• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

JREF website banned

Phrost said:
Bullshido isn't blocked by any filters in the free world that I know of, and we don't moderate for language beyond the front page.

However, the People's Republic of China blocks their citizens from accessing us apparently. (Which probably has more to do with us bashing their national sports of WuShu and state-sponsored WooWoo, than the "naughty" language of us alpha-male martial arts folks).

Yes, the western refug... err infidels claims we drove tanks over the old kung fu schools and the masters fled to Hong Kong and that the Republic replaced it with watered down WuShu which is more fancy than fight to keep the people suppressed.

The People's Republic of China will censor any site that makes such outrageous claims.
 
JREF Unblocked

Randi's site has now been unblocked here. At first thought it was local override, but now think that St Bernard unblocked it. Although haven't found out yet.

Mid afternoon, I could just get into site, and forum appeared to be blocked. But later this afternoon the whole site was unblocked , and now everyone can access the whole site!

Thanks to those who may have helped get this done.

Now, if I could just get access to the dozens of other Science sites, that are blocked for various reasons. In fact it is almost impossible to do any science research using the web, as there is so much blocked out. Sigh.

Wish there was another way to address filtering, etc

Thanks again.
 
a_unique_person said:
Science is obviously dangerous.

No, it's your name calling and flame wars with Skeptic and Mycroft that blocks the site.You should be ashamed of yourself.
 
Cleopatra said:
No, it's your name calling and flame wars with Skeptic and Mycroft that blocks the site.You should be ashamed of yourself.

The reason given was alt/newage, that is, pusing homeopathy or similar.

You are right, I don't feel proud of myself at all for my dealings with Mycroft and ZN, but then I would hate to see this site turn into a clone of little green footballs, which would be even worse. If left unchallenged, I would fear we would be inundated with that sort of tripe.
 
Ban

Oh, well never mind. The site has been re-blocked. Guess Randi will just have to clean up this new age website. Ha.
 
Phrost said:
C.) Your policy, while well-intentioned, is a reflection of English-speaking society's misguided attachment to Victorian prudery.

Actually, it's a reflection of English-speaking society's misguided Stockholm syndrome related to the Norman Conquest of 1066, but near enough.
 
Phrost said:
A.) Protecting kids has been a "justification" for all kinds of censorship in the recent past.
I never claimed that. Originally, the "forbidden words" thing was a flawed attempt, as Luke pointed out, to avoid nanybots. Other reasons various content was removed or modified (off the top of my head) includes things like the content was illegal, violated copyright laws, and/or posed a threat to members of the board.
B.) It's the parent's responsiblity, not the media's (which includes the JREF for its news and commentary) to ensure a child has a proper understanding of when certain words are socially appropriate and when they are not.
Yes, but I don't think the JREF wants to force any parents to have to make the decision between being able to view the JREF forum and having to explain all maner of things befor they are comfortable to do so.
C.) Your policy, while well-intentioned, is a reflection of English-speaking society's misguided attachment to Victorian prudery.
Perhaps, but we still live in that society.
 
Phrost said:

A.) Protecting kids has been a "justification" for all kinds of censorship in the recent past.

Yes it has; but that point really isn't very relevant. Godwin's Law is just around the corner.

Phrost said:
B.) It's the parent's responsiblity, not the media's (which includes the JREF for its news and commentary) to ensure a child has a proper understanding of when certain words are socially appropriate and when they are not.

I think most of us can agree that the overall message of the JREF is important enough that everybody - including young people - should have access to it without 'certain words' ever even becoming a consideration. Should children be penalized (re: denied access to the message) becaust their parents have decided that certain words are in general not socially appropriate? If not, then it makes no sense to press for an ability to use the controversial language, especially since the language isn't required to communicate the message. Unless, of course, it isn't important for young people to be able to hear the message.

Phrost said:
C.) Your policy, while well-intentioned, is a reflection of English-speaking society's misguided attachment to Victorian prudery.

That's true; but it's necessary at this time (see above).
 
Re: Ban

nightwind said:
Oh, well never mind. The site has been re-blocked. Guess Randi will just have to clean up this new age website. Ha.
Nightwind , I'm sorry You are being subject to arbitrary censorship, but you must keep in mind that certain behaviors are not tolerated on privately owned or supervised sites.
On this very site , One may not say the "N" word or the "F" word and others. ( wonder how a Kurt Vonnegut novel would make it?).

