I've been on TER for a long time and had a lot of great experiences with people I've met throught the hobby.  TER's been a big part of that.

I'm also a self-confessed lover of all things internet.  The ubiquity of the medium creates an almost perfect balance between self-promotion and slander.  An educated reader can quickly find the balanced perspective in almost any situation.  Anyone who is online understands that the internet comes with "Buyer Beware" warnings.  All attempts at regulation have simply limited the vibrancy of other media.  I hope that doesn't happen here.

Lately I've seen a growing trend of admittedly controversial posts being removed from the boards.  I'm kind of wondering why?  I actually kind of enjoy the give and take in these situations and those who don't can just click on to the next thing.  I'd love to see the mods just letting the visitors work most things out.  I know sometimes posts get long and tedious, but I kind of think that's what this is for, right?  Someone who's looking for other content can simply click on to the next post.

I guess I'm wondering what others think?

I believe fervently  in free speech !

I moderate Boston, Philly, Minnesota, Dallas, and Houston.  I let most anything stand UNLESS it gives personal info,or is slanderous.   What board(s) are you on?

Fuzzy has gotten me out of trouble a few times! Not that I would ever post anything that would be problematic in nature. I mean, I don't want this post  to be in anyway construed as an admission of guilt on my part. I mean this is about Fuzzy not my past alleged wrong doings.

OFF

Related Gratuitous "To Fuzzy" Boobiage Photo

I read and participate on the Boston Board (yes, Fuzzy does indeed ROCK!), the National board, PS board, Legal Corner and Erotic Highway.  I don't recall any posts being removed with the exception of some off-topic stuff that people have posted on EW.

I admit that sometimes the National board gets a bit tedious and I lose interest in threads but really, I don't recall stuff being deleted. I'm assuming that there is a criteria for this sort of thing that the mods adhere to.

I respect Fuzzy as a First Amendment purist.  Indeed, I recently had a post pulled from the NY board for the worst of reasons -- a provider was upset by my post because she misinterpreted its meaning in a way I can only describe as bizarre.  That the mod felt compelled to play White Knight (even though he also felt that the provider had misunderstood and overreacted to my post) only made the situation worse IMO.  At least he was polite enough to PM me privately to explain what he was doing and why.

But I cant give Fuzzy my full endorsement.  
I have long been on record as objecting to posts which seek to insult a provider's physical appearance.  This happens mostly to BBW providers and some of the posts are pretty vile.  But almost of these juvenile posts are "flames" IMO and for that reason alone should be yanked.

I don't participate on any of fuzzy's boards, and certainly agree with free speech, but the out and out mean attacks and flames from the "tigers behind their aliases and keyboards" do nothing for the various boards imho.

Whatever happened to disagreeing and stating an opposing opinion without attacking the messenger?

Afterall, opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one!

where I freely admit I rarely read or post, perhaps you need to raise this with girl next door.
As for here or on the Boston board where I am more active, I generally find that the mods do a good job of letting posters sort things out.

  One exception of course is that I am a strong proponent of keeping political and religious posts on the P&R board.

  If you were to provide us some examples it would help this discussion understand where you feel that the mods were to restrictive.

-J

An uncensored board is a board full of idiots, unless it's by invite-only. The screwballs and shut-ins take over. The best people get driven out. I've been drifting away from TER just for this reason, and I know more than a couple others who feel the same way.

Free speech and controversy are what keep a discussion board vigorous, without em' its like plain oatmeal.
For the thin skinned with easily bruised egos I say fair-ye-well. We may miss your contributions but certainly not your pleas for Political Correctness and the authoritarianism that is born of such. Shame on the moderator with a myopic vision and censoring hand, as well contributors who cannot contest an opinion without ad-hominem epithets; for neither edifies nor invigorates.  
 

But as much as I hate to see outright slurs and such; I would opt for too much freedom of speech rather than not enough.

I think it was Oliver Wendle Homes who said:

The cure for too much freedom of speech is more freedom of speech.

I recently had a problem in DC.  And when I asked about it I got a bunch of PMs telling me that a lot of people thought there was a problem, but no one would do anything about it.

I think Fuzz has the right idea ...  I wish the other mods would conform more to his standard.

Self-censorship, or even pulled posts on a PRIVATE website, have zippo to do with First Amendment rights. Try not to show off your ignorance in such abundance.