Censorship.............

Hello everyone,

I posted an article the other day on my sponsor section and surprisingly enough it was taken down. I re wrote the article to omit names and identities and low and behold it was still taken down...can someone explain in baby English why this has happened? This has happened quite a few times now and i think on the basis that no names are mentioned and of course no bad language is used why do I keep getting censored?

Surely this section is my section? What is the point of sponsoring a forum when my views and opinions are vetted and sliced up or just dumped? My article was satirical and funny the basis of modern society was enrich and modelled on satire and having a pop at the establishment but what’s going on here?

I don’t want to just regurgitate fish lists and wallow in self importance and pomp I want to be able to communicate with people have a chat and a laugh if viewers find what I do distasteful surely they can steer clear of Aquatic Villages sponsor page…surely the public should be the one to call the shots here…. my article on ‘The people of the mist’ was binned because a traveller might god forbid read it on irishfishkeepers and get up set…. what is this country coming to? Where s the passion…a mans individuality…

I built my business on honesty and caring for the people that took the time to talk to me. I ask everyone about what they do and the how’s life thing and if you ever need me make sure you ring type of thing. I built my business as I ranted and raved nobody censored my opinions in fact your damned if you do and damned if you don’t…nobody is loved by all the people and to be honest I don’t really care what people think about me…Aquatic Village has got soul you cannot buy that or recreate the atmosphere we can generate…you cannot imitate passion its either there or it is not…you cannot take my sponsorship then tell me to shut up and sit down…if you think that you are dealing with the wrong man!

I have sat and watched countless arguments on this society many of which should have been snipped or sliced but no nothing happened and when it came the time to have a pop at us over a broken toilet or whatever no no censorship there! Why do I sponsor this? I gave the forum a €100 gift voucher the other day when they came looking…and why? Because I want to see them do well of course and even though I’m skint I made the effort ….a week later the pull posts down saying the society could get in to trouble…..the Nazis did this kind of thing. If people don’t care to hear what I have to say or if they find me offensive then I apologise I don’t set out to offend you guys…. but taking down a funny article is the last straw…I was asked why I don’t post so much by Ian and I looked at him and said because it’s a pile of crapsky nothing ever happens and when it does it’s a joke…..the IFKS is like the EU…bloody do gooders and self motivated armchair warriors….the cancer that will slowly consume us all.

What’s wrong with blogging about life or sharing a story or blowing the whistle? Who is afraid of whom? If I have genuine issues that raise the question who has the right to interfere with the rightful process that is debate…As I said I rewrote the article left out names but it was taken down again well I for one aint impressed that’s chicken poop and we know our chicken poop don’t we…so instead of it saying Aquatic Village sponsor section it should say people that play by the rules section keep their mouths shut and play by the namby pampy rules section but keep giving us money section and if you annoy me your going into the bin section….well I just thought I would share this with you even though it will probably be binned under section 14 paragraph 33 citing this is my forum get your own one Compton rule…
Anyways happy Monday everyone…..and remember we are what we eat!

J
IAn

@Ian,

I wouldn't know anything about the removal of a post.....that is for the Forum Admin and Moderators to answer.

However, there is something that does concern me a bit.

The Forum here has nothing really to do with the Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS): they are 2 separate things, and members on here who are also happen to be ITFS members are simply no more than members of a forum.

It would be very unfair to the Society (ITFS) if forum rules are being attributed to the ITFS.

Ian

I thought your edited version was fine no body mentioned anything to me about taking it down

RE. your Post,

Marty the Tetra rep called in yesterday..........with loads of T shirts........and i said yea riggggggght.....he looked at me ....i looked at him....he looked back at me .....and i stared him right in the eye......he went snakes eyes.......but i drew first.......black marker sheet of white paper.....i scribbled Velda pinned it over the Tetra logo ......job done.....Marty went down hard he rolled kicked a bit then went still......i put away my smoking permanent marker .......i poked him dutifully with the tip of my boot just to make sure he was dead.....blood trickled from his nose....i knew then that i was one of the best....the very best....i whistled for my horse and waited 6 hours for the sun to go down so i could ride away hollywood style....Aquatic Village = boot hill for all the outlaws out there........RIP



The end!
We loved you Marty honest we loved ya!


