Over the last few months there has been a common complaint heard in nearly all the forums. The issue is mainly to do with freedom of speech, but this is personified mostly in statements from older members of:
“I can’t post things today that I could post back in the old days”
and from newer members of
"Why can't I discuss controversial subjects without the mods stepping in?"
Recent examples, including flag burning and the Mohammed cartoons, have caused numerous debates and arguments within the Suggestus and staff. Nihil once stated something to the effect of
“This administration is attempting to shield the eyes of its members from the realities of the outside world, Hex is like an overprotective mother".
Garb also stated something relevant –
“In a perfect world we would not have to moderate these things, but, this isn’t a perfect world”.
The problem is that two years ago the community was smaller and in many respects more mature; the average age of our members has gone down as CA has targeted a larger audience and as a result we have had to adapt. Add to that the broadening of the cultural base of members and the result has been that there is no way we can allow total freedom of speech within the forums, a conclusion Hex has made with a heavy heart.
However, along come the reforms which, as well as changing the government of the site, have also focussed Hex's attention on the civitates. To put it bluntly we have been pleasantly surprised at the mature way in which the Civitates body has responded to the reforms, the level and standard of debate the reforms produced was uniformly very high.
Therefore we have taken the decision that since the Civitates have proved that they are truly worthy of their badges, they should be given far more freedom to debate and discuss than non-civitates.
We are therefore implementing the following:
- From this point onward the Symposium is moderated by Hex only.
- Questionable content is to be allowed, provided it is within an educational and informative context.
- You may aggressively debate with people in here, but the emphasis is on debate, flaming is still illegal
- No adult content, as always this is and always was a PG 13 site.
Please understand there will not be hard and detailed rules, moderating in here will be viewed as an art and that is why only the most experienced moderators will be active in here. We trust you to post intelligently and maturely, to be controversial and aggresive even, but to have enough sense not to cross the line.
For a month we will trial this so we can see how the Symposium reacts and takes form and during that month we will between us establish the code of conduct. After that time the future of this project and the Symposiums will be re- evaluated.
Thank you and may this be the first step in making us all feel at home again