What About Free Speech, Freedom Of Expression?
That’s why periodically publishing the forum rules is a must. While it might become necessary to remove someone from the discussion, it is only fair that you set expectations and enforce them fairly and consistently. The value of the forum is not in the cathartic (or financial) benefits it provides your readers, but in the information and conversation they share. Allowing your forums to become an abusive free-for-all will alienate the very readers that you want to keep. Putting out a few obnoxious and abusive guests is a small price to pay to allow the vast majority of your readers, who will have valuable input and discussions, to enjoy their visits to your virtual home
If and when you ban someone – or even credibly threaten to do so – you’ll certainly be attacked with the Free Speech argument. Doesn’t everyone have the right to say what they want?
Sure they do, but not in your home, and your blog is your home. It’s your property. You provide the service, you set the rules, and just as no one has the right to come into your home and abuse your family, no one has an absolute right to enter into your forums, push fraudulent medicine or imitation watches, and abuse your guests.
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