Is Boards.ie a "safe space"?

jonnypacket · 10-06-2015 9:48pm #1

Over on Reddit, new "safe-space" rules went into effect a few hours ago. A number of popular subreddits have already been shutdown solely for the reason of protecting people's feelings. Some of the banned subreddits include
/r/fatpeoplehate
/r/HamPlanetHatred
/r/transfags

The internet highly values freedom of speech and the free market of ideas so naturally it is going crazy over these new censorship rules. The top three posts on /r/all currently are complaints over the censorship. A worrying trend has developed over the past few years where the internet is drifting towards the liberal-fascist end of the spectrum and echo chambers of over-sensitive, whiny feminists are calling the shots. Are fat people immune to criticism now?

Is Boards a "safe space" where you are guaranteed to never encounter ideas contrary to your own or (heaven forbid) get offended?

Little CuChulainn · 10-06-2015 9:49pm

Those subreddits were not simply full of disgusting people, they sought out and harassed people both on and off reddit. You can be fairly sure that they would meet a similar fate here.

Ruu · 10-06-2015 9:51pm

No we have a 'Hate jonnypacket' forum, sorry 'bout that.

Cienciano · 10-06-2015 9:51pm

They could do with getting rid of r/theredpill too.

GJAerLingus · 10-06-2015 9:52pm

I personally don`t find any part of the internet a safe place. People are completely different behind their keyboards to how you encounter them on a real life basis. The internet has clearly escalated since its introduction where it takes over, destroys and transforms some people.

jonnypacket · 10-06-2015 9:54pm

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Those subreddits were not simply full of disgusting people, they sought out and harassed people both on and off reddit. You can be fairly sure that they would meet a similar fate here.

Leftists thugs regularly disrupt UKIP meetings and shout down the speakers in an attempt to silence them. BNP members are physically and verbally harassed on a daily basis. Remember the circus surrounding Nick Griffin's appearance on a BBC panel show? Mobs of keffiyeh-clad yobs hurled eggs and abuse at him to prevent him entering the building. These actions seem to garner applause amongst Boards users. Strange that.

Carlos Orange · 10-06-2015 9:57pm

GJAerLingus wrote: »

I personally don`t find any part of the internet a safe place. People are completely different behind their keyboards to how you encounter them on a real life basis. The internet has clearly escalated since its introduction where it takes over, destroys and transforms some people.

When was the last time someone was physically hurt on the internet?

NotCominBack · 10-06-2015 9:58pm

psinno wrote: »

When was the last time someone was physically hurt on the internet?

I nearly choked on my coffee reading a post once

RDM_83 again · 10-06-2015 9:59pm

Confused about how to feel about this, I don't like have a huge fondness for censorship and I really despise the hypocrisy of the proclaiming to be enlightened and then pushing controls on what is acceptable but AFAIK some of those Reddit's were close to criminal.

GJAerLingus · 10-06-2015 9:59pm

psinno wrote: »

When was the last time someone was physically hurt on the internet?

I`m not talking about the physical aspect I`m talking about it from a mental point of view. Just think of the amount of suicides etc... that have happened due to online activity.

Little CuChulainn · 10-06-2015 10:00pm

jonnypacket wrote: »

Leftists thugs regularly disrupt UKIP meetings and shout down the speakers in an attempt to silence them. BNP members are physically and verbally harassed on a daily basis. Remember the circus surrounding Nick Griffin's appearance on a BBC panel show? Mobs of keffiyeh-clad yobs hurled eggs and abuse at him to prevent him entering the building. These actions seem to garner applause amongst Boards users. Strange that.

Why is it strange?

moc moc a moc · 10-06-2015 10:00pm

Here's a mad idea, Ted: if people don't want to get offended, maybe they should simply not visit forums named 'fatpeoplehate', 'HamPlanetHatred' or 'transfags'.

Arsemageddon · 10-06-2015 10:01pm

jonnypacket wrote: »

The internet highly values freedom of speech and the free market of ideas so naturally it is going crazy over these new censorship rules

Eh, the internet is not a sentient being (yet).

Boards.ie is interesting because it attracts posters with diverse opinions who interact with each other.

