Do YOU Censor your Writing on THR?

[Old Dog]

I believe the capability to censor one's self is called "wisdom."

But, this place is sorta funny. I've been lumped in with the "statists" and called a jack-booted thug by a few members here, yet I actually have to self-censor because many of my true views would probably not prove real popular with the leadership of my government employer.

Still, it's apparent there are still many here who haven't adopted the "think twice, post once" philosophy (such as the member, still current, who, in flaming response to one of my posts in L&P accused me of employing "limp-wristed verbiage" -- how should I have taken that?).

 

[Hardtarget]

Sure, I censor , but its very little. I just don't respond to many topics. Mostly I edit and proof read my posts. My typing is horrible and I know it. What you read is about how I talk...that makes it Ok for Arts Granmaw to read it.
( is she real?)

Mark.

 

[wooderson]

2. There's a PC crowd here that loves to jump down the throats of those who don't fit in with the mainstream THR notion of what is, isn't and should be.

You'll have to be a lot more detailed on this one before you get a good answer from most people. I don't know what "PC crowd" means - some folks like to treat it as an evil leftist bogeyman, but the truth is that "PC" is defined by a particular society (large or small). It would be distinctly un-PC to be anti-gun here, for instance.

I censor myself insofar as most politics are irrelevant to this site (so no need to post), I roll my eyes at a lot of stuff and move on. Lately I find myself only responding to political statements I find particularly ignorant or offensive.

 

[Clipper]

I do a lot...I have to pretty much stay out of S&T to avoid verbally ripping the lips off some of the scenario authors...

 

[Firethorn]

I try to clean my writing up a bit, but I've never felt the need to not express my opinion somehow, even if I have to work a bit to avoid four letter words.

There's a difference between not being able to express your opinion and being polite enough not to say F, S, C, B, and all the other four to five letter words.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I am pleasantly surprized on how the internet has worked out with The High Road. You can be a bit onthe polite side and still be heard. That's civility I'd say.

 

[grampster]

I think folks are pretty clear about their political views here. I think if one expresses those views in the manner that others and I have mentioned that are not of the chest thumping genre' they are accepted and mulled over and discussed.

I've self censored the way I've expressed my political views, but not left much doubt about where I come down on them.

 

[BobCav]

Yes, I have found that I don't frequent here as often as other forums because of that very reason. There's a huge amount of info here, great people, advice and experiences, but honestly due to the level of censorship, either self imposed or moderator imposed, it's certainly not a hot fiery forge where great ideas are hammered into action.

For that I do prefer other forums that are more on the pointy end of the spear. Hotter fires yield a stronger swords.

I look at any infringement on my 1A rights with equal disdain as I do any infringement on my 2A rights.

And if I read one more person say "that's not very high road", I think I'll puke.

2. There's a PC crowd here that loves to jump down the throats of those who don't fit in with the mainstream THR notion of what is, isn't and should be.

 

[YK]

I rarely need to censor the form.

However, if I find myself thinking of censoring the content, I usually end up not posting altogether.

 

[20nickels]

Honest to a fault.

 

[tvick66]

I answered always for two reasons. The first is my style of writing. I let everything come out first with no regards to structure at first, but I want to make sure I get all the raw data out without getting bogged down in syntax details. Then I go back and reorganize my thoughts into some semblance of order that hopefully makes sense to the reader that still conveys my message.

But since that probably isn't the reason for the post, the second reason I censor is because my job requires LOTS of email communication with customers so anything I say might be binding contractually, it is now a habit.

Personally, I believe way to few people actually have a decent perception of how their communication style affects others.:banghead:

 

[P5 Guy]

I don't want to offend Art's Grandma.

 

[BBQJOE]

When it comes down to gun mechanics, reloading etc, nothing to censor.
Personal views, that's a whole 'nuther story!!!

A lot of folks take their feelings a little too strongly, they're only feelings, but they seem as fragile as glass these days, and I sure wouldn't want to be responsible for hurting someone's and scarring them for life, and causing them a lifetime in a mental institute.

 

[fast eddie]

I censor. I tend towards facetious language which doesn't translate well to the written word and I don't want to me misinterpreted. Even so, sometimes I'll review a prior post of mine and think; how stupid was that?

 

[jhco50]

We are not the only ones to read this forum and I do not under any circustanses trust the goverment at any level anymore. Washington is as corrupt as Mexico anymore. I don't want them to know if I own guns or not, let alone what kinds if I did own any.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Dan from MI said: Usually. I censor my tone more than my views themselves.

Dan kinda nailed it.


Nobody should feel they have to censor views. We have certain subforums here where expressing certain opinions isn't appropriate. Its either off-topic, like abortion or religion, or its not consistent with the mission of that sub-forum.