It was I that took the Post down, I apologise for omitting to contact you via PM, it was my fault.

I received complaints re the Post, based mainly on the pointlessness of it, I really should have committed it to social and rubbish as that is really where it belonged.

I support you on most of the things that bug you and agree that censorship isn't ALWAYS acceptable but on this occasion I have to agree with one of the complainants, to quote "This thread has descended into farce - should this be the ITFS Forum?"

I have no problem with having a Laugh but when it's posted in the appropriate section.

Again, apologies for not letting you know via PM.

@ Draco, it wasn't too long ago you encouraged Moderators to " grow a pair" or words to that effect, now I find that when a pair ARE grown, that's wrong too ?

If all caution is thrown to the Wind and a modicum of common sense is thrown out of the Window, the Forum will descend into Farce, I guess most members appreciate an organised site, if posts like this were commonplace we'd be a laughing stock and the members deserve better than that.

I will leave the quoted post for members to view and form their own opinions but will remove it again in a Day or so.

No other sponsor seems to feel the need to go this kind of route so it's in the minority.

Kev.

Kev.

I'm with Ian on this one. I'm not a fan of censorship or overzealous moderation.

It stifles creativity. [If I had long hair I'd swish my head back right now.]

Excessive moderation only serves to water down the forum. Forums need personalities for people to engage with, the personality this forum has at the moment is a 1980's formal corporate personality. How the hell that happened I don't know but that's how it feels to me...

We have recently had a decent influx of new Members, Members I would imagine that come for information and facts, I doubt they want to plough through a swamp of slapstick comedy at every turn, as I said, absolutely no other Sponsor feels the need to do a Laurel and Hardy routine to engage the members of this forum.

We do have a section for all things deemed to be frivolous or Rubbish so anyone who feels the need can go there and type to their Heart's content.

Kev.

Why move it to social and rubbish what is wrote down in this section should be for Ian to decide unless there are legal issues which pose a threat to the future of the site. If it annoys or offends people we should be able to speak to Ian and have it edited if need be and as Ian already said people if people who read his posts don't like it or agree with it they don't have to read it that's just my bit is there anything in the sponsor section rules that says what they can or can't write about because to be honest I haven't had time to read them

Rules for Retailers
Sponsors must only post listing in their own sections without prices included.
Non-sponsors are not allowed to sell items through the forum outright.
Shops should be discouraged from replying to posts with "Contact me for one of those", etc and should definitely not be quoting any prices
Replies from retailers to posts in the "Wanted" section will be deleted
Retailers and members are encouraged to use the PM facilities provided for exchanging information, etc

i see both sides of the arguement here the original one was a bit litigious and hence was taken down on that reason alone as it could have left the site owner who is providing us this site out of his own pocket open for a case of slander or such, now i agree with the sentiment Ian has for this company and agree with him in principal i also have to respect the administration of the site and agree with the decision of stretnik but agree he should have notified you which he himself admits, with respect as for the 2nd edited version i saw no problem with it in fact i enjoyed it and had a good laugh... heck Ian i even pm'ed you saying so... i do not know why or whom removed the edited version, but personally i had no problem with it.. Ian we're not out to get ya even if you think we are, i do enjoy your rants and ravings which can liven up a day, but please if you are doing so in future and i hope you do just dont name names as it could end up in the worst senario with the site being shut down as i'm sure you know what these big companies are like with their teams of lawyers are like and since this isnt a subscription site where people pay to be members it wouldnt be fair on Darragh being potentially sued for something somebody wrote, heck when i was a member i remember having my knuckles rapped for naming and bad mouthing a crap lfs where the conditions the fish where kept in were dire so i know where your coming from, i was even banned from another site for recommending a non sponsor shop to someone when the site opened even though it only had 3 sponsors on the forum all of which where in dublin and this chap was in cork. so i do sympathise on that point... Ian keep the faith we do like you and the majority of us get a kick from your posts but as mods and admins we have to A) look after the site against potential libelous situations and b)react to complaints... we try not to censor at all if possible and i for one like free speech but its a 2 way street and lets face it you do like to stir it up (which i enjoy)... so on a lighter note Potential christmas present for Ian Compton is a big bowl and a wooden spoon so he can do more stirring , or chase out reps with the wooden spoon

