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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Future of online fora
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2025 12:05:26 -0500
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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On 4/3/2025 10:29 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
> On 4/3/2025 11:03 AM, AMuzi wrote:
>> On 4/3/2025 9:54 AM, John B. wrote:
>>> On Thu, 3 Apr 2025 09:12:46 -0500, AMuzi 
>>> <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The forum LFGSS (London Fixed Gear and Single Speed) is
>>>> among the early casualties of The Planners in the UK nanny
>>>> state.  Under the well invoked principle, "Everyone ought
>>>> to, because I say so", newly enacted internet regulation
>>>> makes online providers fully responsible for online content
>>>> including purported crimes of "revenge [whether personal or
>>>> by class], extreme pornography, sex trafficking, 
>>>> harassment,
>>>> coercive or controlling behavior and stalking."
>>>>
>>>> Since interpretation of those can be highly subjective* and
>>>> in light of the huge volume of content, every word of which
>>>> is a possible offense, providers such as Microcosm, who
>>>> wrote the popular group forum software, have deleted all
>>>> activity and more have followed.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *c.f. plentiful examples of the last three right here on
>>>> RBT. Or not. That's the nature of subjective evaluation.
>>>
>>> A week or so ago I read a notice that both Tom Sawyer and 
>>> Alice in
>>> Wonderland had been blacklisted by some group or another.
>>>
>>> Alice for the term "evil witch" or something similar.
>>>
>>> As for Tom I can only assume that any reference of the 
>>> Civil war will
>>> soon be unmentionable in polite society.
>>
>> Yes, there's that.  And a greater loss, which is the 
>> nearly complete obliteration of Huckleberry Finn, a far 
>> superior volume to the forced and anemic Tom Sawyer.  It's 
>> among the most powerful anti racism works ever published, 
>> but it's been banned in schools for decades.
> 
> Hmm. I just reread it a month or so ago. I thought the 
> portrayal of Jim was too cartoonish. I also thought the 
> ending was weak.
> 
> Yes, just a subjective evaluation.
> 

Agree on both points; it's imperfect. But a damn sight 
better that Tom Sawyer and the message is compelling.

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971