Open Forum: Free as Speech, Free as Beer
by otaking on Jul.26, 2009, under Open Forum
The title alludes to the two types of ‘free’ that is used in the open source software debate, Gratis (free beer) vs. Libre (free speech).
In the past week or so I’ve been finding myself mixed up in this debate in one way or another. From the brand new trolls on my site thanks to my latest Manifesto (hi trolls!) to a heated plurk debate about AP trying to DRM their news items, everyone has an opinion on this subject.
Lately Seedsop spoke up on Plurk about how a certain site that supposedly champions free speech about the local otaku scene has started filtering comments on its own site. Terribly ironic, but a sad reality of online life.
So now I ask my readers: Why is free speech so important to you? Even if it means exposing yourself to slander? And is it Gratis or Libre?
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Omake: Why is the Rum Gone Remix! - Project Otaking
July 29th, 2009 on 1:03 am[...] otaking on Jul.29, 2009, under Uncategorized Wow, it’s been a pretty exciting couple of days for Project Otaking, hasn’t it? So, for all my wonderful readers, trolls, and [...]
July 27th, 2009 on 12:29 am
Well free speech is a concept of democracy. Everyone has a right to say what they want no matter what it is.
But I also believe in responsible practices of free speech as well. That is to say, that we also try to know how our free speech affects others and take responsibility for the actions that we take.
To often, especially online, people like to spout out inane posts without even thinking how it would affect others and when we gang up on them for what they did, said and/or wrote, they wash their hands out of the whole thing making up excuses that it was not them but somebody else.
Even on my site, I encourage free speech about anything I write and try to be civil even if what others say do not agree with what I believe. Otaking knows as well that I don’t completely agree with him on certain points but that doesn’t make us enemies. We’re just exercising our democratic rights.
Sadly, like you said, a certain site that supposedly champions free speech, filtered out my comment that was in all respects neutral and just inquisitive. I expected more from a site that says that their just exercising their own rights to free speech.
With regard to Gratis vs Libre, this also refers to another thing. Is the freedom of speech something that is “free of charge” and that we can do or say anything or something that is our “liberty” or freedom” to express? Personally I choose the latter.
July 27th, 2009 on 11:32 am
Don’t look now but I think he called you a liar…
July 27th, 2009 on 1:27 am
This is a lie. I did not filter any comment pertaining to Alexa.com reliability and would’ve responded to such query anyway. I only learned of this through Plurk.
July 27th, 2009 on 1:32 am
For the record, the only comments filtered out are those that advertise links i.e. comments that lead people to click on links not relevant to the discussion.
July 27th, 2009 on 1:46 am
If it makes you feel better, you can reproduce the comment here and include the supposed time of posting so I can check with other PC admins if they deleted such comment.
July 27th, 2009 on 2:08 am
I do believe in free speech, but as seedsop has said, one aspect of the practice of free speech is the need to practice it responsibly. It’s far too easy when one is online to get drunk on the anonimity and refuse to take responsibility to what you’ve said and done.
In something like print media or the real world, you couldn’t get away with half the crap that gets pulled on the internet, but that’s one of the realities of the new media. The test I think should be if the person is still willing to spew the same crap at people face-to-face that he or she says online.
On the gripping hand, websites aren’t necessarily obligated to provide a free forum for other’s opinions (even if they say they do). The owners can give as much or as little freedom of speech to those visiting as they wish. Whether those visitors decide that they can accept that sort of control over what they can say is another story.
July 27th, 2009 on 11:36 am
See, people think free speech is unlimited, but jurisprudence pretty much says that there are many exceptions. Hate speech, commercial speech, pornography, libel, the list goes on and on.
Of course the question then becomes, who gets to decided if speech falls under these exceptions? Especially libel and pr0n, that’s pretty contentious.
July 27th, 2009 on 8:41 am
“Wow. Affected si Gamertotoy. Reply kaagad.”
“onga eh. and to think no one ever actually said on the post that it was GT’s blog that was filtering posts.”
Ummm… you guys kinda specified to which blog the comment in question was filtered on Plurk. I’m still waiting for your response on my offer to look into the filtered comment. Shouldn’t be hard, unless no such comment ever existed.
July 27th, 2009 on 11:31 am
Good morning Vietnam! As far as my finely-honed investigative powers can tell (read: wild groundless speculation) for the message not to have been filtered and yet not show up, it would have had to have been sent without the poster filling in the captcha text. It could happen!
While you’re here, is Cosplaying God really Cosplaying God, a weird unnamed friend who keeps posting opinions not reflecting that of Pinoy Cosplay, or as many of your anonymous commenters allege, just you under an alias? That’d be strange though, you saying you’re not you, wouldn’t it? o_O
July 27th, 2009 on 5:15 pm
Why are you so affected? Like you so clearly pointed out in quoting me, no one ever really said HERE it was your blog. In fact, no one even said HERE it was the Alexia.com statistics that was in question. We delibirately did not say anything here as we did not want point fingers in a PUBLIC FORUM such as this is after all a PUBLIC BLOG. But hey, if you felt like you are being attacked, then that’s your prerogative.
Since you’ve so plainly established that you or your blog is the one being stated then I shall tell you this, not once did otaking nor I say that it was you who filtered the comment. I can tell you what I observed. I posted a comment and it never appeared even after a day. Which was kind of sad. What did I say, you ask? I simply asked how reliable was the source information? Since the comment never appeared, it could have only been filtered out. And hey, it could have been filtered out as spam, which is kind of laughable at best.
