Forums & Free Speech

[Diasi]

This is the Appeal Court ruling in the Harry Miller v Humberside Police hate speech court case.

I subscribe to the Free Speech Union, who helped to fund this case, & they have covered this is more depth.

Basically the Court of Appeal have ruled that saying something generally offensive isn't an offence, it's only an offence if directed at a specific person / persons with the intent of upsetting them.

Therefore any complaint from a passer-by, or scurrilous forum member, who takes offence at what they deem to be an  offensive comment, no longer holds water.

https://bit.ly/3H1tXsj

[crabbyob]

but if a moderator on a forum felt a poster was going down The Deep or Siatico route they should have the power to delete, but perhaps not to alter...

[Diasi]

but if a moderator on a forum felt a poster was going down The Deep or Siatico route they should have the power to delete, but perhaps not to alter...

I suppose a moderator can delete or change any post they wish to.

I understand that, in years gone by, the "official" PF suffered from a few power-mad moderators who didn't like views that contradicted their own.

What this Appeal Court ruling means is that The Deep is no longer able to use the threat of reporting to the police, posts that call illegal immigrants parasites etc.

Also, should I post or retweet a limerick about gays, as did Harry Miller, this does not represent a hate crime & it's now illegal for the police to record it as such.

[Alex]

I saw this ex-policeman on TV, he knows his stuff and I'm so pleased he won his case.

[Diasi]

I saw this ex-policeman on TV, he knows his stuff and I'm so pleased he won his case.

The Free Speech Union, who supported Harry Miller, has a top Barrister who knows his stuff as well.

The non-vocal majority are starting to fight back.

[Cassandra]

The Free Speech Union, who supported Harry Miller, has a top Barrister who knows his stuff as well.

That makes a change

[klondike]

Good news indeed. It was high time all this "I am offended" rubbish got booted into the garbage can.

Mind you I'm still hedging my bets. Anybody bar Phil who I am sure is probably a trustee try typing in wеароns grаdе рrаt 

[zoony]

An earlier post mentioned mods being able to delete posts or alter content? Delete is fine but allowing alterations sounds potentially very troublesome, even dangerous so I'd not be in favour of that.

[Michael Rolls]

Nor me
Mike

[klondike]

I'm pretty much certain that any altered post is shown as having been altered. IMO a deleted post should at least remain with a note in it saying the content was deleted and why. Having stuff vanish and not knowing why drove me to distraction during the bad times. It was even the prime reason I binned the fortyone id and why I said I'd probably be joining somebody who said they'd be taking a long break during the latest episode.

I've been busy today and haven't spent much time on PF but if I notice that posts about this place vanish I won't be posting there again whatever happens. For me bad moderation is a no-no.

[zoony]

I'd go along with that providing altered messages had a clear explanation as to why. I'm more than willing to leave you to decide the parameters Mark. Just wanted to be clear.

[klondike]

The question may never arise if PF gets fixed then there will be no mods.

OTOH should this be the only PF then I'd probably like to have some just in case. I don't want to be doing what Chris has done during the last two epsidodes of trouble which is to simply get a complaint and delete a post or thread. I'll guarantee that most think did I lose a post? at some point. I know I did and although I knew the reason some had gone others were a mystery. Collateral damage? No idea.

Some sort of group decision at the time is probably best. It's my Raspberry Pi but it's not my forum is my view. Some stuff like the unfortunate need to remove the PM facility I'll just do but I will  try to reinstate that if I can do so reasonably easily.

[zoony]

As I understand it, Chris took it off because certain members were doing a Fletcher Christian on him and poaching members to boot.?

[klondike]

Yes that's what I read. I know now how he knew what was happening 

I'm doing it because of the limitations of my home hosting. I will check what it would cost to add a mailbox to my digitalham domain which should allow me to reinstate it but it could be just as cheap to go for full hosting.

[zoony]

Thank you for taking the trouble K. I wasn't aware of it costing you money and I'm happy to cough up a few quid as, I'm sure, are others..