| Username |
Post |
| NK |
Posted
on 05-Dec-01 10:42 AM
I don’t know where to begin from. I am really shaking with rage. I know most of my postings here are casual and sometimes incoherent. Partly I am cutting time from my work. I write in a hurry. This too,I am writing from my work but I will try to be coherent .
First of all I have heard too many times to ignore about this so called “rumor” that Moran was indeed a bastard who abused children right and left. Some of the abused children are my relatives. As we all know, sex is a dirty word in Nepal. Even holding hands between two opposite in public space is frowned upon. Forget about the act, even the word itself, sex , is taboo. So, when the issue of abused children arises, we should not be surprised that people come and say we never heard of it, that this all a rumor. There is a lot of stigma. A lot of embarrassment, although not the doing of the victims. I think as a forward looking and thinking people we need to deal this issue. The past abuse, the present, if it is occurring, and what to do with this problem. How to deal with all the aspects of abuse? Just by keeping our mouth shut, it is not going to go away. I understand some people don’t want to come forward, and we should respect their wish. But maybe there are some people who want to do it. Who wants to see the justice done for once. We should have a mechanism for this.
Now second part of this posting, the reason why I am enraged. This guy singles out a person, writes and posts. Hundreds of people see it. It happens again and again in this board. The targeted person has no say in it. Before he realizes it is out there for millions of people to read it. Is it fair? Forget about if that really happens or not. Just this unleashed freedom to post anything – that is where I have objection, a huge objection. I have written so often about it I am tired of advocating acutally - The Censorship. I will say it again - The tyranny of democracy. The world censorship is just as dirty in a so called democratic place as the word sex (in Nepal). Just the other day I saw a posting that was lewd, lurid, - disgusting directed towards me. (it is gone now).
Anything that needs t o be taken seriously, in t his case this message board, has to examine what it is, where it wants to go, and how to achieve it. And do it. If it wants to be a playground for sick people with some serious people here and there, so be it. Then maybe, as a regular contributor, I can assess myself. Where I stand in relation to this board’s objective. And act accordingly. If this board was something that hardly anybody visits and something that people don’t take it seriously, then I would not have asked for censorship. But this *is * a serious message (at least from my readings) board where people come to chat, look for information, seek good topic to discuss, to find out the “Truth”, to advertise their products and so forth. How long is this board going to say, “hey, I am here for fun, nothing else, even at the expense of other’s mental peace.’ I used to recommend this board before, I do not do it anymore. The people I recommended were serious, professional, or at least who had inquisitive mind. Now? They don’t even want to come near this. You might say, so what? “WE are here.” Here, I am not talking about the number but rather responsibility. The responsibility of this board. To tell you the truth, even I have doubts if I want to continue to write here. I have no defense if somebody wants to post something slanderous about me. You might want to give me youur standard answer, “laugh it off!” Well, I cannot. I don’t have rhino’s hide. Words do hurt me. If it is said again and again.
I apologize this became rather long, but this issue, the censorship, has been in my mind for a long time and I would like the site administrator(s), posters, readers to think about it.
I hope the site administer won’t take it personally when I talk about the responsibilty.
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| cyberpal |
Posted
on 05-Dec-01 11:56 AM
I think a public forum like this takes it own shape and form depending on the participants. More active participants might want it to take it a shape of their choosing but that violates the basic tenets of an open forum.
Some might want this to be a serious dicusson board while others might want it to be a lightweight site to exchange jokes.
Therefore I'm against any form of censorship at all. I'm afraid it might turn into Bush and Ashcroft's idea of " we're an open society but right now we're at war" to prosecute legal Muslims in this country.
Yes, you do come across people like Bista in real world and they do target people who are more visible. I guess its the price you have to pay for the visiblity.
The best way to react to this idiot Bista's posting is by just letting the thread die with not further posting on it.
The best way to react to molestation charges is by waiting to see if the REAL victims come out and speak for themselves ( Not by people who has relatives who MIGHT have been molested but aren't coming out because topic of sex is taboo in Nepal). Afer all this is a time when messages can be exchanged with unprecedented ease while remaining anonymous if desired (as I am doing)
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| amina |
Posted
on 05-Dec-01 03:21 PM
Yes, let the thread die.
On censorship, I agree with cyberpal.
If responsible people stop writing to this message board, then it would be like all the good people not joining politics because they think it's a dirty business to be in. Look where it has taken Nepal.
We cannot stop these disturbed people from writing, but we can out number them. Keep posting NK :-)
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| NK |
Posted
on 05-Dec-01 03:25 PM
>Some might want this to be a serious discussion board while others might want it
>to be a lightweight site to exchange jokes.
