Is this Forum FAIR OR SLANTED ?...

[Britsailor]

I surf these pages fairly regularly, the forums have such a mixture of things going on that they sometimes require indepth reading and thought. The moderators seem to do a resonable job of being neutral and let the sailing community say what ever is on their mind.

I was reading the thread on the BN sailmaster thing, it was heated and interesting. A little more provocative than, where I was in the Keys stories, or how to peel 15 layers of antifouling off your bottom... Actually I raced back in those days, on a few well know yachts but I was fortunate in that I knew the owners and was invited. The 'boat hand' was some one I came to admire, he knew the yacht up side and down side. Not only did he know the yacht but there was not a manouevr he could not organise or train the newbies how to perform with out mistake... he was the ultimate professional.
I guess had I been younger I would have liked to been in his shoes... Alas I am confined to Yacht charters and sailing my little boat on the Solent.

So the thread with Mr Sailmaster was an interesting discussion.. some how it seemed to get bogged down in that all time problem, what people call people..Never understood that... my parents taught me sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you.... so weather its ****, wog,******,***,kite,muslim,raghead.... name one every one knows them...
what the heck...unless you want to hurt some one and say it to there face they are only words.... no value

Now this is the internet, freedom of speech and all that good stuff... sorry as a brit we can say what we want and to whom....i believe it is the same over there ... unless you are still running under dicator bush... we have Herr Blair.. same thing differnt disgusie.....bottom line is that Mr.camardarie was way out of line...
1. he expressed his personnel interest in the thread and his opinion, what ever happened to being neutral ???
2. he issued threats to mr sailmaster... banning for his response to another reply....what ever happened to just letting things just go and die a natural death ???
3. and after visiting his web page, it became apparent why....sorry any one who dresses in those yachtie clothes is just not taken seriously around here.. for goodness sakes,,, and after surfing his page discover he is an expert on the the 'ditch' and the east coast run ... come on do some real sailing... trans atlantic ? europe ? OHHH Great Britain ?? ( tides will confuse him)..and he runs this forum... experince and dress says heaps...

So the question is this....
Who's opinion matters ?
the one of a moderator who wants all things nice and comfortable... or the one of the clients who log on here and voice there opinions and questions about life, sailing and the state of the oceans...

Me I'm just a britsailor with no money and a little boat, ,,, no 60 ft ketch with all the works and the nice old money that comes from being born in the right place... what is it that americans call it... WASP.....over here its called LORD... but then they dont seem to have all that attitude and EGO!!


SO AM I BANNED ??

[sailortjk1]

Freedom of speech? Yes.
But a little common sence and sensitivity to others will go a long way.

Originally Posted by Britsailor

SO AM I BANNED ??

I hope so, but probably not.

[cardiacpaul]

free speech and all that, eh? matey?

well for the same reason you can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater and then whine about free speech, is the same reason I agree with Cam... That thread needed to be closed.

[doctom]

perhpas y'all need to do a little reading on the SCOTUS decision about hollerin "fire" in a theater. it has nothing to do with the words...it has to do with whether the speech has the force of action. by raising the fire alarm you compel another to evacuate the theater. your speech has force of action. a threat of violence is the same case. this is not the case with namecalling or racial epitaphs. it may lack in sensitivity but should not be censored under the guise of unprotected speech. the point is moot as obviously, this forum is not public and is privately operated therefore no one has a constitutional right to air their opinions here. but dont repeatedly misinterpret first amendment restrictions to justify silencing someone you disagree with. just admit you dont like what they have to say and wish they would shut up.

mike

[T34C]

Free Speech?? I think it is more about showing consideration of others. You can have your opinion, and have a right to voice it, but doing so at the expense of others just makes you an ASS.

I agree with tjk- and paul- in backing Cams decisions and taste.

[PBzeer]

Having not followed that thread after the first couple of posts, I went back and read what was there. While I'm all for free speech, and abhor political correctness, that doesn't mean I'm not mindful of the use of words and how they can be seen by others. Self-cenorship, if you will. It's also called consideration and respect.

While the basic topic was of interest, the use of what many feel is a pejorative term wasn't necessary for the discussion. It merely made the outcome invetiable. That the moderator had to intercede was to be expected.

Your response to the action taken, which to me, falls under forum guidelines, shows the same sense of bigotry, that you impune to the moderator. (And FYI, a WASP is not a class designation, it simply means white, anglo-saxon, protestant)

A lot has been said recently in these forums, that really have nothing to do with sailing. Probably too much, though I'm guilty of being a part of it. And though the subjects were heated, no warnings were found necessary, because they by and large, were done with some sense of decorum. Tact, decorum, civility, what ever you want to call it, should be a part of any discussion, and I for one, have no problem with the moderators action in ending a thread that had none.

[TrueBlue]

Britsailor,

Unlike some groups of people in Europe, America has little tolerance for people who make derogatory slurs toward other people who may differ in their religeous beliefs, nationality, skin color and in some cases, even social class. In our country, this is called bigotry and racism . . . actually one of the reasons our country's founding fathers escaped England's shores centuries ago.

They may be only words to you, but since most British people I know share our sensitivity, I would assume you are one of the uncultured breed of blokes. Perhaps you even belong to an Aryan white supremist group. If so, please refrain from preaching your Nazi rubbish in these forums.

[sailhog]

[quote=Britsailor]what is it that americans call it... WASP.....over here its called LORD... :[/QUOTE

Britsailor,
You're a wanker on both sides of the pond.
My condolences,
Sailhog

[cockeyedbob]

Brit, conduct yourself as if you were having tea with the Queen ... curb thy tongue knave ...

[BADG]

Cam went overboard based on personal opinion. In my opinion.

To pretend that things weren't what they were in the past is ingnorant, to bury your head in the sand and make the claim that it cannot be talked about is just guilt.

Things were different, times change and if we can't talk about it where does it leave us? If we're too afraid or guilty to talk about our past - yes even that which is truly an embarassment - where does that leave our future?

Bottom line though, this is a private forum owned by a person or company which we do not pay to utilize so if the owning party says no to this then no it is. I do not believe that it is Cam's decision to make even though he obviously has the power to lock a thread. I may be wrong though as I do not truly know how it works behind the curtain.