• Replies 15 replies
  • Subscribers 32 subscribers
  • Views 3371 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Confused...

mrt502

Am I missing something...?

Today, I received the following email:

"Hello Mrt502,

 Thank you for joining the community, we hope that you are finding it useful and interesting to be a part of.

 To ensure that our users are safe and secure, we encourage them to use profile picture and user names that are not directly connected to them. For example using your face as a profile picture and your real name as a username. This is followed by the community rule here:

  1. This Community forum is public, so do not post personal or identifying details on it. This includes, but is not limited to, full names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. http://community.autism.org.uk/p/rules

 We have noticed that you have a personal picture of yourself as your profile picture . Therefore, please could we ask that you kindly change your profile picture  to something that is not identifying to yourself.

We are grateful for your input in the community. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

 [XXXXX] Mod"

Now, I have 2 issues with this email:

  1.  Surely it is up to me and my freedom of expression as to what avatar or image I use to identify myself as long as it is neither offensive nor impacting any other individual's right to anonymity?
  2.  The rule that is refereced merely states:
    1. "This Community forum is public, so do not post personal or identifying details on it. This includes, but is not limited to, full names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers."

Okay, so it states "...includes, but is not limited to, full names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers" it makes absolutely zero reference to the image you choose to use.

Personally, whilst I respect other's choice of avatar, I prefer to being able to form a picture of the person I am "talking" to (pretty crap at forming mental images myself etc).  Is there really anything wrong with this?

Where, in any of the rules for this forum does it state that I am not allowed freedom of personal expression (subject to legality/bullying/etc as previously mentioned)?

For me, I have nothing to hide.  IF, and it is a big IF, someone was able to recognise me from the image I have chosen to use, then they already know me and, most likely, already know about my "conditions", so again, why should I be forced to hide myself?

I'm sorry if this looks like a rant, but I am genuinely confused by this approach from one of the mods.  If the mods want to restrict our freedom of expression in something as simple as a picture that we, as individuals, have made the choice to share, what else is getting "moderated" or "censored"?  Does this meant that posts will start getting deleted because a mod, for whatever reason, decides to take the view that it is "not appropriate"?

How many of the mods are neurodiverse?  If they are all NTs, then why can they not recognise that NDs (the majority of us on here) think differently and, most likely, will have a different definition or view on what has been posted?  Come on Mods, we have to put up with enough of this c*ap in our daily lives - especially in the work place.  Isn't this community forum meant to be a "safe place" where we can feel safe/free to air our thoughts, opinions, issues etc and, in turn, receive the support, assistance, friendship etc of a like minded community?

Okay, rant over...

(must remember to re-purpose that soap box into a downhill racer...)

Parents

  • I appreciate your point of view and this has been discussed before.

    But.. one characteristic of autism is people being innocent, naive and vulnerable.

    And theses rules are for the users protection.  Anyone can view these forums.  And there are some nasty ' sharks' on the internet.

  • in reply to Robert124

    Hi Robert123.

    I'm not suggesting that everyone should have to have a picture of themselves.  I am merely rallying around my own informed free choice.

    Further, by the mods stating that, despite my informed free choice they still know what is best for ME - how is that any different from any of the stigma that many of us have received in our adult day-to-day lives?

    To give an example, I was having a discussion with someone that I have known for years and who has always respected by abilities (as in, there is not an IT project of any kind that he has not solicited my assistance in the past 10 years!) yet, when I mentioned that I had been told that I'm "on the spectrum", he immediately started to distant himself because of the general conception that ASD = learning difficulties etc.  This is despite my having an IQ of 166!

    Frankly, I expected better of the NAS and their appointed moderators 

  • in reply to mrt502

    I'm getting a sense of déjà vu.  Because there were big arguments about this in the past.  And the moderators actions against the rule breakers.

    I understand your opinion about it being your choice about what information you disclose.

    But in the end.  Rules are rules.  Whether you agree with them or not.

    I personally don't care if people know who I really am.  But I use a pseudonym to avoid being chucked off this website.

Reply
  • in reply to mrt502

    I'm getting a sense of déjà vu.  Because there were big arguments about this in the past.  And the moderators actions against the rule breakers.

    I understand your opinion about it being your choice about what information you disclose.

    But in the end.  Rules are rules.  Whether you agree with them or not.

    I personally don't care if people know who I really am.  But I use a pseudonym to avoid being chucked off this website.

Children
No Data