I have had some time to think about this issue for some time now as it just keeps coming back to me. So I'm going to unload it here and now just to get it off of my chest.
Well back in the June meeting, you remember that meeting, the one where the Gemma O'Donnell, Charlotte Saunders and Jim Martin tag team set the wheels in motion on me. Well just prior to Gemma's iddy biddy little motion I raised the issue on the floor, during the New Business section of the meeting, about the Web Site and whether or not we should have a North Shore policy on cleaning up our chat box since some pretty rough stuff was being posted. I suggested that we leave whatever nasty stuff was posted on the site for maybe 90 days or so and then if it was really bad we would have it removed. The procedure for removing it would be based on a North Shore policy. In this way the Web Site editor would have some clear guidelines for removing something. I thought this to be a valid new subject for debate and thought that the best place to air out the salient points would be at one or two more general memebership meetings. After all this is where much of the important stuff gets talked about, figured out and resolved in North Shore.
Well gads zuks folks. You would have thought I had stuck my finger in about a dozen eyeballs the way peoples eyes began to bulge and the way hands shot up and people rose to their feet.
Lands sakes! I was accused, without any debate mind you, just accusations, that I was trying to censor the North Shore web site. I said no, I merely brought it up for discussion to see what WE as a group thought about that subject.
Well as some of you know there was no discussion. I was an idiot, no one was going to censor the web site and that web sites like ours is the last frontier and the last bastion of free speech. So I sez fine. If that is the way you want it. OK.
And, if I remember correctly the most vocal proponent of leaving the site alone was Mike Dailey followed up in a close heat in second place was Jackie Guensler. I mean these two were almost screaming at me. So I sez again. OK.
Sooooo, what do you think I find upon my return from vacation at the end of July. Yesserrebob!! One or two postings had been removed by our web site editor because of a bunch of Stop CVS'ers were crying and bellyacking that they did'nt like the text. Well you can imagine my shock. I thought for sure Mike and Jackie and the others would write in and tell Clause to put that stuff back. I mean this is the last frontier and all! Not!
So, I guess its fair to say that if the Stop CVS'ers want to talk S _ _ T about ole Steve its quite alright but let anyone say anything playfull about Greggie or one of the Stop CVS crowd, that is where the buck stops.
I guess we should start to question whether the editor is nuetral in this situation or not. Because in the June meeting I do believe Claude sided with those who wished to leave the web site alone. Well, boys and girsls, what do you all think about this one. Yours cards and letters on this one will be appreciated. (And yes I know that there are a couple of mispelled words in here, but no time left of fix em. You'll just have to wade through it the best you can!)
By Steven D. Lange
Well back in the June meeting, you remember that meeting, the one where the Gemma O'Donnell, Charlotte Saunders and Jim Martin tag team set the wheels in motion on me. Well just prior to Gemma's iddy biddy little motion I raised the issue on the floor, during the New Business section of the meeting, about the Web Site and whether or not we should have a North Shore policy on cleaning up our chat box since some pretty rough stuff was being posted. I suggested that we leave whatever nasty stuff was posted on the site for maybe 90 days or so and then if it was really bad we would have it removed. The procedure for removing it would be based on a North Shore policy. In this way the Web Site editor would have some clear guidelines for removing something. I thought this to be a valid new subject for debate and thought that the best place to air out the salient points would be at one or two more general memebership meetings. After all this is where much of the important stuff gets talked about, figured out and resolved in North Shore.
Well gads zuks folks. You would have thought I had stuck my finger in about a dozen eyeballs the way peoples eyes began to bulge and the way hands shot up and people rose to their feet.
Lands sakes! I was accused, without any debate mind you, just accusations, that I was trying to censor the North Shore web site. I said no, I merely brought it up for discussion to see what WE as a group thought about that subject.
Well as some of you know there was no discussion. I was an idiot, no one was going to censor the web site and that web sites like ours is the last frontier and the last bastion of free speech. So I sez fine. If that is the way you want it. OK.
And, if I remember correctly the most vocal proponent of leaving the site alone was Mike Dailey followed up in a close heat in second place was Jackie Guensler. I mean these two were almost screaming at me. So I sez again. OK.
Sooooo, what do you think I find upon my return from vacation at the end of July. Yesserrebob!! One or two postings had been removed by our web site editor because of a bunch of Stop CVS'ers were crying and bellyacking that they did'nt like the text. Well you can imagine my shock. I thought for sure Mike and Jackie and the others would write in and tell Clause to put that stuff back. I mean this is the last frontier and all! Not!
So, I guess its fair to say that if the Stop CVS'ers want to talk S _ _ T about ole Steve its quite alright but let anyone say anything playfull about Greggie or one of the Stop CVS crowd, that is where the buck stops.
I guess we should start to question whether the editor is nuetral in this situation or not. Because in the June meeting I do believe Claude sided with those who wished to leave the web site alone. Well, boys and girsls, what do you all think about this one. Yours cards and letters on this one will be appreciated. (And yes I know that there are a couple of mispelled words in here, but no time left of fix em. You'll just have to wade through it the best you can!)
By Steven D. Lange
