As you know, I am a member of a few cooking forums. The one that I recommended here has taken a decidedly unsettling turn. Last night I found an exchange with a member and their moderator, "Big Daddy's House," where a post had been censored.

Here's the disconcerting part. The mod told the member he could post the topic again, if he re-wrote it. It's bad enough to censor something, but the tactic reminded me of those American soldiers in Vietnam who were promised an end to torture if they redacted their beliefs on camera. That's about the lowest and most despicable thing I can imagine. In real life I would have chased that clownish moderator out of the bar with a pool cue! People who seek to re-fashion my country using fear deserve a quick and decisive kick in the crotch!

While not breaking forum rules, I questioned the mod on his behavior. I was even polite. Well, except for the last part where I openly admitted I'd rather be banned than live within a forum that chills debate. The mod's ultimate last gasp of contempt was a ban, and I find my reaction surprising--even for me.

As for any ban, it doesn't have any impact. As for what I said, heck, I've said worse here. But coming on the heels of the Iowa Straw Poll I can only think of people choosing up sides, and not in a good way. On one side we have people who are fed up. On the other side we have "the man behind the curtain" who steadfastly claims there is no problem. If you've ever been in a serious bar fight--and I don't mean simple pushing and shoving--you'll know that there is that period of palpable 'hush' where the center of the bar clears out a space. Oh, and if that ever happens to you and you have no dog in the fight--run!

We have now entered a period in my country where an opposing viewpoint is treason. They have now been trying to recall local Wisconsin representatives simply because the established liberals didn't get their way. And forums reflect that tactic. And so I predict a a period where the bar chooses up sides, there's a brief quiet before the storm, and then ugly TV commercials before a muddy election. Simple forums have become the 'pulse.'

Easy solution....leave. Azzholes are everywhere.

When I was an owner/admin of a historical forum of a controversial subject,skeptics were not allowed and were banned on the spot. My forum was for the believers of the existence of the subject bering discussed and it was posted on the home page that skeptics are not allowed. Why? Because it caused unnecessary issues/arguing and my site was posted as a pro site not a no site for the subject being discussed. And its an endless argument trying to sway either position. There were plenty of skeptic sites they could go to, why come to my publically posted pro site to simply cause trouble.

So for you to write an anthology on a never ending WWW forum problem means you continue to be surprised and disapointed by the average humans behavior.

This here's a great site and seems to have a reasonable tolerance for dialogue. Hope it continues and when it grows it maintains this position.

*sigh* That is truly correct.

However, there was a time when brain-dead and time wasting drivel was the sole misguided providence of drunken townies. Now our country is led by idiots who are no better.

The canary in the coal mine is forums. It is the outpouring of thoughts by the general public. As bikers we often forget that most of society simply gives in. The "go along to get along" modus operandi is practiced beyond a favorable self interest. This Biker's Lounge ought to be so big, so busy and rife with ideas that Headmaster has to buy more bandwidth. Instead we get censorship in a cooking forum.

Why? Because the very idea of a citzen--any citizen--actually using Constitutional rights is so virulent to half of our society that deviation must be crushed. Not debated, but crushed.

Here in Wisconsin we had to pass a law to reclaim Second Amendment rights defined by our Constitution as a right that "shall not be infringed." It took us ten years to repeal our helmet law. But what did citizens profess to the editorial section of our newspaper? That these suspensions of rights were a good idea. A good idea? What's next, dress codes? No biker will be allowed to ride unless his pants cuffs are bloused?

A forum by definition is an exchange of ideas. Not all people agree. Heck, you and I don't agree 100% of the time. Not only do these debates make good reading, but it provokes thought by the members. Allow a simple debate to be chilled and punished--while people applaud--and you have done more than spoil a hobbyist forum. You have set a precendent.

I like your "canary in the coal mind" analogy. Also your "go along to get along" analogy is spot on too. True brotherhood on these motorcycle forums should mean respecting and allowing others opinions even if antithesis of the majorities.