Dear Cyberpal:
I am fine with the idea of this being a lightweight site where one can exchange jokes. I hope you read my posting well enough that I am not against the fluff, nor am I a proponent of making this site an ultimate "serious discussion" board.
[first of all I hate this form where I take two lines from ones posting and argue for your thesis. A lot of gets lost when one does that. I know some members of this board love to do it. But, I hope I am not twisting your meaning here by doing so]
You seem to equal an “open forum” to ‘free for all , let’s target somebody and throw darts/garbage/personal grudge at him or her.
>More active participants might want it to take it a shape of their choosing but that violates the basic tenets
>of an open forum.
You again say, “Therefore I'm against any form of censorship at all. I'm afraid it might turn into Bush and Ashcroft's idea of " we're an open society but right now we're at war" to prosecute legal Muslims in this country.”
I don’t’ think I am at war. All I am asking for is decency. I just happen to be against any baseless personal attack (Bista's case), a sexual innuendo targeting female posters (like me) or a repeated verbal assault on any posters.
You also say,
>Yes, you do come across people like Bista in real world and they do target people who are more visible. I >guess it’s the price you have to pay for the visibility.
Are you implying that because I write (therefore the visibility question) I have to bear the personal attack, even if I object it to - vehemently? Are you saying we ought to be punished for being a responsible posters. Do you think we ought to be punished by people who somehow don’t like us? You give us the scenario of “real world.” You see ,if it was indeed a real world, and if somebody had attacked me I would have responded properly. If that person was face to face, I would have taken my shoes and beat the hell out of that person (in case of sexual innuendo), or sued the hell out of that person. Can I do it here? You tell me. The anonymity it gives to the posters like “Agrawal”, “Bista”, “Ashim” has become the real problem. *That* is what I am talking about.
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| NK |
Posted
on 05-Dec-01 03:33 PM
Apologies, Amina. I did not see your posting when I posted my reply to 'cyberpal.'
Where have I hear this, "Sticks and stones don't hurt me, but the words"?
I am kind of tired. Maybe I don't have the stamina to withstand personal attacks as Ashu and others seem to have. I just don't like the situation where I feel vulnerable. And increasingly that is what I feel here.
You see words are not just words. They signify something. This is all what we have. Otherwise we wouldn't be here discussing with nothing but words, right? So if the words are used to present a wonderful argument, poem, play, essays, then words are also used to spew vile. One cannot ignore it. Just becuase Ostrich hides its head in the sand does not mean the sand storm is not there. It is very much there and it ravages the landscape. Repeated verbal assaults ravage the psyche, I strongly believe it. I have to go and find the relevant journal to support my thesis now.
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| cyberpal |
Posted
on 05-Dec-01 06:12 PM
>You seem to equal an “open forum” to ‘free
>for all , let’s target somebody and throw
>darts/garbage/personal grudge at him or her.
>
NK, I'm just trying to be realistic here. These things do happen and life goes on. Especially in the context of cyber world. The difference between someone who never contributes a word to this discussion board vs someone who contributes is that the person who contributes is now an entity in this board. Therefore open to exposure for both good and bad germs.
>
>I don’t’ think I am at war. All I am asking
>for is decency. I just happen to be against
>any baseless personal attack (Bista's case),
>a sexual innuendo targeting female posters (
>like me) or a repeated verbal assault on any
>posters.
I can understand your frustration but we don't really have the right to ask for decency. Its more closer to take it or leave it. The alternative would be have a cyber patrol that monitors this board and then we would have to get into the debate of what is decent and what is not, which scentence is an innuendo and which is not......perfect receipe for destroying this board altogether
>Are you implying that because I write (
>therefore the visibility question) I have to
>bear the personal attack, even if I object
>it to - vehemently? Are you saying we
>ought to be punished for being a responsible
>posters. Do you think we ought to be
>punished by people who somehow don’t like us?
> You give us the scenario of “real world.”
>You see ,if it was indeed a real world, and
>if somebody had attacked me I would have
>responded properly. If that person was face
>to face, I would have taken my shoes and
>beat the hell out of that person (in case of
>sexual innuendo), or sued the hell out of
>that person.
>Can I do it here? You tell me.
Exactly my point. I haven't ever heard of anyone filing libel suit for printing unpleasant things on discussion board.
> The anonymity it gives to the posters like
>“Agrawal”, “Bista”, “Ashim” has become the
>real problem.
All the world is a stage, all the men and women merely players. Some act on stage, some are quite audience and some do nothing but heckle.
Also I certainly hope that you don't let the hecklers get the better of you.
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