Conference kaosws::canada

Surely I hope you didn't delete the note because of my simple

	"Derek started it"

reply.

This was not abuse aimed at Derek neither was it a racist comment.

/Mario

	The only thing worse than bigotry is censorship...Stuart, what
	we saw in that note is a reflection of a very real situation
	in Canada, hiding the problem does not make it go away.

	In the future I would suggest hiding the offending note or setting
	it NOWRITE, but please do not delete any more notes.

	A concerned noter,

	Charlie

    Please understand that notes must ...
    
    a) obey the laws of the land (with some consideration for the many
       lands that notes are available in)
    b) obey Digital's P & P
    c) obey any conference specific rules.
    
    Now, I have no problem with people discussing concepts like "Is
    nationalism as practiced in Quebec inherently racist ?" and "Is this
    kind of nationalistic process bigoted."
    
    But, if you read the rules of this conference, there is one that says
    that no one should speak badly of another.  That conference rule is
    there to meet Policy and Procedures and hence the laws of the land.
    
    I will not tolerate, as a moderator, a person calling another a racist
    or a bigot, even if you can prove that nationalsim is inherently so.
    Digital, being responsible for all that is written in notes, can 
    technically have my hide for permitting such a note in a conference
    as well as the author of the note.  This note stepped over the line.  
    Hiding a note, or setting it nowrite does NOT absolve the moderator 
    from his responsibility in ensuring that Digital's P&P is met.  Some 
    tolerance has been allowed, and will continue to be allowed, but there
    comes a point ...
    
    
    Censorship therefore is not an applicable term here, because for
    censorship to occur, you have to have freedom of speech.  Freedom
    of speech does NOT exist in Digital notes files, plain and simple.
    
    Now, if you want to start a new note on that topic, feel free to do
    so ... but ... no calling *each other* bigots and racists!  If you
    want to call each other names, please do it in a conference of your
    own creation.
    
    Deleting a note is not something that I take lightly.   I felt in this
    case that it was justified.  Notes before my warning had really gone
    too far already, and I should have dealt with them then in other means.
    But what is done is done ... and I have no regrets.
    
    Stuart
    

    That must have been some note!! :*)
    
    Just for the record, it was not my note that killed the discussion.
    
    
    							Derek.

    Somebody must have mentioned the Grand Canal.
    
    Glenn

	Although I do not agree with your stand (I think that hiding
	a note absolves the moderator of all responsibilties ie it
	cannot be seen therefore not a problem), I can understand the
	reasons behind your actions.

	However you deleted the whole topic, not just the name calling
	specific notes. I think that the topic should have been write
	locked and the name calling notes deleted or hidden.

	The greatest argument for hiding notes is this: in the event
	Digitals P&P says that A is not correct and a note is hidden because
	A is contained in said note, if A is ever allowed in the future,
	then the note can be set no hidden. When you delete, the data is
	censored forever.

	IMHO

	Charlie

	ps In this case there was a clear cut problem, but if it had not
	been so clear cut, no amount of discussion could have brought those
	notes back from the bit bucket.

Charlie,

	Hiding a note does not absolve the moderator.  Hiding a note is
	merely an interim action pending final action.  In this case the
	final action appeared clear cut and I saw no need for any interim
	action.  (Hidden notes CAN be seen by moderators and anyone who
	might choose to dump the file, and can be unhidden at the drop of
	a hat ... so things CAN come back to haunt!  There are conferences
	whose moderators have hidden notes, but the notes were still
	pulled in an investigation of complaints.)

	Understand too that while there were a few notes in that string that
	were just reasonable, the chances of the discussion flying off again
	in the wrong direction were high.  Hence the reason that I attempted
	to re-introduce the topic in a more depersonalized way.  Yes it's
	a bit more boring looked at like that, but it is MUCH more manageable
	and less likely to get anyone in trouble, moderators or noters.

	Please also understand that I don't intend to make a habit of
	deleting whole notes strings ... but I will reiterate ... Digital
	NOTES conferences are not forums for free speech.

	If you have any further comments about this, please send me mail.

	This topic is write-locked.


	Stuart