Moderators typically remove personally offensive or inflammatory posts completely. There are some cases in which only part of a post will be removed, if a moderator decides that only part of the post was inflammatory or personally offensive. RWF has trouble taking responsibility for the comments he has made that have been removed, and the penalties he has paid for the infractions he has committed. He thinks other people are responsible for his TOS violations. He apparently believes he is under the control of other people here and he insists that they are paid by the government to control him.
No offense is meant by this, but I've always imagined the mods as thinly skinned people. While some forms of expression and dialogue are unnecessary and profoundly disturbing, I dislike censorship. Like, for me, not having the freedom of speech used to be unthinkable. I know what it's like to have Constitutional Rights taken away in some extents because of military service. It's unthinkable now, to think that my speech can be edited, changed, deleted, or otherwise modified without my permission. Granted, I still have the freedom to speak it, God willing I don't get banned, but I dislike censorship. People need thicker hides on 'em. Adults use nasty flithy dirty mean language when they talk about the topics that are featured here. Sometimes a swear word is the best choice of word. I dunno. My two cents worth.
Most of the crap I have seen you or any other conspiracy theorist post on the subject is counter to my training and experience as an Air Force Fire Protection Specialist and the college-level training I took in arson investigations.
Honestly, they have go be thinly skinned people as they represent the boards and have to enfore the rules of the ToS. What's offensive to some is not offensive to others. Also, there is no "free speech" on internet forums. Which is shown in it's extreme on the Lets Roll Forums. "Post where I tell you, when I tell you, how I tell you or you are banned." Once again, it's the idea that people have "freedom of speech" on internet forums that makes it seem like you're being overly censored. There is no freedom of speech here, it's the internet. There are sports boards that don't allow you to discuss politics, and politic boards that don't allow you to talk sports. After you speak what you'd like it can also be manipulated, taken out of context, or disregarded all together. Truthers have a tendency to cherry pick and quote mine people completely out of context. I believe that is what is truly unthinkable, I would say border line disgusting. Even when those people request that truthers stop, yet the truthers persist. I agree in part to what you are saying because I am a swearing machine. My father once said, "Add swear words when you're in a hurry, talk plainly when you have time." However, the boards are not meant to be a battle ground between people, it is meant to be a platform for debate. If you're allowed to swear, cuss, and treat people in a horrible fashion no one will care about points or information. It'll be all about who can say the rudest garbage to the other. There are forms like that if you'd wish to participate. I have a few written down if you'd like to use them. ScrewLooseChange isn't really a forum but their comments section is certainly not edited.
Generally I agree with your sentiments. Private boards are not free speech zones. Being told you can't talk about X on someone's board is not censorship. OTOH starting your own board and getting is shut down because of X might be censorship. Screwloosechange is a mixed bag. Sometimes they have good information. But mostly they just spam conspiracy gossip. Their comments aren't edited that I can tell, but they are dominated by trolls from the extreme end of the right political spectrum. Think Gingrich and Bachman, with a hint of Coulter. James Randi forums are a better option. Their mods are also fair, though I expect many "truthers" will disagree. I LOLed at this: "Add swear words when you're in a hurry, talk plainly when you have time." You had an awesome dad.
As someone who's been a mod on another forum and been a member of numerous forums, it should be noted that there is no "free speech" on a Privately owned forum. It's up to the admins of said forum what they want posted on their forum. They own it, you follow their rules on their forum. It's as simple as that. If you don't like it, find another forum, or, better yet, start your own. I hear Let's Roll is a pretty free thinking forum that allows all types of dissenting opinions.