I'm sure if you wanted to you could find a specialist forum/echo chamber that allows you to unleash your fearless internet warrior skills safe in the knowledge that you don't have to be accountable in any way.

jonnypacket · 10-06-2015 10:03pm

RDM_83 again wrote: »

Confused about how to feel about this, I don't like have a huge fondness for censorship and I really despise the hypocrisy of the proclaiming to be enlightened and then pushing controls on what is acceptable but AFAIK some of those Reddit's were close to criminal.

The decision was made from a business standpoint. Advertisers don't want to be associated with a website that hosts subreddits like /r/fatpeoplehate. Money wins over free speech apparently. A bit like how Boards got rid of the Thunderdome. Slowly killing away the last remnants of the community spirit around here.

GJAerLingus wrote: »

I`m not talking about the physical aspect I`m talking about it from a mental point of view. Just think of the amount of suicides etc... that have happened due to online activity.

Give us some stats then. How many people killed themselves in 2014 because someone disagreed with them online?

Little CuChulainn · 10-06-2015 10:03pm

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Here's a mad idea, Ted: if people don't want to get offended, maybe they should simply not visit forums named 'fatpeoplehate', 'HamPlanetHatred' or 'transfags'.

Which would be fine if they kept to themselves. But they didn't. They constantly brigaded people and posts, targeted subs associated in any way with fat people (even ones about dieting and exercise), and caused issues with other websites important to Reddit. They signed their own death warrant with their need for recognition.

Stheno · 10-06-2015 10:04pm

psinno wrote: »

When was the last time someone was physically hurt on the internet?

Plenty of people have committed suicide due to internet abuse.

Personally I like boards, I find the moderators give a nice balance, and I interact with posters who I sometimes strongly disagree with, but the level of debate can be good.

Then you've the hardliners who refuse to deviate from their line, who you just ignore

Mr_Muffin · 10-06-2015 10:04pm

There are great posters on Boards (such as myself) and then there are people who just should not post at all (Everyone else).

orubiru · 10-06-2015 10:05pm

GJAerLingus wrote: »

I personally don`t find any part of the internet a safe place. People are completely different behind their keyboards to how you encounter them on a real life basis. The internet has clearly escalated since its introduction where it takes over, destroys and transforms some people.

This is exactly how I feel. If things escalate into actual physical assaults in real life or anything that disrupts a persons actual life away from the internet then that is where the line needs to be drawn and the authorities need to take action.

I'd be real embarrassed if I got upset by a twitter message that said "I hope you die fatty" and it then turned out that it was sent by some 13 year old kid using a school computer.

The fact that most internet users are anonymous and maybe not even in the same country as you should result in not taking their comments TOO seriously. Sure, go ahead and write up super long posts or play "devils advocate" in a debate but do it because you enjoy it.

Becoming emotionally invested in the words of people who may just be trolls is not healthy and it cant end well.

Turtyturd · 10-06-2015 10:06pm

Yes, it's why boards users register on reddit to carry out their abuse.

NotCominBack · 10-06-2015 10:07pm

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Here's a mad idea, Ted: if people don't want to get offended, maybe they should simply not visit forums named 'fatpeoplehate', 'HamPlanetHatred' or 'transfags'.

Is that really for people who hate Ham? Or am I being ignorant here?

jonnypacket · 10-06-2015 10:07pm

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Which would be fine if they kept to themselves. But they didn't. They constantly brigaded people and posts, targeted subs associated in any way with fat people (even ones about dieting and exercise), and caused issues with other websites important to Reddit. They signed their own death warrant with their need for recognition.

Banning the subreddit won't make the people who hold those opinions disappear. They will simply migrate to another subreddit and sh!tpost there instead. This is what the banhammer advocates and bootlickers fail to understand.

GJAerLingus · 10-06-2015 10:07pm

orubiru wrote: »

This is exactly how I feel. If things escalate into actual physical assaults in real life or anything that disrupts a persons actual life away from the internet then that is where the line needs to be drawn and the authorities need to take action.

I'd be real embarrassed if I got upset by a twitter message that said "I hope you die fatty" and it then turned out that it was sent by some 13 year old kid using a school computer.

