It's akin to me owning a restaurant and saying that everyone is welcome. That doesn't mean you're welcome to come in wearing a "God hates faggots." shirt. It means you can come in regardless of your views. The moment your views become actions allowing you to remain is becoming exclusive rather than inclusive.

All of that is true. However, if you start policing people's freedom of expression you'll face the appropriate backlash for behaving like a tyrant.

That's irrelevant though, this isn't your website. You have zero power to tell people what they can and can't post.

It's akin to me owning a restaurant and saying that everyone is welcome. That doesn't mean you're welcome to come in wearing a "God hates faggots." shirt. It means you can come in regardless of your views. The moment your views become actions allowing you to remain is becoming exclusive rather than inclusive

This forum is dedicated to expressing your views on issues not related to warlight, the only action that can done here is posting views on various issues and subjects. It's like if you had a breakfast shop, and folk usually ordered things like pancakes and waffles, but one day a bloke ordered eggs, and you refused because you didn't like eggs.

OT forums are pretty separate from the game and players don't get sucked into them unless they want to so I suggest they remain a free speech zone (except for stuff like CP and terror threats that would jeopardize ads). If people want to share their extreme views here I am of the opinion that they should be allowed to. If some view is too extreme to be considered than it should be vulnerable to opposing arguments; silencing it should be unnecessary.

Political discussion should be allowed on the OT forum. It's an organic interest of the community. Steering the discussion towards more puritan topics would create a database of low-energy, uncommitted, and small voice of opinions. Players invest most of their energy in political discussion, and as previously mentioned, the OT forums are so removed from the game that even the most vile OT forum wouldn't kill actual game traffic. If not for the inevitable downward trend all online games suffer from made worse by rampant over-moderation, this game could actually thrive with a hostile OT forum.

Unfortunately OP was suspended, not even for extremity but for mildly disagreeing views. The moment players are suspended for offering their two cents to improve the community is the perfect moment to flee.

As the game stagnates (WarLight needs to maintain a steady growth to rake in the ad revenue, a trend it hasn't been following recently) the kind of steering, censoring policies will only become more apparent. In a desperate attempt to save the ads, mildly unorthodox behavior anywhere on the site is grounds for suspension. For anyone who talks about PG-R subjects and anyone who isn't a crony, this means an inevitable ban. Site bans for forum violations is one of WarLight's biggest weaknesses. The active and controversial players who get banned are irreplaceable, the loss in playerbase has a profound effect on ad revenue. Most new players (normies) don't stay for more than a few weeks, and most "trolls" are veterans.

For normal players who enjoys the standard WarLight strategic game format, I would suggest steering clear of any controversial subject. Warnings and suspensions add up and there's no way to reset them so you will be banned inevitably. WarLight truly is the best risk clone and it has a great selection of maps, it's a shame the moderation had to come down so hard on people, and a terrible business strategy. Hopefully someone makes a better risk clone with an intellectually tolerant community.

For diplomacy players, there are far superior games that you can play online. I recommend Call of War or New World Empires. You have to be really good at what you do to get banned from these games.

For the mods and cronies, I suggest you find a new platform to live our your power fantasy because this game isn't going to be popular in a few years.

No Smedley. Nowhere in the off-topic forum is it implied that all topics are acceptable.

Topics not related to warlight, yes.

Many gaming sites have off-topic sections on the forums. Nearly all of them would ban people for the type of shit that is posted here.

You seem to be implying that off-topic means no rules, no holds barred, post whatever you want. It doesn't.

And no, this isn't my site, but it's pretty clear what Fizzer's views are when he bans someone.

Back to the restaurant anology.

I throw you out for wearing a shirt that says god hates faggots. You sneak back in, or send your buddy in to throw a fit about how I threw you out, guess what, you're not staying the second time either. If you have a complaint with the owner you contact them, privately - not sneak back in or send in proxies to throw a fit. In this case the owner is Fizzer, and the appropriate way to express displeasure is via email or PM, not by trying to cause a riot on the forums.

No Smedley. Nowhere in the off-topic forum is it implied that all topics are acceptable.

Topics not related to warlight, yes.

Many gaming sites have off-topic sections on the forums. Nearly all of them would ban people for the type of shit that is posted here.

Yes topics not relating to warlight, like politics.

Also, what? I've been to other gaming forums and they don't ban over political opinions on their off topic forum. Yes, spam, insults, significantly derailed threads and porn, but not political opinions.

I throw you out for wearing a shirt that says god hates faggots. You sneak back in, or send your buddy in to throw a fit about how I threw you out, guess what, you're not staying the second time either

I complain about it to other who frequent your store and stop using it*

This is what I've been advocating.