Expression of a view is almost never the problem. Tone, yup. Unless its porn, vulgarity, an insult, or an illegal act, most folks draw attention from a moderator over tone.


Now, if you come into a place whose mission is to advocate responsible firearms ownership, and express views inconsistent with that . . . then don't feel surprised when the rest of the membership chides you over it.

 

[The Grand Pooh-Bah]

I try to think before my fingers go wild, but I'm not shy about expressing my thoughts. My daughters say I'm brutally honest. With Girls that is not always a good position to take.

 

[Feanaro]

I moderate my usage of "adult" words. But I don't really think about it. I write for THR without even realizing it, then hop on over to other forums and resume my usual habit of cursing at old women and telling babies to perform anatomically impossible acts.

I never censor my point of view; it is very, very hard to make me angry via the internet and I believe in attacking arguments. So I have it easy there. I try to craft my points so that they will be most effective. This sometimes means softening(or hardening) the tone and content of my posts. I do not consider this censorship but, rather, good rhetoric.

 

[Danus ex]

Always.

Generally, I think of a response to a particular thread but will not post it. Why? I'm caught in some sort of poor feedback loop--my posts generally kill the thread or simply go ignored. What's the point? I rarely feel the need to lay my opinion on the pile, anyway.

Oddly, I studied rhetoric in graduate school and am a professional writer and researcher. Language, discourse, and reason are my tools of choice, yet I almost never apply them here. I'm here mostly for the reading.

 

[AStone]

Not censorship, but respect

Do you censor yourself or tone it down on THR?

Yes, sometimes.

But I do the same in the homes of any friends.

If so why?

Because I respect that this is a private forum, established and administered by quality, intelligent people that I deeply respect, for the purpose of increasing knowledge of guns and other weapons, their safe and responsible use, and our right to bear them, where I participate not as a right, but as a privilege.

I act here like I act in a friend's home.
There are guidelines in both. I choose to respect their space.
Don't break furniture, **** on the floor, or kill pets.
I can choose to follow the guidelines and stay,
or not and get the hell out.

I find much knowledge, wisdom, camaraderie, friendship, respect and interest here.
I have learned 10X more about guns, their use, gun politics
and human nature in two years on THR than in my previous 45.

Thus, I choose to follow the guidelines,
chill out a notch or two,
and stay to continue learning.

YMMV.

Nem

 

[helpless]

Respect

Only because I respect everyone here. I am not as polite on other boards.

 

[evan price]

Yes, because it's often best to type something up, re-read it fresh from the top, and realize where something could be clarified or said in a manner that is more to the point or else more High Road. Plus I talk a lot. No, really.

Yes, because I feel it is tactically unsound to reveal certain strategic or personal information on a public forum where I cannot control the distribution of that information. (such as, pictures of my safe, how many guns/ammo, etc)

Yes, because I have learned that there are lots of people who will jump down your throat for expressing honest opinions, even when those opinions have been solicited in the first place. There's a lot of gun sites that if you don't have an altar to John Moses Browning's 1911 in your bedroom and own any long guns besides blued steel and wood, you are going to get banned eventually if you make those facts known. By the same token the same can be said of forums focusing on Glocks, Dodges, Pittsburgh Steelers, John Deere, Obama, etc...dislike the focus item for whatever reason and you are gone.

Yes, because I value THR both as a place to hang out, and as a place that has a superior level of information sharing. It's a quality place and I respect it and the people who run it and participate in it. I've been evicted from several sites and honestly didn't miss any of them (Until THR went down...!) For that reason, I wouldn't be rude or insulting in Oleg Volk's living room, or Derek Zenahs, or anyone else who runs this place for that matter.

Spirited discussion is one thing but taking a spirited debate and turning it into a urination contest is uncalled for. This site is obviously moderated, but the flavor of moderation is somehow delicately more appealing than it is on other sites. Hard to quantify. But better.

 

[DeltaGunner]

Always

I'm rude I'm crude and socially unacceptable..........
I've withdrawn some posts because I read the forum rules, and they have been deemed low road.....
I've felt they were appropriate for the circumstance, but rather not get kicked off the sight over blasting an a-hole.......

 

[Thin Black Line]

I always give my unrestricted opinion on every topic on THR and I know that
the internet is not truly anonymous despite the pseudonyms.

 

[Firethorn]

Yes, I have found that I don't frequent here as often as other forums because of that very reason. There's a huge amount of info here, great people, advice and experiences, but honestly due to the level of censorship, either self imposed or moderator imposed, it's certainly not a hot fiery forge where great ideas are hammered into action.

On the other hand, when it descends into a flamewar where all parties are mearly coming up with less and less imaginative ways to say 'you suck', is there really valuable discourse going on?

Are you likely to get valuable discourse when both parties descend into attacking each other's character, rendering the probability that they'll give weight to each other's words virtually nil?