Witch-hunt 2007
LiveJournal’s recent suspension of many comminutes and personal journals with “hot-button interests” seriously concerns me. It shows a complete lack of respect for its customers, and it is disgusting.
LiveJournal, by its own admission, suspended these people because their illegal interests might encourage people to commit illegal acts for which LiveJournal could be held accountable. Specifically, it stated that “an interest in an illegal activity must be viewed as using LiveJournal to solicit that illegal activity.” This is ridiculous.
First of all, if LiveJournal’s going to suspend people with illegal interests, they can’t just focus on some illegal interests, they have to focus on all of them.
Right now, only people with illegal sexual interests are being punished-people who list incest, rape, etc. as an interest. What about the 734 communities and users who list murder as an interest? What about the people who list killing, torture, drugs, jaywalking, speeding, and so on as an interest? Are they going to be suspended, too?
Secondly, no discretion is being used when suspending people with these so-called “hot-button interests.” There is no distinction between journals who do solicit illegal activity and those who don’t. For example, a community devoted to discussion of Lolita was suspended. Let me repeat that: a community devoted to discussion of a classic novel was suspended.
Thirdly, and most importantly, most of these suspensions are based on a moral, NOT A LEGAL, platform.
Many of the communities and journals that were suspended were fictional, or contained fiction.
In America, fiction is not illegal. Fiction about illegal things is still NOT ILLEGAL.
LiveJournal’s suspension of these communities and journals has no lawful basis. It is censorship. It is, quite simply, a witch-hunt. It does not even have the dignity to call itself what it is.
The important thing to remember here is that we don’t have to take this lying down. We shouldn’t accept it, and we won’t. Just like the exploitative corporate weasels at FanLib were given the smackdown by fans, the Warriors for Innocence (heretofore known as the Warriors of Censorship) tag-team with LiveJournal parent-company Six Apart will be fought, too.
To my knowledge, two LiveJournal communities have already been created for this purpose (innocence_jihad and whydoesljcensor).
You can change your interests, as others have, to “freedom of speech” (or whatever else you want-I have seen people simply list “free speech,” “the first amendment,” and “solidarity_against_internet_witch_hunts”) in protest.
You can call the people at Six Apart to make a complaint. (You can listen to my call here.)
Strikeout 2007 is an appalling act of censorship-an instance of imposed morality operating under a fraudulent banner of legality. BUT WE CAN FIGHT IT. Please join me in doing so.
LiveJournal, by its own admission, suspended these people because their illegal interests might encourage people to commit illegal acts for which LiveJournal could be held accountable. Specifically, it stated that “an interest in an illegal activity must be viewed as using LiveJournal to solicit that illegal activity.” This is ridiculous.
First of all, if LiveJournal’s going to suspend people with illegal interests, they can’t just focus on some illegal interests, they have to focus on all of them.
Right now, only people with illegal sexual interests are being punished-people who list incest, rape, etc. as an interest. What about the 734 communities and users who list murder as an interest? What about the people who list killing, torture, drugs, jaywalking, speeding, and so on as an interest? Are they going to be suspended, too?
Secondly, no discretion is being used when suspending people with these so-called “hot-button interests.” There is no distinction between journals who do solicit illegal activity and those who don’t. For example, a community devoted to discussion of Lolita was suspended. Let me repeat that: a community devoted to discussion of a classic novel was suspended.
Thirdly, and most importantly, most of these suspensions are based on a moral, NOT A LEGAL, platform.
Many of the communities and journals that were suspended were fictional, or contained fiction.
In America, fiction is not illegal. Fiction about illegal things is still NOT ILLEGAL.
LiveJournal’s suspension of these communities and journals has no lawful basis. It is censorship. It is, quite simply, a witch-hunt. It does not even have the dignity to call itself what it is.
The important thing to remember here is that we don’t have to take this lying down. We shouldn’t accept it, and we won’t. Just like the exploitative corporate weasels at FanLib were given the smackdown by fans, the Warriors for Innocence (heretofore known as the Warriors of Censorship) tag-team with LiveJournal parent-company Six Apart will be fought, too.
To my knowledge, two LiveJournal communities have already been created for this purpose (innocence_jihad and whydoesljcensor).
You can change your interests, as others have, to “freedom of speech” (or whatever else you want-I have seen people simply list “free speech,” “the first amendment,” and “solidarity_against_internet_witch_hunts”) in protest.
You can call the people at Six Apart to make a complaint. (You can listen to my call here.)
Strikeout 2007 is an appalling act of censorship-an instance of imposed morality operating under a fraudulent banner of legality. BUT WE CAN FIGHT IT. Please join me in doing so.