Omniscient, just out of curiosity. Would you be holding the same hardline "No politics allowed" position if the forum was full of radical socialists and progressives? I can't help but notice there's never a public outcry from your kind whenever a liberal thread appears, but the moment anything right-wing appears it's nothing but "ZOMG RACISM, OFFENSIVE, BAN EVERYTHING"

You have no clue what "my kind" is.

Because I don't air my laundry on a gaming forum.

You have no clue what "my kind" is.

By "Your kind" I'm referring to people who want to censor what other people can and can't say because "It's offensive".

Because I don't air my laundry on a gaming forum.

You've aired plenty on this thread. Just by even taking part in this argument you're breaking your own "No politics allowed" rule.

Edited 7/31/2016 02:01:23

Once again, you guys can believe and argue about whatever the fuck you want, but it doesn't matter jack shit if Fizzer and our new moderation staff don't want it here:

"Freedom of Speech as per the first amendment applies only to the United States Government. Private institutions have every right to shut you up for spouting rude, hateful nonsense.

As an example, the Government can't stop you from shouting about how all the gays are going to hell. But I can sure as hell throw you off my property if you do."

I'm fairly sure that a fine line exists between "Free Speech" and "Hate Speech". Considering this is the internet and people get WAY to offended on it, I'm still going to let this be known. In America, 9/10 of what you've posted has been either racist or autistic.

"Freedom of Speech as per the first amendment applies only to the United States Government. Private institutions have every right to shut you up for spouting rude, hateful nonsense.

Absolutely false. The government also has to protect your rights from being violated by other citizens, otherwise it wouldn't be able to enforce ANY laws at all.

This type of logic is like saying, "Protection against discrimination only applies to the United States government. Private institutions have every right to discriminate based on race. "

I've actually observed that there is a pretty nice amount of freedom of speech here on wl. I'm a pretty radical guy, and I haven't yet been banned or even warned for openly saying exactly what I think on the forums or in my maps.

I mean I hear all the time that people get banned for basic stuff, but it's just not something I've observed personally.

"Absolutely false. The government also has to protect your rights from being violated by other citizens, otherwise it wouldn't be able to enforce ANY laws at all."

No, that's absolutely not how the first amendment works. At all.

Go read up on it before trying to talk down to others. You're an uneducated idiot.

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/faq/frequently-asked-questions-assembly

Do individuals have First Amendment rights on others’ private property?

Generally no. The Bill of Rights provides protection for individual liberty from actions by government officials. This is called the state-action doctrine. Private property is not government-owned. Restrictions on individuals’ free-speech rights on private property do not involve state action.

However, a few states have interpreted their own state constitutions to provide even greater free-speech protection than the federal Constitution offers. For example, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that individuals have free-speech rights at privately owned shopping malls. Most state supreme courts that have examined the issue have disagreed. In April 2002, the Iowa Supreme Court refused to extend its definition of public property to include large, privately owned shopping malls.

Websites are considered private property.

Now you resort to insults. Who's talking down to who here?

Sounds like you're just an angry man with a weak position. If you can't even remain civil I won't bother debating with you.

You're powerless anyways. This isn't your site, and nothing you say will ever stop us from discussing what we please. Have fun grasping for power you can't have.

Edited 7/31/2016 02:35:51

i believe the proper way to frame your post is:

You're right. I am uneducated. I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm going to continue to ignore facts and make up random bullshit instead, because hey, my opinions important to me, it doesn't matter if it's been proven false in the court of law repeatedly.

More insults and personal attacks.

Nice try, but I'm not going to play that game. You still have no power here, btw.

Also, you're calling me uneducated but your post has several grammatical errors. Don't lecture me about education when you don't even know proper English.

Edited 7/31/2016 02:43:14

"Sounds like you're just an angry man with a weak position. If you can't even remain civil I won't bother debating with you."

Except he provided a bunch of evidence, so his position isn't weak at all. He's angry because you're sticking your head in your ass and refusing to listen to sense.

my opinion is that you're stupid.

@Omniscient I'm reporting you.

Everyone report him lol.

Banning political discussions? Nah discussion is good for he community.

AND

Banning something doesn't make it go away, just like banning guns doesn't stop gun crimes, or if there are no guns, knives will replace it. Prohibition is an example of two bannin somethings works, it doesn't work.

People would still talk about politics somehow and regulating it would be almost impossible to do.

(I didnt read what everyone said)

WL has no freedom of speech, because its a PRIVATE site.
The owner can do whatever he wants on his private property.
If you disagree with this, kindly leave this site and stop bothering the ones who just wanna enjoy this game.