Point being some sites demonstrate a modicum of accommodation to different ideas ......and some don't
Many people and institutions concider that questioning of dogma regardless of the relevance or trvth of the effort , very dangerous. That is especially true of religious and quack sites.
/tirade

The truth is the people in charge don't want competition or being put on the spot as to explain their practices or ideas, that represents a threat. DO NOT THINK for yourself! Let the dogmatics think for you.

Seriously I was raised in a Catholic family in which my Aunt was the head of the carmelite order in NY and my Uncle (a philosophy prof) wrote books on meta-physics. I have experienced first hand the wall of ignorance at "Our Lady Of Perpetual Motion".
.
/tirade off

Find yourself a transparent Proxy server, most of the Luddites ain't tecno savy . Don't use anonomizer cuz that prolly blocked.Good Luck , keep up the fight. There are others here with You.
 
The current set of rules about bad language are in place for two reasons,

1) I brought them over to the new rules from the old rules.
2) I brought them over because I believed that the JREF didn't want "bad" language on this forum.

I think 2) can be taken as a given since Randi edited the rules I had got together, he could have at that point removed Rule 8 or altered it.

(Please note I am using "I" above in the sense I put them together and edited the rough drafts, the actual rules were considered, discussed and debated by the Moderating Team and Linda, they aren't "my" rules in the sense its what I say goes.)

I have maintained (from the first time that censorship was introduced and the idea of "net nannies" was brought up) that it is almost totally irrelevant the words used on the forum as to whether the site would be blocked, the content is more likely to see randi.org and the forum being blocked then anything else.

I view the restriction or censorship of the language here to be of the same ilk as the self-censorship shown by most mainstream media that wants to attract as large an audience as possible (without sacrificing the ability to discuss contentious and ).
 
Joshua Korosi said:
(snip)

I think most of us can agree that the overall message of the JREF is important enough that everybody - including young people - should have access to it without 'certain words' ever even becoming a consideration. Should children be penalized (re: denied access to the message) becaust their parents have decided that certain words are in general not socially appropriate? If not, then it makes no sense to press for an ability to use the controversial language, especially since the language isn't required to communicate the message. Unless, of course, it isn't important for young people to be able to hear the message.

Well, Randi wants the "certain words" kept out of his forum, Joshua, regardless of what we "might all agree on", otherwise I agree with some of what you wrote.

[devils advocate]Suppose we eliminate all of the "certain words" that cause the JREF site to be blocked. Aren't parents still responsible for making sure their kids aren't exposed to atheism, or critical thinking, or something else they don't want them to know about/read/see?[/devil's advocate]
 
Mr. Skinny said:
Well, Randi wants the "certain words" kept out of his forum, Joshua, regardless of what we "might all agree on", otherwise I agree with some of what you wrote.

[devils advocate]Suppose we eliminate all of the "certain words" that cause the JREF site to be blocked. Aren't parents still responsible for making sure their kids aren't exposed to atheism, or critical thinking, or something else they don't want them to know about/read/see?[/devil's advocate]


Yes and that's why "no bad words" alone isn'tt enough to keep a site clear of some blocking software.

For instance set an AOL account up with "Kids" access (12 and under) and the kid can't get to www.randi.org, set it to 13-15 year old and hey presto they can access the site.
 
Darat, I'm afraid you misapprehend me. The Randi forum is one of the sites that demonstrate a "modicum of accommodation to different ideas". I just used the phrase to demonstrate the application of limits , while respecting the idea of free exchange rather then blocking access.
 
Cleopatra said:
No, it's your name calling and flame wars with Skeptic and Mycroft that blocks the site.You should be ashamed of yourself.
Would you prefer people were apologists for thier bigotry?

I now Ignore Mycroft. I'm uneasy about that because I believe that people who post here with links to sites like little green footballs in thier sig should be stood up to at every opportunity. If I'm ashamed of anything it is becoming tired of beating down this poison....But what do you care eh?
 
Ashi said:
Phrost-

Unfortunately my company's filtering software blocks your website.

"http://bullshido.com/ has been categorized as Pornography. It has been blocked per your organization's Internet Usage Policy for group Public. If you feel you reached this page in error please, contact your System Adminstrator."

I don't know why. Any ideas?

Probably the "bullshi" bit. I had to explain to my ad provider what we were about because they initially rejected us as well for "profanity".

We don't host porn... it's a martial arts site.
 
Don't get me wrong, I love the JREF and support its mission 100%.

I was just in an argumentative mood when I posted that.
 

Back
Top Bottom