The fact that most internet users are anonymous and maybe not even in the same country as you should result in not taking their comments TOO seriously. Sure, go ahead and write up super long posts or play "devils advocate" in a debate but do it because you enjoy it.

Becoming emotionally invested in the words of people who may just be trolls is not healthy and it cant end well.

The anonymity is what causes it really.

diusmr8a504cvk · 10-06-2015 10:07pm

Boards is quite dangerous. My friend Ms. O'Dwyer was robbed last week while browsing AH, they didn't take anything off her instead they actually stole her.

Pinch Flat · 10-06-2015 10:09pm

I'm a cyclist who pays water charges. I feel perfectly safe on here

Pinch Flat · 10-06-2015 10:11pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I'm a cyclist who pays water charges. I feel perfectly safe on here

Oh wait there's a baying mob with torches and pitch forks at my door. Scratch that

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 10-06-2015 10:13pm

"Freedom of speech" and "freedom to be a cnut to people" are not the same thing and should not be treated as such. People are entitled to their opinion, but when that's turned to hatred, then I think the game changes...

Turtyturd · 10-06-2015 10:14pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Oh wait there's a baying mob with torches and pitch forks at my door. Scratch that

Cycle on the path to escape and don't stop at traffic lights.

orubiru · 10-06-2015 10:14pm

GJAerLingus wrote: »

The anonymity is what causes it really.

Definitely. The abuse is the inevitable result of allowing people to say whatever they want without fear of suffering the consequences.

I remember Yahoo Chat as a young, drunk, and stupid lad. All I did was be mean to people. I'm not proud of it but it was easy and it was a way to indulge in blatant offensive and insulting behaviour without getting my teeth kicked in.

The correct way to deal with this is by educating people on how to deal with nasty comments or inappropriate behaviour that they encounter online.

You will NEVER silence trolls and so if we find that people are committing suicide etc due to nasty comments on forums etc then we have to attack that on 2 fronts. First by better policing of the websites in question and secondly by teaching people how to cope when faced with trolling, bullying etc.

Cold War Kid · 10-06-2015 10:15pm

Reddit is a private company too - it doesn't have to accommodate these anti-social malcontents if it doesn't want to. "Free speech" doesn't come into this.

Online bullying is still bullying - and can have terrible consequences. Stuff like "They shouldn't go online then" and "They should grow a thicker skin", while not always bad advice, is completely deflecting responsibility in the extreme cases. Not bullying would be a better idea.

Links234 · 10-06-2015 10:16pm

Reddit has a few rules, they allow pretty much anything that isn't illegal, but if posters in one subreddit set out to harrass and brigade another sub or other people, then the admins take note. It's nothing to do with hurting peoples feelings or people getting offended, there's still plenty of absolutely abhorrent subreddits up and reddit's not been made a "safe space" by any stretch of the imagination.

endacl · 10-06-2015 10:16pm

jonnypacket wrote: »

Banning the subreddit won't make the people who hold those opinions disappear. They will simply migrate to another subreddit and sh!tpost there instead. This is what the banhammer advocates and bootlickers fail to understand.

You seem quite grumpy in every thread you've posted in. Which of your favourite nasty subreddits but the dust?

10-06-2015 10:17pm

Truthfully I'm not sure. Lately on here I find mods locking threads because they felt it was being offensive to some people, which, quite a lot of the time, completely hampers a discussion. This is not just one forum, but is becoming endemic of them all.

But it seems that society is leaning towards this - feels like the world in general is moving towards the extreme PCness that you only get on places like Tumblr. Where people are afraid to offend anyone. We have to create titles for ourselves, because to not do it would would insult someone.

It gets tiring - if you say one thing, you're sexist, another thing, you're racist, where people are purposefully going out of their way to be offended.

Free speech doesn't exist anymore.

porsche959 · 10-06-2015 10:17pm

Another newly registered poster using American Tea Party type idioms and ranting about the largely fictional 'liberal-fascist censorship' on boards.

Seriously, is there a factory churning out these bots? Is there a summer school they go to in Nebraska or somewhere? I've never, in my life, heard any Irish person use the expression 'liberal-fascist'.

