The Guardian online has a blog segment called Comment is Free, whereby contributors write articles, and the great unwashed get to comment on them. I spend a lot of time there – it’s interesting – and I occasionally post comments myself.
There is, though, a massive problem – a bunch of fascists who call themselves the moderators. They’re not, they’re censors, pure and simple. As far as I can see, they are responsible to no-one, their decisions are entirely arbitrary and, when challenged, they are unable to justify their decisions.
Personally, having had several posts deleted today (in a blog pretty much devoted to kicking Al Fayed), when others saying much the same thing survived intact, I’ve pretty much had it with these clowns (they forget that all the posters contribute free content to their online “paper”), and I’m not prepared to waste any more time helping to fill their space – the more so since, a couple of days ago one guy directly challenged the editor to control the moderators, and was completely ignored. I protested at that, and I was ignored too.
So, until the Guardian finds the balls to impose some constraints on these dimwit censors, and teach them the meaning of free speech, they can get by without me and, judging by comments from other disenchanted people, I doubt I’m alone. Not that, of course, in their arrogance, they will care one iota…
If you’re familiar with CiF, this is my offending post that was deleted:-
@fromtheislands
“Has with Mr Al Fayed broken any UK laws? – not as far I know” (quoting a previous poster)
Damn right he has – for years this guy has made a career of driving a coach and horses through the UK’s libel and slander laws, no doubt believing that, if challenged, he has enough money to buy “justice”.
To the best of my knowledge, the royal family aren’t allowed to defend themselves at law, but I cannot, for the life of me, understand why the wealthiest of those he’s libelled and slandered over the last 10 years haven’t sued this clown into oblivion.
It’s perfectly clear from his performance at the inquest, that he hasn’t an iota of proof to support his claims (like that’s a surprise), so WHY has no-one sued? I just don’t understand it. Yes, he’s mentally ill – I don’t think any other conclusion can be drawn from his ravings – but that does NOT give him carte blanche to say whatever he likes about whomsoever he likes. Yet he’s allowed to, time, after time, after time...
And, a few minutes later there it was – gone – consigned to moderated oblivion. Comment may be free, but speech sure as hell isn’t, not in Guardian-world.