Paul, a Sponsor doesn't gain autonomy because of it's status no more than it does the Moderators. If anyone has been having issues about the running of the Forum or the general management there of, I am unaware, I have had no Pm re the discontent of any members and I personally think the Forum has been getting better rather than worse. I don't think giving a Sponsor carte blanche on the Forum is acceptable. The reason I say this is that once the quality of the Forum lessens, it is very difficult to regain control.

I won't get much more involved in this as this will just add mileage to it.

Kev

To be honest I have to agree with Ian on this one, I don't get why some people feel the need to have a whinge and moan about one little topic? Not every topic appeals to everyone and so if I'm not interested by a topic posted on the forum I ignore it?! Why can't other people do the same? It's not that hard??

wayne

maggy88 wrote:

To be honest I have to agree with Ian on this one, I don't get why some people feel the need to have a whinge and moan about one little topic? Not every topic appeals to everyone and so if I'm not interested by a topic posted on the forum I ignore it?! Why can't other people do the same? It's not that hard??

wayne

Not hard at all Wayne, that's why I suggested the Social And Rubbish because the post was not related to anything of an Aquatic nature other than a comical bit of fabrication, if you re read my reply you will find I apologised for removing it instead of re directing it there. There is no/ was no whinging or moaning involved ANYWHERE.

Kev.

sorry kev i wasn't very clear in my post, i didn't mean you had a moan, your first post said other people complained about the pointlessness of the post, which to me is pointless in itself. i really can't understand why people get so uptight about such little things?

just my 2 cents

wayne

maggy88 wrote:

sorry kev i wasn't very clear in my post, i didn't mean you had a moan, your first post said other people complained about the pointlessness of the post, which to me is pointless in itself. i really can't understand why people get so uptight about such little things?

just my 2 cents

wayne

OK, I understand Wayne, thanks for the reply, it's a pain being slave to two masters but I doubt those who complain do so out of malice, the report to Moderator button is there for a reason and people use it when they feel the need and as Mods, we have a duty to check things out. I was involved indirectly in the removal of Names and Phone Numbers because they could have lead to Litigation but I agreed with the content and spirit of the Post, I just felt that the quoted Post was not in keeping with the Sponsors section and as a result of like-minded complaints I wrongly removed it instead of just moving it.

Kev.

I still don't understand why it should be moved to any other section it doesn't say anywhere in the rules that Ian or any other sponsor can't just have a bit of a rant or write a poem or anything to that effect am I wrong I know what Ian wrote wasn fish related and obviously would have been better suited to another section. So is that our point he can post what he did just not in aquatic village section?

200+ views on this topic today alone that must be a record

paulcavan wrote:

I still don't understand why it should be moved to any other section it doesn't say anywhere in the rules that Ian or any other sponsor can't just have a bit of a rant or write a poem or anything to that effect am I wrong I know what Ian wrote wasn fish related and obviously would have been better suited to another section. So is that our point he can post what he did just not in aquatic village section?

Yes.

Kev.

Is this about the Tetra products thread?

Its good to see a bit of life here from the sleeping monster...can i just say being into fish does not mean you must not have a personality or you must be a geek or something other than normal.I built my business on relating to people having the time to ask how they are and having a genuine interest in what they do.For years i was a people person people used to buy fish from me at 2 am in the morning and thank god a lot of the earliest guys are around still its great to see them.I have a huge collection of my own animals so i am as dedicated to fishkeeping just like you....i put my money where my mouth is so why cant i have an opinion? Why i am i seen as a monster as opposed to a guy that wastes more money than he earns on fish...if we stay in business i have plans for a 50,000 litr tropical tank for my own stuff and please god this will happen with the support of all of you out there.I keep falling out with suppliers because they dont stand up to the mark....there are parasites out there that should not be in the trade they feed off ignorance....thats not me...i am glad people are expressing their opinions on this post because it renews my faith in people not scocieties or forums but people...with passions....my passion goes beyond business i never got into this for the money i got into this because i cant help my self...i was not aloud keep fish by my father and so i kept them in a biscuit tin under my bed.In fact when i was 15 he let me build a pond.I could not believe it i can clearly remember that day as if it was yesterday....

