Check out this for an example of why we are here and no longer there.
This is a example of folks moving to the area from Virginia to work here and asking questions about the city and the schools. Before long what they get is a good dose of MC and OR-X and the likely hood that they will choose to live in Oak Ridge plummets.
If the Oak Ridger has a shred of decency, they will shut down their vile forums.
Yeah, sad, isn't it. The forum used to be interesting, until MC, ORX and the goose couple appropriated it for their own. Oh, and chris has no interest in policing it.
Here we have a family who wants to move here, and schools are a priority for them. The husband in the family has a job here in Oak Ridge. They will buy a house and contribute to the community they choose.
And Oak Ridger-X suggests they try Loudin County after insulting them. I guess they won't be interested in a subscription to the Oak Ridger either.
If the Oak Ridger has a shred of decency, they will shut down their vile forums.
That statement has been true for a good while now. It's very troubling that such a small sampling of malcontents may be seen as representing Oak Ridge, but with both the editor and publisher of that paper living elsewhere, it should come as no surprise that they simply don't care.
It appears that the VA family quickly realized that MC and ORX are a couple of nuts and should be ignored, as normal people do. Still, the Oakridger needs to take some kind of action there.
"This is America so they have some right to speak"
That's irrelevant. There is no Constitutional "right" for them to post on the Oak Ridger Forum.
Yes and the Oak Ridger chooses not to apply reasonable moderation to their forum.
"In addition, even with a constitutional right, people can not say inflammatory or libel statements legally."
Actually, the Constitution does permit inflammatory speech. And the Supreme Court has upheld this right many times. Libel is another question, but that has to be determined in a court of law.
Just as the Oak Ridger is not bound by law to publish every letter to the editor that passes legal muster, so it is not bound by law to allow every post that appears on the fourm.
"Forums are different than letters to the editor. Forums are bound by the rules of the owner/moderators."
Publication of letters to the editor are subject to rules of the editor/owner, and subject to their judgement. Publication of posts on the forum are subject to rules of the editor/owner, and subject to their judgement.
"Just which posts would you permit; only those you agree with?"
No. I would permit posts that don't personally attack others. I would permit posts that stay on the topic of the thread.