Peacemaker7

So it seems some people were 'offended' by my Haiti story.

Throughout the history of this forum - indeed literature itself but thats too broad a sweep for here - we have prided ourselves in pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable but we have always, imo, stayed within certain boundaries that even we would frown on. You'll notice for instance that there is never any hard core sex in FM Stories.

Over the years, we've had Gay Poles, Crucified Children, real people being brutally killed in many various ways. Many people, from benny, to 13litz, to Raptor, to myself and many other have pushed the boundaries that would not be acceptable in other forums. Why? Because this is fiction.

What can and cannot be posted in this forum is something that affects us all. People will be offended by stuff we write - sometimes I actually want to offend people thats the whole point. Its called humour. Many people here will know that the first person I laugh at is myself, if you cannot laugh at yourself then you cannot laugh at anyone else.

I find it incredible that anyone - unless they are petty minded, childish people - could take any offence at most of what is written, tongue in cheek for the most part within these forums. The moderators, Raptor, Terk and Faramir are well capable of controlling their own forum and of knowing what the limits are - as are most of the other writers on here.

I can take complaints. If people feel something is OTT they only need to say so. It is childish in the extreme to go behind people's backs to complain. That though is the way of these forums so we can't do anything about that.

Does it affect you? I argue that it does. What is you write a story about Manchester United. In your opening post you kill off Alex Ferguson. Now a Manchester United fan comes along. Does he have the right to complian about this? Well yes. But the problem is not in the complaining, but in the actions taken about that complaint.

This is a thread purely to discuss the idea of censorship and the effect it could and would have on these forums, I have cleared this with Simon. Please, put your arguments sensibly and without malice, there is no need for flame wars here.

Kris

I didnt close your thread, you went about what was a legitimate complaint by several users in an offhand way imo.

I didn't even censor the original post, I merely commented that the point of "people being offended" had some merit and that we should and do (nowadays) apply one rule for all users and not your thought that only "regulars" can have a valid concern for complaint.

As a roaming mod and probably one of the few who reads the reported post part of the admin side of the board I decided to remark on what I could see as a valid reason for someone to "hit the button". You then seemed to blow it out of all proportions including calling the forums "pathetic".

In my mod hat role I try to show neutrality and raise concerns where they need to be raised. Users can take this how they want, as either constructive criticism (or praise) and address the issues themselves or the "toys out the pram" approach.

The forum and this sub forum is a collection of users, everyone has their right to their say and this includes complaint. Just because someone has been here 7 years doesnt make them any more important than someone who has been here 7 hours.

Obviously the mods all take some rational thinking and taking context into their decisions, which is why I didnt close the thread and thought just mentioning the point would be enough.

Peacemaker7

Nevertheless the issue needs to be discussed. You cannot compare something in a story with something not in a story, because within a story you are writing from a false precept that of someone who doesn't really exist.

Now of course, even within that pretext there are limitations- in all my time here I can only think of one time when I thought a story was bordering on breaching those limits and said so. In fact I closed it. I think it's a fair and valid discussion as to what those limitations are, and how it affects the rest of the forum.

It's an important issue because if we cannot write freely without fear of repercussion then this forum becomes pointless. No matter how you look at, you can argue anything into a point of offense. You could argue that if I said David Beckham was crap, that is in fact offensive. Possibly more so, David Beckham is real.

Kris

It's very rarely reprecussions unless it could be interpreted as libel or defamation of character. In which case the thread would be closed immediately.

Simply bringing an issue to attention is not the same.

mark wilson27

I dont think the story should of been closed till after the debate, as we always have been told, inniocent till proven guilty, and in my opion and probably everyone else in this forums opion this is not anything that is insulting as Terk said it is fiction and not a true representation. If you took a poll of the people in this forum Kris 99 % of them would agree and want this story reopened. Im sticking 100% with Peacemaker7

Terk

Mark, I closed the story as Peacemaker's request.

mark wilson27

Ok sorry I didnt realise

Kris

I didnt close the thread nor had any intention of doing so , PM7 requested it and Terk closed it.

That being said, you cannot just pass the fact the forum is "fiction" off as a viable argument against what people might find offensive.

Forums are a hard medium to show emotions or underlying intent, people can take even the most innocuous of posts the wrong way.

Peacemaker7

Mark I asked for the story to be closed. Clearly if some small minded people are going to complain then there is little point continuing, and hence the reason for this thread.

Kris

Sorry PM7 but Im having difficulty seeing where you can state that everyone who complained is "small minded" or "childish".

French people might be offended by your use of the word " frog" for exmaple, that isnt small minded or childish.