Why would you flag anything on this site, or anywhere else for that matter? In my opinion the flag shouldn't even exist. That is why, us Americans anyway, have the freedom of speech and press, to express whatever we want no matter how stupid or rediculous. So I was just wondering why you flag other peoples things instead of expressing you opinion, that is what this site is about, isn't it?
2006-08-19 08:30:35 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
got to oprah! go to oprah!
2006-08-19 10:33:05 · answer #1 · answered by aww_garsh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, actually, no. The site isn't about free speech. If it were about free speech, it would let forty-year-old men freely use the site to make sexual conversation with eleven-year-old girls. The site also isn't meant to be a forum for people to express their opinions. It's just meant for questions and answers. Here's a bit out of Yahoo! Answers Community Guidelines:
"Yahoo! Answers is a place for people to ask and answer questions in order to share knowledge. As such, please keep your postings to a question and answer format, or they may be deleted. If you prefer to have discussions or chat with others, please use one of Yahoo!'s other community services, such as Yahoo! Groups."
In other words, this isn't meant to be a discussion/debate site - although Yahoo does offer other services for that.
"YOU MAY NOT POST CONTENT (or links to content, including photos) to vent your frustrations, rant, make statements, or otherwise violate the question and answer format."
Note "make statements" - again, this isn't a site for people to state opinions point-blank; it's a site in which you either genuinely ask for information (for example, "don't you think black people are stupid?" is probably looking for agreement, not information) and people offer what they know.
The fact is, "free speech" doesn't mean the freedom to talk about anything, anywhere. It means that given the right forum, you can express yourself without being punished. But this isn't the right forum. Just as yelling sexual profanities in a kindergarten isn't the right forum, expressing your opinions rather than questions/answers here isn't the right forum. Yahoo! does offer "Groups" in which you can totally do that.
I flag some postings which are purposely inflammatory - in which it is obvious the user isn't worried about "free speech"; the user just wants to tick everyone off. I flag postings which provide links to sites that give your computer viruses. And I flag postings which attack members who were just asking innocent questions (for example, a girl asks "Is this a good book?" and someone answers "You're so dumb you can't read anyway").
Again, free speech isn't the freedom to say anything to anyone at any time in any place. That isn't what makes America great, because that doesn't exist in the first place. For example, free speech laws exclude things that are legally slanderous, libelous, or obscene - and many of those crop up on this site.
If there was a website the deals with people with alcohol problems, it shouldn't be forced to open up its site (and bandwidth!) to people to come in trying to sell their cars and other household items.
There are plenty of other websites made for discussion, and "stupid or ridiculous" comments. Don't try to make Yahoo! Answers into something it never intended on being - use one of theirs!
2006-08-19 08:48:29 · answer #2 · answered by ghost orchid 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's a time and place for everything. This is not the forum for using naked pics of your genitalia as an avatar. There are kids on here. The people that post that stuff have every right to post the pics of their body, but they should choose a different place, such as an adult site, for those items. Other than that, I just ignore the stupid stuff.
2006-08-19 08:38:07 · answer #3 · answered by Mariposa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has to be a realllyyy bad racial remark but jokes are just ok or violence against kids, again if they are just bieng an idiot then im fine with it but in general, never. I once posted the same question on 3 or 4 topics and question was removed on all of em and there was 1 guy "named stuart" who was sniveling on each one. I flagged every single one of his questions just because he was bieng a little tattle tale. GROW UP, some people just enjoy sharring a smile.
2006-08-19 08:43:23 · answer #4 · answered by teddybar67 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let me answer with a question:
Would you allow any sort of completely uncensored, unrestricted images, speech and videos to be posted here for your nine- or ten-year old son or daughter to see?
The whole issue of the 1st Amendment was NOT to establish a complete carte blanche that anyone can do or say anything to anyone at anytime without restriction - it was originally written to allow safety from political persecution for the sake of intelligent dissent.
When this kind of position is extrapolated out to embrace potential child exposure to pornography, it runs cross-grain to everything the Bill of Rights was trying to secure and accomplish.
I suggest the First Amendment be read within its historical context, and interpreted consistent with it.
2006-08-19 08:39:13 · answer #5 · answered by Timothy W 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1) With the exercise of rights comes attendant responsibilities and obligations. You can't do or say something, claiming you have a right to or a constitutionally-guaranteed freedom to and then, when the s**t hits the fan, simply say "Oh well" and run away.
2) Rights and/or freedoms are NOT absolute. Constitutionally-enshrined freedom of speech notwithstanding, you CAN'T shout fire in a crowded darkened movie theatre.
2006-08-19 08:54:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I only flag if it is intentionally racist or involves something really horrible, like rape or pedophilia. Some people post things just to be arrogant or to get a reaction. Other people just want to be jerks, and there is no need for that.
2006-08-19 08:59:07 · answer #7 · answered by emmadropit 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I feel you, I hate being reported too, but I think they made the rules that way because they can't stop kids from being on this website. I have to constantly censor myself, and it does get annoying. I have flagged certain questions if they have to do with abusing children sexually or physically or however. That sh*t makes me sick!
2006-08-19 08:36:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
My dear, no one is opposing anyone's freedom. But what about the freedom to come to an open forum and expect some degree of responsibility from others. There are very young users and some of the questions and language here is simply unnecessary. Some come here and post inappropriate things just for the shock value it creates. Some are simply rude and others downright abusive. No one is taking any freedom from you. But who is defending the rights of those of us who expect responsibility and good manners? No doubt I just invited an entire barrage of insults just for saying that. To those who will sling their insults at me, I simply say, feel free to.
2006-08-19 08:42:20 · answer #9 · answered by Emm 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes it is. But then you have ignorant butt wipes that just post stupid, vulgar, racial, and idiotic b.s. just for fun and that's not cool! This site is for helping others not to write assinine things just to see what other people think!
You are right people have the right to free speech but not at the expense of others.
2006-08-19 08:37:57 · answer #10 · answered by peg 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have never flagged anything on here. I twould have to jepordize someones saftey for me to raise a flag. Express away I'm reading on and answering as I go along!!
2006-08-19 08:36:36 · answer #11 · answered by vtlovie 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