Cienciano · 10-06-2015 10:18pm

moc moc a moc wrote: »

Here's a mad idea, Ted: if people don't want to get offended, maybe they should simply not visit forums named 'fatpeoplehate', 'HamPlanetHatred' or 'transfags'.

Here's another idea. If you want to set up a forum to abuse people, get your own domain name and server and set up your own website

Carlos Orange · 10-06-2015 10:19pm

Stheno wrote: »

Plenty of people have committed suicide due to internet abuse.

How many? I would be surprised if more than a tiny tiny minority of suicides involved the internet. They just make better news stories.

orubiru · 10-06-2015 10:20pm

Cold War Kid wrote: »

Reddit is a private company too - it doesn't have to accommodate these anti-social malcontents if it doesn't want to. "Free speech" doesn't come into this.

Online bullying is still bullying - and can have terrible consequences. Stuff like "They shouldn't go online then" and "They should grow a thicker skin", while not always bad advice, is completely deflecting responsibility in the extreme cases. Not bullying would be a better idea.

Now, what if bullying is an inherent part of human nature? How can you eradicate something that might just be "hard wired" in some people?

I'd rather be given the tools to deal with bullying than trust society to change people in such a way that nobody ever bullies.

porsche959 · 10-06-2015 10:21pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Truthfully I'm not sure. Lately on here I find mods locking threads because they felt it was being offensive to some people, which, quite a lot of the time, completely hampers a discussion. This is not just one forum, but is becoming endemic of them all.

But it seems that society is leaning towards this - feels like the world in general is moving towards the extreme PCness that you only get on places like Tumblr. Where people are afraid to offend anyone. We have to create titles for ourselves, because to not do it would would insult someone.

It gets tiring - if you say one thing, you're sexist, another thing, you're racist, where people are purposefully going out of their way to be offended.

Free speech doesn't exist anymore.

Only thread I've seen getting closed on here in recent days was one that was speculating about rumours that a large international bank might run into financial difficulties.

Grrr those evil liberal-fascist Feminist Bankers!!! Political correctness gorn mad!!! Grrr!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Stheno · 10-06-2015 10:24pm

psinno wrote: »

How many? I would be surprised if more than a tiny tiny minority of suicides involved the internet. They just make better news stories.

I can think of four in the last few years, the last being the case this week

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/schoolboy-17-who-took-his-own-life-blackmailed-by-criminals-31291587.html

It's becoming far too common

PizzamanIRL · 10-06-2015 10:25pm

Words are just letters put together and given a definition by some organisation. You should not be offended by any of these words online.

All these features such as likes, thanks, upvotes, favourites etc. just turn people into completely different people online. They say stuff that they think will get the most likes, just to feel somewhat satisfied inside when the fact of it all is that it means absolutely nothing.

RDM_83 again · 10-06-2015 10:27pm

porsche959 wrote: »

Only thread I've seen getting closed on here in recent days was one that was speculating about rumours that a large international bank might run financial difficulties.

Grrr those evil liberal-fascist Feminist Bankers!!! Political correctness gorn mad!!! Grrr!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Bisexuality and Female Friends, now both were a bit trolly or at least had potential to be but if thats threads I've posted on that have been locked quick there must a be a good lot more.

Links234 wrote: »

Reddit has a few rules, they allow pretty much anything that isn't illegal, but if posters in one subreddit set out to harrass and brigade another sub or other people, then the admins take note. It's nothing to do with hurting peoples feelings or people getting offended, there's still plenty of absolutely abhorrent subreddits up and reddit's not been made a "safe space" by any stretch of the imagination.

But don't a lot of the Sh-t Reddit Says and the SJW (damn it I said it!) type sub reddit's brigade other subs all the time

so I presume thats not the the reason

Links234 · 10-06-2015 10:29pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Free speech doesn't exist anymore.

People really abuse the term free speech a lot, it means that a government can't prosecute you for the things you say, it doesn't mean a private company has to publish it. It also doesn't mean you're free from consequences of your speech either, someone else is free to criticise you for it. Free speech, you keep using this term, I do not think it means what you think it means.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup · 10-06-2015 10:32pm

wow big news with reddit banning those subreddits. the site has really changed, probably for the better i suppose.

