people wouldn't find it so offensive, then...?