I've seen so many moral-handwringers try to justify silencing people by trotting out that XKCD comic as though they were "the community" that Cueball weirdly st

I've seen so many moral-handwringers try to justify silencing people by trotting out that XKCD comic as though they were "the community" that Cueball weirdly stopped feeling like a positive hacker character for me - half the time I encounter him now it's as some apologist for "I know best" assholery. The "Moral Majority" all over again. In my experience it's hardly ever been the community showing someone the door, it's always a corporation getting cold feet over potential controversy, or some narrow-minded zealot abusing their janitorial moderator powers. Last time this happened it was the community that overwhelmingly wanted to show the zealot the door (a vote happened while the mod was away), but they couldn't - they were nice normal people and not the kind of weasels who dedicate hours of janitorial work for the chance of having veto power over others in an internet forum. Moderation and censorship can be separated - readers can be given the option to circumvent the moderation when/if they choose, or they can have the option to "unsubscribe" from the actions of moderators they disagree with. To create genuine public spaces we are going to have to find a way that doesn't assume uncorruptible integrity of moderators (the role attracts weasels). Private websites can certainly behave however they want, but they are currently standing in for our public spaces - and presenting themselves as such, which means we have none.