Subject:
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Thoughts on Community & Censorship (Was: Re: Brickshelf censorship policy rules.....)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Followup-To:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 4 Sep 2002 23:48:46 GMT
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I’ll be moving this to .off-topic simply because I don’t want to bog down
the other groups. Although, I think this may be a relevant topic for any
AFOL who visits Lugnet and sites like it. I’m not trying to beat any dead
horses (as I recognized the thread this spins off of may be resolved), but
rather am trying to speak a few thoughts about a topic that seems to
re-surface now and then.
Regarding the recent debates about censorship, content, etc., I think there
are greater, more fundamental issues that must first be discussed. For one,
we must decide how we as a *community* want to be. Perhaps sites like
Lugnet, Brickshelf, rtl, etc. are privately operated, perhaps the various
LUGs have charters and rules, but the community that uses them is a separate
entity that is essentially self-created. We have defined ourselves as Lego
Enthusiasts. We have implied that is the only criteria to be here. We as a
community must decide whether that is indeed the only criteria.
If being an Enthusiast is the only pre-requisite for being a part of the
community (and I for one think that’s just fine), then we must accept that
other members of this community may have different views, likes, concerns,
interests, etc. This community doesn’t restrict its welcome mat just to
those who build Lego castles. Nor does it turn away those who build only
Lego robots. In fact we even embrace the company of less fortunate people
who can’t afford Lego but wish to discuss it. As long as you are an
Enthusiast about something that is related to Lego, you are welcome here.
To carry this further, we must consider everyone who fits this mold. What
if someone likes women who wear clothing with the Lego logo? What if
someone likes to view mini-figs in sexually suggestive poses? What if
someone likes Lego weapons? Or Lego figures with profane hand gestures? Or
Lego death metal bands? Or mini-figure scale brothels? Or Lego models of
drug users? What if someone just simply likes to eat Lego 1X1 bricks for
breakfast?
All of these examples and more fit the mold of a Lego Enthusiast. So do we
allow them in the community?
That is the question we must answer before we can really argue what is
acceptable content. If we answer with, "yes they are welcome," then we must
accept their input, or at least give them a niche somewhere among us. If we
answer with a "no" then we must accept that we may push some people away and
lose their creative contribution. But however we answer we must keep in
mind that we answer as a community, not as individuals within it. (If we
allow them, the moderators of where the community meets online may answer
for us. But I get the sense that most moderators and site administrators
want simply to keep the peace and will side with the majority in most cases.)
- - - - - - - - -
That’s my thought so far on the general subject of us deciding where we
stand on who we are...
...Now, just to put this in a little perspective, let me share what makes me
a Lego Enthusiast and how I might or might not be impacted should the
community decide to censor the meaning of such... A warning though, some of
what I am about to write includes mention of sex, violence, and language.
First, I am an AFOL. For some that means I am a kid who never grew up (a
good thing); for others it means I am an adult seeking justification for a
hobby he should have outgrown; and for others it means just what it says:
I’m a fan of Lego who is currently an adult human being. As an AFOL, do I
think our community should outcast YFOL (young fans of Lego)? Do I think we
should turn away AEOL (Adult Employees of Lego)? No in both cases is my
opinion. Both those groups are Lego Enthusiasts. My vote is we welcome
them. However the problem becomes that by welcoming children, some people
will want us to censor content based on the standards of the greater society
(beyond our community), and by welcoming TLC employees, we have issues about
solicitation. In both cases I think common sense is wise, but banning is
unfair.
Second, I love building, collecting, playing with, and discussing Lego Toys,
but specifically my mood swings from Castle, Space, Town/Trains, and a
little Pirates. I honestly couldn’t give a rat’s MegaBlok about Mindstorms
or Paradisa or contracted themes like Star Wars. Technics and Model
Team/Sculpture are side notes I can’t afford. And I’d much rather spend an
afternoon building with the real pieces I already have than try to figure
out the CAD and LDraw simulations available. But does that mean I don’t
want those people interested in such here? On the contrary, I love having
them as Lego Enthusiasts, and I do enjoy seeing some of their MOCs and ideas.
Third, as indicated two paragraphs ago, I am an adult. I have other
interests besides Lego. And some of those interests are, by some people’s
standards, not for the younger members of our community. I hope it doesn’t
ruin anyone’s opinion of me or my MOCs, but there are things I like that
some people might not appreciate. I do enjoy the company of members of the
opposite sex. I do enjoy viewing images of them on occasion. I do enjoy
alcohol and some partying. I enjoy driving a car -very fast- and traveling
to places I couldn’t when I was twelve. I enjoy staying out late. I hang
out in places where patrons must be 21 or older. Some of those places have
people of varying lack of dress or varying sexual orientation. Others of
those places are populated with old men making dirty jokes but “where
everybody knows your name.” And I spend a large chunk of my life working to
pay for all of it. Some would argue that all of these things are related to
me, and since I am a Lego Enthusiast, doesn’t that make all those other
interests of mine also related to Lego? Nice try, but good logic says not
quite. And common sense and respect for other people here leaves me with
restraint. I restrain myself from pushing my other interests on this
community... somewhat... I do have a small Lego pub with blue-collar
workers drinking alcohol depicted in my mini-figure Town. And the stories I
have written (influenced by my Lego models) have included elements of
romance, crime, war, etc. that are perhaps unsuitable for a younger
audience. So I have some restraint, but not a perfect restraint. If you
censor images of female models provocatively sucking on a Lego ice cream,
what will stop you from censoring me? (And call me a sick bastard, but I
wish more women would wear the Lego logo on their chests... Hey, and I used
the word bastard? Should that be censored too? Sorry, I’ll turn my
restraint back on now...)
Fourth, I was a child who played with toy guns and depicted some violence in
play. But I never played with real weapons. Even as an adult I’ve never
owned or used a firearm. I know few people who have. And most importantly,
even when I was a child, I knew the difference between play war and real
war, and I knew I never ever wanted the real thing in my life. Those of you
who think playing with toy guns leads to teenagers who slaughter their
classmates are missing some facts somewhere. Teach youngsters that killing
and hurting is bad. Teach them the difference between playfully sneaking
around the woods versus actually watching your friends getting killed. If
you just say "don’t touch guns" guess what might happen when they reach the
rebellious or curious stages of their lives? Bang. Bang. ...Anyway, I
enjoy a good action adventure, and I enjoy a good war story. I’m am not
violent, but I like violent fiction. And if someone wants to depict some
level of violence using Lego or Brikwars photos then I think they should be
allowed in this community as much as someone who builds a Lego rendition of
Holy Scripture (which curiously can have some rather violent content
itself). (...Oh, and no offense to my European brethren on this Earth, but
just because I am from the U.S. doesn’t mean I spend my life influenced by
TV. I might watch TV once a week at most, and even if someone watches more
you can’t use the excuse of that being the reason American children are
violent. Last I checked, a lot of violent war-lording dictators were raised
on your side of the pond too...)
Well anyway. I think I just managed to stray terribly off of my own topic
right here while trying to be off topic of another topic. So, is there room
in this community for someone who rambles endlessly with a train-of-thought
that includes Lego Enthusiasm? Or is that banned too?
Again, I am FUTing to .off-topic.debate.
Random Babble From,
-Hendo
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Brickshelf censorship policy rules.....
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| I just had a brief chat with a German co-AFOL (named Juergen), who deleted all his pictures in his Brickshelf galleries in a very angry mood some hours before..... What happened? Someone with admins-rights at Brickshelf deleted the 'me-picture' of (...) (22 years ago, 2-Sep-02, to lugnet.general) !!
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