6 ms·

Okay, I think they do. They've censored my comments many times.

pvg 8y ago
They have? Which ones?
yesenadam 8y ago
You said 'arbitrarily censored'. Of course you don't think it was for a good reason. My comments are never downvoted for any good reason. :-) In my limited experience, people develop that evil-conspiracy tone you have by assuming it's what they said that wasn't wanted here, not how they said it, which is usually the problem. I'd like to see examples of that. Well, like is too strong. But provide evidence for your claim please, if you can. P.s. So why on earth are you still here on a forum where your comments have been censored many times?!
- comesee 8y ago
  I'm respectful and polite in this forum. I've been blocked simply for saying things with which some largish group of down voters don't agree. I am trying to leave this site but boredom always pulls me back :) That and I really do like to browse the posts and comment, engage with, and challenge people. Here's one such arbitrarily blocked comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17517643 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17517643 You can't read it but I screenshotted it for you. Dang calls me a troll simply for asking him to clarify and tells me to leave the site. "Legalistic Gambit of the troll," as if I'm trying to win some game. All I want is to be treated fairly on this site. It was very hurtful. https://ibb.co/hoSMHK https://ibb.co/hoSMHK
  - DoreenMichele 8y ago
    That comment was flagged to death. Members can flag. Blaming the mods suggests that, at best, you don't actually understand how the forum works.
    - comesee 8y ago
      Admittedly I'm not an expert on the censorship rules of the site but I was under the impression that the mods had the ability to unflag comments. It was never made clear to me why that comment was flagged or why it was considered "flamebait" and that's why I consider HN's censorship rules arbitrary. There was nothing rude or personally antagonistic or unscientific about that post.
      - DoreenMichele 8y ago
        Insisting over and over that you are not being offensive while people keep repeating their disagreement with the idea by downvoting and/or flagging your comments suggests your social skills could use some polish. You are entitled to your opinions, but you do not get to unilaterally determine what others do or do not find offensive. That's not how the universe works.
        comesee 8y ago
        Hey, no need to insult my social skills. I get that maybe the content of my post offends some people but it is scientific fact. There's a difference between being intentionally rude / antagonistic, and civilly presenting data that some people find offensive. Just because people find the data offensive, that shouldn't be cause to censor the data on a forum for civil discussion, should it?
        DoreenMichele 8y ago
        The data isn't being censored. Flamebait actively undermines civility and that's all the mods were trying to address. There are ways to make similar points without it being flamebait. If you really feel it is important to discuss such things, you could work on improving your framing and diplomacy instead of continuing to complain about the incident two months later in an unrelated discussion. There's also no intent to insult your social skills. But the reality is there are only two reasonable ways to interpret your behavior here: 1. Either you legitimately are failing to understand. (There can be myriad reasons for that. Disability is not the only possible reason.) 2. You actually are a troll. The first is the more charitable interpretation and the one I am most prone to because I raised two special needs sons. So I default to assuming someone honestly doesn't understand for some reason because I've dealt with that a lot in life. It sometimes gets me into social hot water when I am sincerely trying to be helpful. Like now.
  - pvg 8y ago
    These comments were flagged by users and they can be seen. And you seem to want to engage in a 'debate' that is offtopic for the site. The mods are telling you you can't. Users, with their votes and flags, are telling you the same thing.
    - comesee 8y ago
      Those comments cannot be seen, they are marked as "[flagged]" if you browse with cookies off, at least. I disagree that it was off topic, it was directly related to the post I was replying to. I understand that people might disagree with the content of the post but that shouldn't be cause to censor it on a forum for civil discussion, should it?
      - pvg 8y ago
        It's not civil if the rules are repeatedly pointed out to you and you choose to disregard them. It's the opposite of civil. The comments can be seen by logged-in users who have 'show dead' turned on. But we started at 'moderators censor comments'. Which they generally don't and haven't in your case. That's all.
        comesee 8y ago
        Fair but they effectively did censor my comment if they didn't honor my request to unflag it. In any case, do you think that comment should have been censored? If so, why?
        pvg 8y ago
        The flagging was done by users because the comment violates the site guidelines. The moderators didn't 'unflag' it because they they agreed with the users flagging the comment that it violates the site guidelines.

pvg 8y ago

They have? Which ones?