He made me mark it out with a garden hose for his approval and it was a six foot circle....3 days later he and my mum came back from a weekend away with my brothers and sisters that circle turned into a 12 ft circle joined by an 10 ft x 2 foot channel leading to a 16 ft x 10 ft pond 4ft all round about 25,000 litres.He flipped....it was tenyears before he spoke to me again...so do not talk to me about censorship

Anyway thanks folks for logging onto my page feel free to voice your opinion and even if it hurts i take peoples views seriously and if you fancy a coffee come up its free and i will listen to your rants...ps i'm not here to have a go at the mods etc they do a great job....lets find a little bit of middle ground...so i can build a trench....

IAn

When I read your post they make me smile everytime. I can't believe what you done with the pond so funny your father must have got some shock anyway keep up the good work

Ian me ol pal this is about life.....and no one knows more about life than u kind sir....no comb your hair!

If I comb my long flowing back-to-the-70s locks too much, then it becomes too obvious that my many years on this planet are contributing to my 'thinning' on top in places (even so much that someone has mentioned 'ReGain').

Anyway, in swishing my long hair in support of creativity and freedom of speech, I have not ever found any of Ian's comments offensive or abusive. Controversial at times? well, yes. But there is nothing wrong with controversial.

In fact, if more people had been more outspoken many years ago and spoke out against the governing powers that be in the wider sense of this country, instead of "tapping the front of the cap" in worshiping 'great leaders' and and other damaging authorities (...##insert list here##....), then we would not be in half the mess that we find ourselves today.

And, if that sounds irrelevant to this thread.....well, it isn't.

We have enough trouble when Forums get attacked by abusive little trolls getting-off behind their anonymous keyboard; Ian is a well known member of the fish-keeping community, and I do feel that there is sometimes a bit of witch-hunt that goes on between some forums.

ps. I love poetry, and got where I am today by doing nothing but writing poetry in my exams.....so roll on more poetry.

Ian

Fair play to you Ian, you are the variety that is the Spice of Life, I really do wish that more like you were infused in the Tea of life so to speak.

Kev.

iano, ye cartainly made me laugh regarding your pond story .. can't believe i never heard it before

do others not have a funny fish story or two?.. just wundering because i also find here a bit too organised and professionalised at times and it apears to be the root of debates lately. i personaly would love to be able to click into recent topic's and see what to be seen both fish related and non-related (instead of going digging through catagories)... at the end of the day were all supose to be a bunch of friends having some friendly banter.

dave

Regarding being outspoken..... I am Mr Rant, check out my Social and Rubbish Threads , as of late when I look in the Mirror I expect a younger Victor Meldrew peering back at me! I find the willingness to accept what is being dished out to us as intolerable and weak, as a nation, we put up with way too much crap.

Kev.

Ian we will find middle ground i'm sure, heck even stretnik has felt the wrath of the mods recently and had a rant too but we still luv him and like you he adds variety and life to the forum, and yes Ian we luv you too ( in the mates way only ). and like davey cant believe i never heard the pond story, see you where a bold beggar then as well, but it wont take 10 years till we speak again.... is the cuppa still on offer will be up with Peter from Aquapaws on wednesday to talk to ya if your nice i'll bring the biccies

hi guys i think we have this all resolved... Ian i would like to lock this topic, but will not unless you are happy to do so, as i dont want to be viewed as a nazi... i also slightly edited your original post as it is not the LFKS or any other society who run this forum although they do use it but it is Irishfishkeepers.com, i dont want them taking the heat for the irishfishkeepers moderators decisions, i thank everyone for their opinions so far and Ian if it is agreeable with you could we end this topic now and get back to ranting about fish

Seamus