Comments on: Response to Associated Press Article Aimed at Community Managers: “‘Public’ online spaces don’t carry speech, rights” http://www.managingcommunities.com/2008/07/07/response-to-associated-press-article-aimed-at-community-managers-public-online-spaces-dont-carry-speech-rights/ Community Manager Blog: Battle Tested Community Management Solutions Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:21:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: chrispian http://www.managingcommunities.com/2008/07/07/response-to-associated-press-article-aimed-at-community-managers-public-online-spaces-dont-carry-speech-rights/comment-page-1/#comment-335 chrispian Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:20:47 +0000 http://www.managingcommunities.com/?p=90#comment-335 My problem with the article was mainly that he likened communities to 'public spaces', which they are not. They are more like buildings on a highway. The road is public but the buildings are private. You're allowed in, even without knowing who you *really* are and allowed to do just about anything, within reason. Online communities are like that too. Just like a bar might have different rules than a church and everything in between, so do online communities. Our constitution gives us the RIGHT to free speech, not the right of venue. Even in public spaces you often have to get a permit if you are going to have any sort of gathering. Loitering anyone? Or any number of other laws and ordinances that protect public spaces from people just spewing whatever. Free speech is one of the most mis-used things I see online these days and it makes me a little ill, honestly. My problem with the article was mainly that he likened communities to ‘public spaces’, which they are not. They are more like buildings on a highway. The road is public but the buildings are private. You’re allowed in, even without knowing who you *really* are and allowed to do just about anything, within reason. Online communities are like that too. Just like a bar might have different rules than a church and everything in between, so do online communities. Our constitution gives us the RIGHT to free speech, not the right of venue. Even in public spaces you often have to get a permit if you are going to have any sort of gathering. Loitering anyone? Or any number of other laws and ordinances that protect public spaces from people just spewing whatever.

Free speech is one of the most mis-used things I see online these days and it makes me a little ill, honestly.

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