A few months ago an internet search of a question I had lead me to a website : quora.com. I thought the concept was interesting and so I signed up for a profile.
Shortly after signing, people began requesting answers from me based on fields of study and interest I had listed on my profile. That's the point of Quora, so no problem; I answered the questions.
Shortly after answering my first round of questions, I received an email from Quora moderators telling me to be nice, and that they had removed my responses. I didn't insult anyone personally. I didn't swear. But, people have thin skins sometimes so I let it go.
Quora claims to be an open forum designed to generate discourse, yet as I answered more questions, I got more warnings to be nice. So now, I'm perplexed. I go back and read my posts. No insults, no name calling, just me answering guestions to the best of my ability based on my knowledge and experience.
What the ****? I asked myself. I don't get it. Then more questions came. This time after answering questions, I watched as people commented. In comments about my answers. I was called a murderer for my pro-choice stand. I was called ignorant for believing science and statistics over the bible. I was called stupid and a immature for arguing that while some laws are based on ethical or moral concerns not all were. Someone suggested breaking speed limits was immoral. I argued it to be illegal but not immoral as it was a safety regulation. Soon I was called stupid for choosing the speed limit argument, which of course I did not. I tried logic and reason. So what next?
You probably guessed it: another be nice warning to me. So I sent Quora the following email:
"
You allow people to call pro-choice people murderer. You allow people to call atheists liars, you allow people to call me stupid and a fool when I present logic, science and statistics. You allow people to insult my integrity, my maturity and on and on.
But if I dare defend myself or my position, I get an email warning ME to be nice.
Recently called me an uneducated, ignorant, 12 yo and said I was going to hell, because I dared question christians belief that they should be able to dictate their views INTO LAW. They said this not me. In response I wrote the following:
"To you. Not to billions of other people on the planet. Guess you are smarter than all of those billions of people.
Laws are laws. Period. Fact! they change on whims, do your morals? Morals are also fluid across geography and cultures. Fact! I know this because, I’ve been all over the world. While some laws are based on morals, not all are. Hence laws are NOT MORALS. Or will you argue next that tax code is morality? Many would argue their immorality.
Your view is that of a sheltered amd ignorant life.
But, maybe I and billions of other humans are wrong, and you are smarter than everyone who favors logic and decency over a vindictive imaginary friend.
Calling me 12 doesn’t argue for your intellect or maturity. Or will you next insist that name calling is sign of wisdom? And note I never called you names.
I know I’m wasting my time on you, because you know everything. But perhaps someone else stumbling down your path to destruction will see the blatant flaws and suppositions in your tired argument before it is to late for them."
I made comments on their viewpoint. I contradicted their supposition that they were a majority. I warned them that insulting me and calling me names didn't prove their argument.
At NO point did I insult anyone personally.
This isn't the first time you've done this either. I am beginning to think Quora is against free speech, and silencing me not because I wasn't nice but because I express an argument counter the moderation teams beliefs. You present yourselves as an open forum encouraging discourse, but you aren't backing that up. In point of fact you are silencing the least mean and offensive person in these comments. I believe this needs to be known by all Quora users and so will be posting this letter on various internet forums, blogs, and news sights. You might remove my profile for this, but you will not silence me.
Good day."
It seems Quora is fine with questions, answers, and debates as long as they stay within judeo-christian bounds. It appears even insults and name calling are allowed if you are doing so to defend judeo-christian arguments. If Quora had stated a judeo-christian view as part of their sign-up I would be fine with them flagging my comments, as they are from my atheist pro-science world view. But it says nothing of the sort. They don't even the courage or conviction to tell me what I said that was "not nice."
So now this is a free speech issue I believe the people hear at Daily Kos need to know about.