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Censorship and Signature Guidelines
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| Arbiter |
"Signature Suspended as it was deemed offensive."
It is with great resignation that I must once again bring up this tired topic. But after seeing melech_mike's signature replaced by this statement, I strongly feel the criteria for what is "deemed offensive" need to be revealed to the tranceaddict population.
I'll be honest, I didn't visit many of the links he had in his signature, so one or more of them may have been to a justifiably offensive site. But in searching through the forums, I could only find the following restrictions on signature content:
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1) Keep Nudity to a minimum (sure, there's nothing wrong with it but some people go to extremes)
2) No Images/Banners advertising other web sites - one line of text with a link is allowed. If it is a site that caters to electronica listeners then it MUST have a link to TranceAddict in it's links area.
3) If you include a list of items or a lot of text in your signature then consider changing the font size to Small from the drop down box above the editor.
4) Keep animated GIFs to a minimum
5) Thanks for reading the above - now go be creative with your sig.
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None of these guidelines have anything to do with "offensiveness" except perhaps the restriction on nudity.
I think it's pretty sad that I have to write this post, as I think it's obvious that if there are to be some standards about what content is appropriate, they ought to be public information. It is hard for me, frankly, not to think that the censorship of his sig was motivated by political disagreement, rather than any justifiable classification as offensive. |
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| JohnSmith |
I don't think it had anything to do with the content of the links he had. it was the number of them. the guidelines clearly state:
"one line of text with a link is allowed"
if i remember correctly he had four or five lines, with 2 links on each line. I suspect that even if you had this many links to fine trance sites that had linked to TA, your sig would still have been suspended.
that brings into question the line:
"Signature Suspended as it was deemed offensive."
because it sounds like it means, the content of the sig was morally offensive", when maybe what it should say is "the content of the sig was in violation of the rules"? |
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| Arbiter |
| quote: | Originally posted by JohnSmith
I don't think it had anything to do with the content of the links he had. it was the number of them. the guidelines clearly state:
"one line of text with a link is allowed"
if i remember correctly he had four or five lines, with 2 links on each line. I suspect that even if you had this many links to fine trance sites that had linked to TA, your sig would still have been suspended.
that brings into question the line:
"Signature Suspended as it was deemed offensive."
because it sounds like it means, the content of the sig was morally offensive", when maybe what it should say is "the content of the sig was in violation of the rules"? |
Yes I was wondering about that as well. I think the problem is that the rule "one line of text with a link is allowed" is a bit vague. It was included as part of the rule that said "No Images/Banners advertising other web site", which doesn't really explain whether something that doesn't fit either category is allowed.
In any case, the line justifying the signature suspension was what really bothered me, as it seemed to imply a sort of moral authoritarianism that I don't think ought to be a part of the tranceaddict community. |
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| JohnSmith |
I agree, the language is misleading.
however, i think the rules are clear. for links, one line of text, no banners or images as links to other sites.
his signature was a violation of that, and so it was suspended. |
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| Izzy |
| Arbiter, speaking of sigs, when are we going to have the chance to read your new book? :) |
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| TranceGiant |
Excellent posts, Arbiter. I wholeheartedly agree.
I knew most of melech_mike's links and can assure that no "deemed offensive" material whatsoever was published there. It's rather the admittedly provocative statements that had the moderators immediately jump like frightened kittens and ban that sig.
But okay, after seeing their treatment of his posts in comparison with their tolerance of many, much more "offensive" posts by the "other fraction", this initiative doesn't surprise me a bit. Just disappoints.
Oh speaking of signatures, what's up with yours? If i may ask?What kind of work is it you wrote and why?
Fancy sharing some excerpts ? :thepirate |
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| Arbiter |
| quote: | Originally posted by TranceGiant
Oh speaking of signatures, what's up with yours? If i may ask?`What kind of work is it you wrote and why?
Fancy sharing some excerpts with us ? :thepirate |
It's a paper of about 10,000 words which tries to analyze the properties that God would have (assuming his existence) by reverse engineering them from principles of nature, the world, etc... and ultimately concludes that he is as much evil as he is good, and that the reasonable assumption would then be that God and the Devil are actually the same being.
I wrote it in my free time, in hopes that I might get it published at some point. Since I'm trying to make some money off of it, I don't want to put much of the text online before I even get a publishing deal for that matter, but I might put up a page or so's worth of it at some point.
The major problem I've been having in looking for a good way to get it published is that it would be a very short book, but a very long paper. Anyway, if I can't find a good publisher, I'll just end up publishing it myself online for free. Of course, I'm not totally satisfied with it yet, and am mainly just testing the waters. In any case, thanks for your interest. :) |
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| ferrycorstenfan |
maybe the line could be changed something like
'Racist comments removed from signature' so we can see how stupid they really are, no room for that in a multicultural community like ta |
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| melech_mike |
Thanks for Bringing this issue up Arbiter!!!
