My futile correspondence with Blogger's staff
Please click below to read the full text of my correspondence with Blogger's staff about the issues raised in this blog.
http://letterstoblogger.blogspot.com/
If you are as vehemently opposed to censorship of ideas as I am, please write Blogger at support@blogger.com and tell them.
http://letterstoblogger.blogspot.com/
If you are as vehemently opposed to censorship of ideas as I am, please write Blogger at support@blogger.com and tell them.
posted by A at 16:37
12 Comments:
Some people seem to support the "Falg" intiative. See http://a.wholelottanothing.org/2005/09/flag_day.html
I had blogged this back on August 25, 2005, and made similar conclusions - namely that it doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you find yourself on, someone will find your blog objectionable and could flag it.
Yes, Cedric, a few people support the flag thing, because they believe it has something to do with fighting spam. In reality, the flag feature is not the reason you see fewer spam blogs these days when you hit the "next blog" button. Rather, the reason is that Blogger took some specific anti-spam actions that they explained here. The stated reason for the flag is to fight "objectionable content," which I interpret to mean ideas that tend to rock the boat a bit.
Thanks for your comment, Lawhawk. An "excess of democracry" is contrary to the interests of both conservative and liberal ruling classes. Blogging has created exactly the kind of "excess of democracry" that they have feared since the early 1970s. The struggle to curb it seems to have begun already.
Shaun: As Ross Perot used to say, "It's not about me." Over a month ago, I realized that Blogger had de-indexed my main blog. I didn't do or say anything about it then, because it didn't matter. There were thousands of blogs far better than mine out there. Then the flag thing came along, which seemed to be Blogger's way of "contracting out" the repression of individuals blogs. That's when I got involved, because it was no longer about me. It had become a political issue.
I'm concerned about the flag issue as well. I did flag one "spam" blog that Blogger missed (it showed up in my "referral" area of my blog and I wanted to investigate). However, the idea that a blogger can be "flagged" simply because he/she disagrees with the personal/political philosophy of the reader is quite a scary thing, indeed.
I'm sure Blogger has received quite a few emails on this. They've heard from me, as well...
The scariest thing about right-wing tactics, such as censorship and suppression of rights, is that it is a lot easier to join them than to oppose them. It is a lot easier, and more in keeping with “human nature,” to join the Kristallnacht mob than to fight it. When the Flag thing first came out, I found myself flagging a few ultra-right blogs that promote racism, even though I opposed the Flag idea from the beginning. But then I stopped myself, because I realized I was falling into a right-wing trap.
Hi there -
Incidentally, I don't know if you're still battling with Blogger on this, but I just wound up on your site by clicking "Next Blog" from a friend's blog. Seems you're still in their system.
Thanks, Sebastian. It seems this particular blog is now back on the system. Who said you can't fight city hall.
You know after reading you're letters to blogger, and reading the replies, it sounded and looked like you were just talking to one of those robot drones that claim to help people out on techinical support issues and at the same time claim they are "live", maybe it's just me, but it sure seemed like they were repeating themselves over and over again without adding any words that would seperate a human and a machine. Ahh, just my opinion, anyway, looks like you won, so nice job. Later
You know after reading you're e-mails to blogger and the replies they sent to you, it just struck that you were corresponding with nothing more then a robot or a system designed to answer almost every concievable question about blogger, it didn't "feel" very human like in the replies, again, it might just be, but hey, you won right ? I clicked "next blog" and poof, here you were ! good luck.
Shaun appears to have missed the point entirely. Perhaps for the benefit of such people a page printed in very large type and simple language may explain the point you are making. No wonder these restrictive practises are creeping in with blawbags like him.
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