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Anne 1Kdays, still interested in squashing BBC restrictions?

Post 1

Deidzoeb

[Hope you don't consider this to be unwanted spam, but it seemed like the best way to contact Zaphodistas directly. If you've already signed the Petition, please consider this a THANK YOU note.]

In a recent column in the h2g2 Post, Fragilis noted that the Petition for Greater Freedom had collected 76 signatures, and appeared to be slowing down. Where are the 178+ researchers who signed the original Zaphodista page?

If you felt compelled to sign that first rant in order to show BBC how you feel, please draw your attention to http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A544943 and consider signing this petition. It's toned down, it's serious, it bears a little more credibility because it was written and sorta "workshopped" by some non-Zaphodistas too (especially Lucinda/MyRedDice, the unwilling Thomas Jefferson of the Zaphodistas!). We even asked Peta for advice on how we might modify and finally present the petition, and she gave it!

Signing the Petition for Greater Freedom on h2g2 is the best way to show BBC how many people still oppose their extraordinary restrictions. This time, it's not about the Goo Berets or the Revolution. It's about the restrictions.

Thanks for your time,
Deidzoeb


Anne 1Kdays, still interested in squashing BBC restrictions?

Post 2

Anne of a Thousand Days

So in the interim since I signed up....what has happened? I am still seeing folks drop off like flies in a Bug Spray plant....and the rules and the anal retentives that invoke them seem more numerous than ever...what do we need to do to make this better?


Anne 1Kdays, still interested in squashing BBC restrictions?

Post 3

Deidzoeb

I'm still having trouble mobilizing the troops to sign the petition (180 signatures on the Zaphodistas page, only 96 on the petition). I think it helps to advertise the petition by mentioning it in my nickname, just something like "petition A544943" and there are a few others that are helping that way.

What has happened meanwhile? There was a very active woman by the name of "Arpeggio" or "LeKZ" who was given a lifetime suspension for repeatedly posting offensive/insulting posts. She made a lot of friends, and some of them feel she was not treated fairly. About five or six people have quit for a week or so in protest. [For more info, see the "Lifetime suspension" thread on the Community Soapbox.]

Otherwise, the rules have been just as restrictive as usual. The latest silly thing I've noticed is that moderators are told to pull down a full guide entry or personal space if there is a broken link on it, yet links found to be offensive are simply shown as "[removed by moderator]." It seems to me like a heavier punishment against broken links than against offensive links. But supposedly the links are not saved when moderators write over them, so some researchers would not be able to find their broken link again.

I don't know what else to do at this point. I'd like to give the petition a little more time, see if we hear any response to it, but I'm not sure what the next step should be. Some heavier protest? After this minimal turnout on the petition, I doubt I could persuade a significant number of researchers to boycott h2g2 for any length of time.

Any suggestions?


Anne 1Kdays, still interested in squashing BBC restrictions?

Post 4

Anne of a Thousand Days

To be honest...I am becoming less and less entranced with H2G2 and it's inhabitants. I started to enjoy many great communications with folks from all over the world.....but now, most that I knew and enjoyed are gone or moved to another location. I think part of this was due to the downtime, part was the fact that the new draconian rules have stifled some level of creativity....and to be honest, this Lekz incident left me questioning the mental and emotional well-being of those East of the Atlantic Ocean.
I think the ACE system creates an inner circle that causes these walls of seperation instead of bringing people together. At one point recently, I started to think that the ACES were on a "Lord of the Flies" mindset, attempting to control others when they themselves were out of control. And if I reach the point where I need a 12 year old to give me advice on writing or lifestyle choices...I am in trouble indeed. Forgive my brutal honesty, and YES, I expect this to be edited!


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