Scott Duncan
THEN Tara Duncan wrote:
Earlier today I posted a message of sorts regarding someone I don't know and will likely never meet, about being disallowed from a chat, presumably for being judged as inappropriate company. I have a personal issue with pre-crime and being restricted from participating in discussions involving truth and reality when our forums are open to, and frequented by, the very people in question.
We thought it might be fun and educational to participate in your forum and ended up feeling badly about ourselves for bad conduct not yet exhibited in your chat. It is certainly your right to restrict access to your Facebook "areas". And I for one would think twice about inviting us to a baby shower. But beyond that, you personally decided for your participants (as you said you, yourself, would have no issue with us being there) that they would be unwilling or incapable of having enlightening discourse with people (here I extrapolate) who might exhibit terseness or use bad words.
I am revisiting this for several reasons. The first is that the kind of attitude that condones censoring your own interactions, or those of your friends, your children, your next door neighbour, is toxic to allowing them to grow and develop their own thoughts and opinions. And in case you've skipped ahead to a "What about the children?" argument I'm not talking about pedophile babysitters, pictures of sex with donkeys, or any justifiable threats to their welfare already known.
The world is chock full of people who are attempting to censure your information to keep you distracted, while limiting your access to real knowledge and information. It is always curious to me when people who appear to want to transcend that restriction, pick up the ball and exhibit similar censorship of their own.
Another reason, while again acknowledging your right to limit your interaction with whomever you choose, is that your forum title implies its purpose is to "lift the veil" of ignorance or deception -- here I'm perhaps stretching the meaning as it could just as easily refer to some pornographic reference for people who like to start with headgear before they get down and dirty. Yet another reason is that you assumed we would not have the wherewithal to exhibit the behaviour of guests on your forum, and hence our conduct would be indistinguishable from being on our own.
As I said, I don't know you. And, just in case and to be clear, it was not my intention to hurt your feelings; rather to point out systemic issues even with those who state their purpose is to lift the veil of anything. Hell I don't care. Lift the veil, lower the veil, wear the veil, eat the veil. And speaking of that, I advise anyone reading this to just eat the cookie. You'll forget all about this when you're finished and everything will be fine.
People sometimes ask why I write for several months or years and then disappear entirely for prolonged periods. I think I just get frustrated after a while and wander off to pursue other opportunities. I really like writing but am beginning to suspect what I have to say is not particularly of interest.
I think I know what you (not you specifically, anyone who's reading this) really want. Humour, no content, and no big words. So for your reading pleasure I offer by separate post,
Purse Animals.