You said 'arbitrarily censored'. Of course you don't think it was for a good reason. My comments are never downvoted for any good reason. :-) In my limited experience, people develop that evil-conspiracy tone you have by assuming it's what they said that wasn't wanted here, not how they said it, which is usually the problem. I'd like to see examples of that. Well, like is too strong. But provide evidence for your claim please, if you can. P.s. So why on earth are you still here on a forum where your comments have been censored many times?!

comesee 8y ago
I'm respectful and polite in this forum. I've been blocked simply for saying things with which some largish group of down voters don't agree. I am trying to leave this site but boredom always pulls me back :) That and I really do like to browse the posts and comment, engage with, and challenge people. Here's one such arbitrarily blocked comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17517643 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17517643 You can't read it but I screenshotted it for you. Dang calls me a troll simply for asking him to clarify and tells me to leave the site. "Legalistic Gambit of the troll," as if I'm trying to win some game. All I want is to be treated fairly on this site. It was very hurtful. https://ibb.co/hoSMHK https://ibb.co/hoSMHK
- DoreenMichele 8y ago
  That comment was flagged to death. Members can flag. Blaming the mods suggests that, at best, you don't actually understand how the forum works.
  - comesee 8y ago
    Admittedly I'm not an expert on the censorship rules of the site but I was under the impression that the mods had the ability to unflag comments. It was never made clear to me why that comment was flagged or why it was considered "flamebait" and that's why I consider HN's censorship rules arbitrary. There was nothing rude or personally antagonistic or unscientific about that post.
    - DoreenMichele 8y ago
      Insisting over and over that you are not being offensive while people keep repeating their disagreement with the idea by downvoting and/or flagging your comments suggests your social skills could use some polish. You are entitled to your opinions, but you do not get to unilaterally determine what others do or do not find offensive. That's not how the universe works.
      - comesee 8y ago
        Hey, no need to insult my social skills. I get that maybe the content of my post offends some people but it is scientific fact. There's a difference between being intentionally rude / antagonistic, and civilly presenting data that some people find offensive. Just because people find the data offensive, that shouldn't be cause to censor the data on a forum for civil discussion, should it?
        DoreenMichele 8y ago
        The data isn't being censored. Flamebait actively undermines civility and that's all the mods were trying to address. There are ways to make similar points without it being flamebait. If you really feel it is important to discuss such things, you could work on improving your framing and diplomacy instead of continuing to complain about the incident two months later in an unrelated discussion. There's also no intent to insult your social skills. But the reality is there are only two reasonable ways to interpret your behavior here: 1. Either you legitimately are failing to understand. (There can be myriad reasons for that. Disability is not the only possible reason.) 2. You actually are a troll. The first is the more charitable interpretation and the one I am most prone to because I raised two special needs sons. So I default to assuming someone honestly doesn't understand for some reason because I've dealt with that a lot in life. It sometimes gets me into social hot water when I am sincerely trying to be helpful. Like now.
- pvg 8y ago
  These comments were flagged by users and they can be seen. And you seem to want to engage in a 'debate' that is offtopic for the site. The mods are telling you you can't. Users, with their votes and flags, are telling you the same thing.
  - comesee 8y ago
    Those comments cannot be seen, they are marked as "[flagged]" if you browse with cookies off, at least. I disagree that it was off topic, it was directly related to the post I was replying to. I understand that people might disagree with the content of the post but that shouldn't be cause to censor it on a forum for civil discussion, should it?
    - pvg 8y ago
      It's not civil if the rules are repeatedly pointed out to you and you choose to disregard them. It's the opposite of civil. The comments can be seen by logged-in users who have 'show dead' turned on. But we started at 'moderators censor comments'. Which they generally don't and haven't in your case. That's all.
      - comesee 8y ago
        Fair but they effectively did censor my comment if they didn't honor my request to unflag it. In any case, do you think that comment should have been censored? If so, why?
        pvg 8y ago
        The flagging was done by users because the comment violates the site guidelines. The moderators didn't 'unflag' it because they they agreed with the users flagging the comment that it violates the site guidelines.