Website censure

Posted in: Historic Old Northeast
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  • shore4
  • Respected Neighbor
  • USA
  • 48 Posts
  • Respect-O-Meter: Respected Neighbor
At the February NSNA General Membership Meeting I mentioned to Joyce Frey (she was the NSNA President) that the NSNA web site had not been updated since July 1999. She asked me on the spot if I wanted to manage the NSNA website. Since Tim Baker had moved out of the neighborhood the existing site was in fact abandoned.
Seeing the unused potential of communication and constant liaison for our Association I volunteered.
Basically it involved applying to Neighborhood Link ( this provider was selected by CONA and most of St Pete neighborhoods joined so that we could emulate each other), it involved creating some links and web pages of information , the NSNA had a place were nay our information could be stored for every body to see at any time.
This went along fine and slowly until the CVS matter came along.
The prime area of the site became the discussion area with argumentative postings the number of hits exploded and some angry frustrated folks posted some pretty nasty name calling messages.
Freedom of expression is great; unfortunately under the cover of anonymity sometimes the line was stretched and crossed.
When Steve Lange took over as President he brought up the subject of some guidelines for a censorship for the web site at a General Membership Meeting he was rebuted and no guidelines were formulated.
When the NSNA board discussed the web site no measure of censorship were suggested.
So the task of judging if a posting if not fit to be on display on our Association public website for the whole world to see is left to me. I am not a judge nor a lawyer but a layman from your neighborhood and so far I had to delete two discussions because I felt the crossed the line based on two principles:
 They were false informations.
 they were slanderous
It is a difficult task that I do not like to do and I apologize if some feel that I allow some pretty bad exchange of view. Also it is my intent not to take side and I feel that both sides are bringing constructive views and it is a great asset for our neighborhood to discuss openly the issues affecting our wonderful neighborhood. But it is a public site where ideas should be brought up in a civil and polite manner with respects to the view of other in a very similar manner than at a general membership meeting. Also I would prefer to see user name rather than anonymous postings, as it is more friendly and easier to follow.
Some important General Meetings are coming up were the leadership is going to be debated and voted on in a democratic way, so I wish that participant to this site will share information and views in a clean and respectful way.
I would appreciate your suggestions regarding this website either on this discussion notice board or e-mailed to carnould@tampabay.rr.com

Thank you

Dear Claude,
Thank you for taking on this job. Yes, it is unfortunate that it has become so difficult. You have done a good job and everyone should thank you.

Sorry for remaining anonymous but I do not want to get involved in personalities.
Since there are no standards....

In keeping with the let-it-all -hang-out against Steve but protect the likes of Greg, I offer the following insight:
Greg, Jim, Carl, Will are all rectal apertures. Arlene and Susan and of course Cynthia are all vaginal apertures. How do you like that.
Thank you

It is good to see that you have and fairly apply principles to your decisions about what is and is not fit for our web site. You have done a fine job, but I do have some questions. You previously deleted a very humorous entry that eluded to one of the board member's sexual preferences. Was it false information? Or, was it slanderous? Is there something wrong with being gay? What is the criteria you use for slander? What is the criteria for false information. Clearly, when someone was accused of being a sexual preditor that was false information. But, was it slanderous when no one believed it? Please help by clarifying these issues.
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