*grabs popcorn and heads to 4chan and 8chan to see the fallout*

10-06-2015 10:32pm

Links234 wrote: »

People really abuse the term free speech a lot, it means that a government can't prosecute you for the things you say, it doesn't mean a private company has to publish it. It also doesn't mean you're free from consequences of your speech either, someone else is free to criticise you for it. Free speech, you keep using this term, I do not think it means what you think it means.

But I'm not specifically referencing discussions that are intended to be offensive, but are just perceived as such by skittish or uptight people. This happens quite a lot. This is when people react and completely hamper any discussion.

Carlos Orange · 10-06-2015 10:33pm

Links234 wrote: »

People really abuse the term free speech a lot, it means that a government can't prosecute you for the things you say, it doesn't mean a private company has to publish it. It also doesn't mean you're free from consequences of your speech either, someone else is free to criticise you for it. Free speech, you keep using this term, I do not think it means what you think it means.

Free speech doesn't mean the government can't prosecute you for the things you say. That is a right provided in the constitution of one country not a definition of what something means.

catallus · 10-06-2015 10:35pm

FPH2 is up and running.

Phew, I was worried about this for a few seconds!

Links234 · 10-06-2015 10:38pm

RDM_83 again wrote: »

But don't a lot of the Sh-t Reddit Says and the SJW (damn it I said it!) type sub reddit's brigade other subs all the time so I presume thats not the the reason

There's a lot of subs that link to other subs such as /r/subredditdrama and the like, but as long as they use 'no participation' links (if anyone reading is not familiar with reddit, it means you can't vote on what's linked, etc) and don't interfere with the other subs it's ok.

Users from /r/transfags however messaged users from transgender subs telling them to kill themselves, reposted their images, followed users around to other subs and were continuously downvoting them. You can understand why that's an entirely different kettle of fish, and why the admins had to take action.

Links234 · 10-06-2015 10:39pm

Deleted User wrote: »

But I'm not specifically referencing discussions that are intended to be offensive, but are just perceived as such by skittish or uptight people. This happens quite a lot. This is when people react and completely hamper any discussion.

Are you calling me fat?! :mad:

I AM OFFEEEENDED!!!!! RAWR!!!!

10-06-2015 10:41pm

Links234 wrote: »

Are you calling me fat?! :mad:

I AM OFFEEEENDED!!!!! RAWR!!!!

:pac:

But in all honesty, I've always found you to be fantastic poster, who calmly and patiently answers questions regarding transgender issues, whereas, and I'm sure you've encountered this, other people would label such questions as being offensive and ignorant. To me, reacting like this just breeds more ignorance within people.

jonnypacket · 10-06-2015 10:42pm

I must admit, I'm enjoying reading the fallout over this on Reddit and the chans. Quite amusing. The general consensus is that the censorship of fat-shaming subreddits is wrong and hypocritical when Neo-Nazi subreddits are allowed to remain active.

Over here on Boards however most are cheering on the censorship. This place is so out of touch with reality it's hilarious. It's almost like Boards users are suffering from Stockholm syndrome after becoming accustomed to dealing with over-zealous mods and stringent mulit-page charters for so long.

Yurt2 · 10-06-2015 10:43pm

A lot of stuff on Reddit pushes the boundaries, but that's the price of free speech. Bullying campaigns, identifying people in real life and doxxing, people who engage in that stuff can go to hell and Reddit are right to get rid of it. Opinions, no matter how distasteful should be protected however.

Cold War Kid · 10-06-2015 10:44pm

jonnypacket wrote: »

Over here on Boards however most are cheering on the censorship. This place is so out of touch with reality it's hilarious. It's almost like Boards users are suffering from Stockholm syndrome after becoming accustomed to dealing with over-zealous mods and stringent mulit-page charters for so long.

It's weird the way you come up with that in response to people just not liking people being viciously nasty to others who have not done anything to them, just be easy targets.

Is Boards.ie a "safe space"?

Comments