Why was the "Peggy Noonan" thread locked?

[glen]

http://forums3.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=600542

Maybe the MOD doesn't know who she is.
What's going on?

The thread has now been unlocked. This one is now locked; keeps things in balance that way.

AnandTech Moderator

 

[Mister T]

was a good thread

 

[OptiQ]

I know now that I'm running the risk of being banned here, but I'll say it anyway!

Perhaps, not all Americans are free to use their freedom of speech...

It also falls into the pattern of mods' handling the "profiling" issue. Here's another example.

In the Noonan thread one member said:



<< Oh and one more small point, it?s the fact that you are even in a free country in the first place that lets people like you and me post our opinions on public boards like this one. >>

To which I replied:

You maybe a little bit wrong on this one. Here's an example of a member (Keroseen) being banned for expressing the same thouhgts as you and Peggy Noonan.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=591430

I'm thinking of ways we all can help fight terrorism.

Post here if you notice anything suspicious about your neighbors. Tell us what is suspicious about them. Do they fit profile of those 9/11 hijackers? Do they do strange things?

Also, if you think of other practical ways we can help prevent terror on our soil, don't hesitate to start a new thread so that we all coul brainstorm and, maybe, come up with some good practical ideas.

It ought to be against the law to post such moronic crap as this. If this is not racist, then I need to look up the definition again. You are gone, outta here, history, etc. Don't let the door hit you in the backside on the way out.

You sir violate the laws of common sense, too bad we can't report you for that. You are clearly asking people to participate in racial profiling. We will not tolerate this crap at all.

Watchful Mod


So, I guess, not everybody is allowed to express their opinions...

 

[etech]

It should not have been locked.

The difficult question of profiling and awareness of who the terrorists are and the fact that there are still terrorists in the USA needs to be discussed and addressed.

 

[glen]

Very good thread.
I would like to see some folks argue both for and against her article.
Not talking about it is silly.
Peggy is one of the most well known writters in the english speaking world.
She may also be controversial, but heh, you wanna talk about it, or ignore it?

 

[Lucky]

wow, that was a good thread, i was just getting into it.

no comments on why it was locked either.

 

[GasX]

Locking that thread is like arguing on the internet...

Seriously, I had spent ten minutes writing a post to that thread and it didn't get posted because of the lock. Locking hugely innapropriate threads is fine. Locking actual flame free debate is absurd...

:|

 

[glen]

<--- racailly profiled, but I suck it up.

Still, it may not be a good thing just becasue I can deal with it.

In fact, every new group of emmegrants was racially profiled..Irish, Italians, etc... Not that that makes it right, ok, or even tollerable.
But, it is worthy of discussion.

 

[OptiQ]

Why was it locked? Here's the boss's explanation:


<< Considering your other thread posting Peggy Noonan's racist crap, we will NOT paste it to the top of the forum. I also think that Mr. Sweeney's list is alarmist bullshit, so I have deleted the thread.

AnandTech Moderator >>

 

[OptiQ]

I too think this is absurd to lock a flame-free thread discussing an artical by a well known and respected author. That thread should be unlocked! :|

 

[glen]

Well, if Anand wants it locked, I won't argue with him.

 

[Tauren]

<< Why was it locked? Here's the boss's explanation:


<< Considering your other thread posting Peggy Noonan's racist crap, we will NOT paste it to the top of the forum. I also think that Mr. Sweeney's list is alarmist bullshit, so I have deleted the thread.

AnandTech Moderator >>

>>




I bold faced the relevant part.

 

[etech]

I do not believe that Anand "moderated" that thread. Opti does not seem to understand that "the Boss" has a special meaning on this board.

 

[OptiQ]

<< Opti does not seem to understand that "the Boss" has a special meaning on this board. >>

You're right. I din't mean Anand. I meant AnandTech Moderator.

 

[loup garou]

OptiQ-- just to let you know, I wasn't trying to discredit her based on my opinion. I sincerely believe that piece was poorly written. Her sentences are clipped and too short. Like how I am writing now. It gets really annoying when you have to read a lengthy article written in this manner. It makes me feel like I am reading a telegram. See?

 

[glen]

Here's the boss's explanation

Saying that implies, Anand.
His title is "The Boss."

 

[maximus]

You know what is so stupid about the mods saying that is was racial profiling? This is what was said....
"Do they fit profile of those 9/11 hijackers?"
He wasn't even talking about racially profiling. When detectives search for criminals, they create a profile of their actions, contacts, and ways of life so that ordinary shmucks can recognize a potentially problematic person in their midst. Watchful Mod ought to have been more MINDFUL of what the person was actually saying.

 

[Optimus]

<< public boards >>



No - private boards. These boards are owned, maintained, and run by Anand. They are his. If he would prefer Peggy Noonan's comments not be discussed on his boards, he has every right to do so.

Your alternative? Start your own boards and discuss it there.


You do not have a "right" to post whatever you want on what is essentially private property.

 

[Russ]

<< Why was the "Peggy Noonan" thread locked? >>



Good question. Bump.

Russ, NCNE

 

[glen]

I also like "race" discussions on this board, if they are moderately constructive, for the reason that no one knows your race here except for a few folks. Even if you avitar indicates race, who knows? Maybe you just mean you are wearing a red shirt. or a silly hat

 

[maximus]

Public, private, we all know it's just a way to protect yourself from the law. But what is really going on here? This place has seen amazing growth in the past year alone and the people that come to read and discuss have become much bigger than mods or Anand himself. I am not bashing either the mods or Anand but maybe considering the vast size of the anandtech community, there should be a rethinking of some of the practices of censoring threads. Even if someone was putting blatantly racist stuff, the responses alone would be enough humiliation for a normal person to leave the website. for the most part, this is a great group of people who like to discuss issues, but the frivolousness of some of these locked threads is really getting to become overkill, especially in light of the fact that the off topic forum should be the most free area of AT and it is quickly not becoming so.