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I think you have a point if you're talking about a personal website, but I think things get a whole lot blurrier when you're dealing with places that are commun
by gherkin0 10y ago
I think you have a point if you're talking about a personal website, but I think things get a whole lot blurrier when you're dealing with places that are communities, have an ethos of free expression, or have taken on the characteristics of public forums. I think it's an oversimplification to view those solely through the private property lens.
- trowawee 10y agoIt's still private property, tho. I get that the internet has twisted up our perceptions so it seems like, say, HN is a public space. But it isn't. Somebody is paying to host this, and ultimately they get the final say about what shows up here because of that. I frequently disagree with Graham and dang. and frankly a ton of the YC folks, and if they decide, hey, the hell with this guy, he can't say we're a bunch of stuck-up overly-wealthy nincompoops on our site, that's 100% their right, and it's not censorship, because this is their website. Even if it has the characteristic of a public forum, it is not a public forum, and that distinction is meaningful.
- gherkin0 10y agoIt's still censorship, even if it's within their legal rights as owners to do it.