I've been trying to sort out this issue with the mods since my sig first got suspended.
I have also been wondering what offencive material was so bad that it had to be suspended!
I've been trying to get answers but none of the mods seem to be answering any of my PM's regarding the issue!
I have carfully reviewed all the content on all the links i have put up, and i cant find anything that is out of line.
When i told that my remarks may have been taken racistly, i got 2 warnings and was told not to let a third happen. this is when i was extra careful not to say anything that may be seen as racist.
Yet, my account was suspended with no one telling me where my third strike was, or how long my account was suspended for.
I tried to contact wicked_neo countless times with no luck of getting a reply.
I finally bumped into Swamper on DC and asked him what was happening with my account. He immediately reactivated my account for me.
So to this day i havent gotten a reply from Wicked_neo who i feel should have his MOD privlages suspended for not taking his responsibilities seriously. You cannot moderate the forums if your gonna just make rash decisions without justifying your actions!
Which MOD keeps suspending my Sig, and for what reason!?
Whoever it is, your leaving a message that says "signature suspended b/c it was deemed offencive".
Whos offended by it?? Why are they Offended by it?
Is there anything in the threads that is not true?
Anything that insites hate, propaganda, lies???
Justify your actions!
JohnSmith wrote:
| quote: | | I don't think it had anything to do with the content of the links he had. it was the number of them. |
| quote: | | his signature was a violation of that, and so it was suspended. |
So why didn't they say that. why are you trying to justify the MODs actions by bringing up rules that had nothing to do with the suspention. i thought you were a bright guy, you should have been able to comprehend what "signature suspended b/c it was deemed offencive" means.
Dont pull outta your ass, your not a magician and there was no reason for you to have agrued for the MOD and his bias actions. What was done was not because there was anything offencive in any of the threads, but because parts of the real picture were shown in some of those links, and as we established b4, the truth hurts!
This is why i feel a certain MOD keeps suspending my sig.
ferrycorstenfan wrote:
| quote: | maybe the line could be changed something like
'Racist comments removed from signature' so we can see how stupid they really are, no room for that in a multicultural community like ta |
Please indicate to me what you found to be offencive material!
I dont want TA to turn itself into a bias community. My Opinions should not be banned because they tell the side some of you dont want others to hear. MOD's should be held accountable for their actions, and inactions! |
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| JohnSmith |
| quote: | Originally posted by melech_mike
So why didn't they say that. why are you trying to justify the MODs actions by bringing up rules that had nothing to do with the suspention. i thought you were a bright guy, you should have been able to comprehend what "signature suspended b/c it was deemed offencive" means.
Dont pull outta your ass, your not a magician and there was no reason for you to have agrued for the MOD and his bias actions. |
I believe the problem is a standardized text for replacing sigs. if you'd read my post then you'd have seen that's what i thought. your sig was suspended not because of the content, but the NUMBER of links.
the sig rules clearly state:
2) No Images/Banners advertising other web sites - one line of text with a link is allowed. If it is a site that caters to electronica listeners then it MUST have a link to TranceAddict in it's links area.
I see you sig has been reinstated, and you have links to other sites, but more than one line of text with a link. that is the issue.
furthermore the rules state:
3) If you include a list of items or a lot of text in your signature then consider changing the font size to Small from the drop down box above the editor.
you have a list of items, and did not make the font smaller. (my sig is only one line, and i made it smaller, for the consideration of others)
therefore your sig is in violation of the rules, and was removed. your suspension for posting racist material is a seperate issue i suppose, i was unaware of that until you posted. |
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| Arbiter |
| quote: | Originally posted by JohnSmith
I believe the problem is a standardized text for replacing sigs. if you'd read my post then you'd have seen that's what i thought. your sig was suspended not because of the content, but the NUMBER of links.
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I'm pretty sure it isn't standardized. I've seen a great variety of explanations - "sig is too large, please resize", "please change your sig, it is 3 times the limit", etc.
"Signature suspended as it was deemed offensive" seems to come up a lot, but I'm not sure that it is any sort of automated message.
Any mods care to clear this up? |
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| melech_mike |
| quote: | | you have a list of items, and did not make the font smaller. (my sig is only one line, and i made it smaller, for the consideration of others) |
I'm sorry if my font was too large for you... i dont have a problem loading pages and it didn't come to mind that some might still be riding on a 14k modem.
I will reduce my font to cater to your desires Johnny boy! |
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