One good turn deserves another. If somebody wants to say that I LIED when I stated what I had observed had happened and expressed my opinion about it, then that’s fine. I can always say STALKER and I do not even have to elaborate on why.
Cheers everyone! ^^
July 27th, 2009 on 8:20 pm
I’ll repeat this again: you clearly referred to my blog as the one that filtered your comment. It doesn’t matter what’s said here or not, because honestly, I didn’t even read the entire article above. I just followed the link on Plurk that led me here and replied.
On Plurk you specified that you attempted to comment on the post about Alexa.com’s ranking of top blogs. You never stated it was me GT who filtered your comment, but I’m the most active in watching comments made in older posts which require approval because I want to be notified when people do comment in older topics since they say some interesting things, so I assumed responsibility.
It is not possible that your comment was magically filtered out. It would’ve been pending for approval, and I would’ve seen it unless you made no such comment or either SD or MRB was feeling naughty and rejected it (which I’ve confirmed not to be case).
As to why I am “so affected”, I already mentioned why. It’s because I want the truth out, no matter how insignificantly that may serve. You can’t call stalker when your Plurk readily appears on Plurk’s search engine.
Now that I can pretty much tell you’re bullshitting for reasons I can only imagine (you fabricated a story to have something to talk about on Plurk?), I’ll have to write this off as childish tomfoolery.
July 27th, 2009 on 11:22 pm
“You can’t call stalker when your Plurk readily appears on Plurk’s search engine.”
And yet no one’s put a gun to your head to type his name in, did they?
July 28th, 2009 on 6:22 am
But I typed “pinoycosplay”. That’s not even the point. Gee it sure reeks of stupid in here.
July 28th, 2009 on 7:35 am
Considering that how many replies you’ve put in for something that you’ve repeatedly referred to as “insignificant”, I can’t imagine why. But please, enjoy!
July 28th, 2009 on 9:01 pm
Of course you can’t imagine why for the life of you. You’re stupid. I don’t even remember anymore how many times I’ve stated that I merely want the truth out.
“again, you take my words out of context. who ever said that i was referring to plurk when I said stalker? do you even know what stalking means? ell I have no reason to make up stories. that’s your department, isn’t it? honestly it’s futile arguing with you.”
My only source of information pertaining to the lie you made is Plurk’s search engine, so should you call me stalker, Plurk would be my only tool of stalking – which isn’t stalking at all because what I know of the things you said came out of the open by just using Plurk’s search engine.
How am I taking your words out of context when I directly replied to everything you said and explained clearly how your comment can’t be magically filtered out for being spam?
Now that you can’t back your words up and call it futile, it should be obvious that you indeed made up the story perhaps because you have nothing better to do in your sorry life. That wraps this shit up.
July 28th, 2009 on 9:09 pm
out to the open*
If you can’t man it up, stop making false statements. I pity your friends who suck up to your lies. Here I am doing public service in pursuit of truth and you run away like a little baby.
July 28th, 2009 on 10:40 pm
You, standing up in defense of truth? Mr. “Womens is inferior because they won’t touch my LamerTotoy”? Truth must be thrilled to have a champion like you
July 27th, 2009 on 12:07 pm
It’s part of the Filipino culture to have what they call “dramu” in their everyday lives. A culture that is so sad it shows how pathetic “other people” can be.
Otaking you’re doing a good job here, kudos to you
Cosplaying God: Whoever you are, you have every freedom to do whatever you think is right, I do respect the aspect of individuality and right to one’s opinion however it doesn’t change the fact that what you do irks me (personally) a lot but I don’t hate you as a person.
Don’t hate the person. Hate the act.
July 27th, 2009 on 3:22 pm
I do not ever post as someone else but GamerTotoy. It would be lovely if the alleged commenter can explain his case, but I could care less about what happened as long as we’re clear that I did not filter any “neutral and just inquisitive” comment. This insignificant incident isn’t even a cause of concern but I want the truth to be out there.
July 27th, 2009 on 10:33 pm
I also send the same message to you GamerTotoy.
July 28th, 2009 on 7:30 am
Isn’t anyone going to answer my very important and serious questions: Who is this alleged Cosplaying God impostor, is he who we think he is, and why is the rum gone? Why is the rum ALWAYS gone? D:
July 28th, 2009 on 9:06 am
damn I prefer rum than beer!!! XD
July 28th, 2009 on 4:21 pm
again, you take my words out of context. who ever said that i was referring to plurk when I said stalker? do you even know what stalking means? ell I have no reason to make up stories. that’s your department, isn’t it? honestly it’s futile arguing with you.
lol you guys, we still don’t know who this Cosplaying God is. In this day and age, people can assume any identity and go to various social accounts to fish for information.
And I want some rum too! XD
July 28th, 2009 on 10:48 pm
I say! Anyone want fish and chips with that rum? They are jolly good pub food. Yes indeed.
July 28th, 2009 on 10:57 pm
why yes, good sir. i do believe i want some of those fish and chips. is it wrapped in newspaper?
July 28th, 2009 on 11:27 pm
fish and chips? get me chocolates! I prefer chocolates with my rum XD
July 29th, 2009 on 12:14 am
How about a deep-fried Mars bar?