Re:No Vehicles in the Park
by Steltek on Tuesday November 03, 2026 @09:46AM
(#50352646)
Ah, content moderation policy again. I guess I'll take my shot at mentioning the Something Awful forums. For specific background: you had to pay a one-time fee of $10 to register and bans were handed out early and often. It was capricious and the policy amounted to "if I think you're causing trouble, you're gone". Overuse of memes, whining, etc were all fair targets.
For people who hold free speech as a cherished principle, this is abhorrent. But it (and other forums following suit) encouraged a more resilient Internet, IMO. The Internet was an archipelago of forums. You had to sign up individually and each had their own culture. And there were just some places you just. didn't. go. Stormfront's trash stayed over there and everyone liked it that way.
Then skip ahead in time: we have Reddit's Big Tent free speech approach and now we have to see if a skateboard is a vehicle. Moderation is a thankless unpaid job and the support just isn't there. Sometimes people are dragging your community/site into the sewer except all you have are downvotes, which are a total joke. It's just feeding the trolls. Hey, it wasn't an explicit call to violence against specific people so you can say whatever you want!
Is a skateboard a vehicle? I dunno. But if it's a private park at private expense and all non-skateboarders have left because they felt uncomfortable being there, it doesn't really matter.
For people who hold free speech as a cherished principle, this is abhorrent. But it (and other forums following suit) encouraged a more resilient Internet, IMO. The Internet was an archipelago of forums. You had to sign up individually and each had their own culture. And there were just some places you just. didn't. go. Stormfront's trash stayed over there and everyone liked it that way.
Then skip ahead in time: we have Reddit's Big Tent free speech approach and now we have to see if a skateboard is a vehicle. Moderation is a thankless unpaid job and the support just isn't there. Sometimes people are dragging your community/site into the sewer except all you have are downvotes, which are a total joke. It's just feeding the trolls. Hey, it wasn't an explicit call to violence against specific people so you can say whatever you want!
Is a skateboard a vehicle? I dunno. But if it's a private park at private expense and all non-skateboarders have left because they felt uncomfortable being there, it doesn't really matter.