Bikers today are majoritively a water downed version of what it once was. If you don't believe me start counting all the tee shirt,short wearing sneaker harley riders morons out there....they are the majority and by a lot. The old timers have simply faded into black............

Ouch. But I see no good outcome in not demanding to be free. Even if you do not own a bike, have we become so timid that even a stray thought on a cooking forum is considered armed mutiny?

Eh, lost causes are the only thing worth fighting for anyway.

Has it been so long ago that you were attacked for simply having a true and honest shared opinion that was foreign to the posturds on what ever forum du jour that you easily forget? In a bar you would have punched them in the throat and I woulda helped you.

...well, that's modern society...

*whew*
cause I just saw something called an "Ass Clap"!!
and figured you might need re-focus on the more important things in life.
Don't let the bastards get ya.

Well, RK, I try not to waste time on ass-hats. For me this is a very important principle. And BI63 did state our case in describing our *ahem* lineage as fudds. Getting in someone's rice bowl in our day would have led to some serious blood letting. And in all of that time I never saw an arrest for protecting one's freedom, not one.

To my mind a forum is the new age corner saloon. You should not say anything in cyber-space you would not say to a guy's face in a bar. And considering the value of our freedoms, I would rank this ass-hat moderator as a little Hitler. And ya' know, I defended the guy he censored and flamed, and I never got to find out what the OP had posted. In this day and age you can truly apply the concepts first previewed in Orwell's book, "1984." By deleting an entry on a forum, you can erase the entire contribution of a forum member, a defendant, or in a more scary scenario, a citizen at the hands of his government.

Fudds? Had this moderator flamed or shouted down a fellow saloon patron for espousing an American ideal--even an unpopular one by exercising his First Amendment rights--I would have sent him to the hospital, via "old school." Some soldiers used to take the oath in defining enemies as "from without and from within," meaning domestic traitors.

If a man denies a fellow citizen of his enumerated civil rights under law then I consider that turd an enemy to us all. This clown simply hid out behind a keyboard.

BTW, guys, this is serious stuff. I had to study this act during my tenure as a credit manager. It seems that some corporation in my area got caught "redlining." More to the point, I think anyone who deliberately dabbles in this kind of infraction deserves whatever comes their way.

Enjoy reading the act:

§ 1983. Civil action for deprivation of rights.

Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer’s judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.

My opinion on yesterday's events might seem harsh, but it plays in to a pet peeve of mine. That being, there are elements of the "cyber world" that society needs to address and correct, and this needs to be done now.

I admit, with any new technology there will be problems. But the cyber world creates new problems faster than most of society can correct. For example, we now have to pass laws to keep people from texting while driving. Some idiot will assert it's a violation of free speech, but until it's resolved inattentive drivers wil continue to crash, with the potential to kill people. Just for keystrokes on a phone.

More to my point, the issue here that offends me is the sad fact that "www" is truly 'the world.' Any clown with a cheap lap-top can destroy a man, his reputation, his career and his financial safety just by typing a few paragraphs which instantly circles the globe. Conduct that would never be permitted in "the real world" only generates a shrug in the computer world. Many times I have heard the lame excuse, "Hey, don't worry about it, it's just the internet." An easy statement to make--unless it's your reputation.

A few years ago a banner advertiser with a grudge did this exact thing. An honest man who had a start-up waterstone business catering to professional knife sharpeners was a victim and lost his house by a 'cyber smear.' Nothing was done. However, if a clown in the real world would have taken a torch to a B&M store to wreck a man's business we would have all intervened.

Your conduct on the internet is never harmless fun. There is a real human being at the other end of every keyboard. And your conduct effects both the man and his position in life. The rogue moderator might only be guilty of poor judgement and foolish grab for status, but most people shrugged it off, and the moderator operates without a rein. We have to start holding cyber activity to the same standard we do in life.

Now, I was angry yesterday, and seriously thought about editing my 'rant.' I decided to leave it up, because it was my honest response. And frankly, because of the censorship, we'll never know what happened to that member due to that outcome. The power to 'erase' a man and his speech while minor in nature on that example ought to send a chill up your back.