First, no new restrictions have been placed. These are the same old restrictions that have been here for years. We have only changed the time and amount of posts needed to "move up."
Quote Originally Posted by transmut1 View Post
doesn't that infringe on freedom of speech?
We often see an argument made regarding a person's "rights" and even a "freedom of speech."
Please keep in mind that this has always been and continues to be a privately owned and operated community. When each member signs up, they acknowledge this and agree that their rights will be limited as the administration of the community sees fit and that those rights may change. The same is true for Facebook, eBay, Amazon and practically every site you visit on the internet. The first Amendment of the Bill of Rights states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Many people confuse "Congress" with "Everyone" and mistakenly believe the first amendment grants you a "freedom of speech." The first amendment states that Congress cannot make a law that abridges your freedom of speech. It protects you from the government (not a private party like this site) censoring you. We have the ability to limit anyone in any way we see fit. Do we exercise that ability? Absolutely! We refuse to allow people who don't register to post at all. Don't register; and your freedom to post here is completely eliminated. The same has always been and continues to be the case for new members. New members can only create threads in certain places, but can post virtually anywhere.
@transmut1, I am not specifically calling you out, but since you are the first to post it, I want to be clear that we will always listen to member concerns and criticism, but if you actually hope to sway us on something, coming at us with things such as your "rights" or talking to us about "censorship" or your "freedom of speech" aren't going to get you very far.