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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

  • MrT502, you will also learn that these things are important for mods to point out, as well as any research requests and bad language. What tends not to be responded to is emotional angst, personal crisis or suicidal members.

    :) 

  • in reply to .

    If the mods are more interested in adhering to a set of rules without allowing freedom of expression than they are in the protection of our community or the individuals therein, then there is something very seriously wrong.  So wrong that it would lead me to question the safety of this community forum for its members.

    Perhaps, and I shall be sending an email to this effect, the NAS would be better having a forum comprised of the community, by the community and for the community that said forum is there to serve?

  • in reply to mrt502

    The NAS forum has limited resource. How would you like it’s energies best spent

  • in reply to .

    Simply put, Education.

    I would much rather see resources, especially limited ones, directed towards educating people about the many "needs" of the neurodiverse and how best to accommodate without pandering to those "needs".

    As for who to educate, everyone. GPs, members of the public (public awareness etc), family, employers, other health professionals, ourselves etc

    I would certainly prefer this than impeding a person's choice on freedom of expression

Reply
  • in reply to .

    Simply put, Education.

    I would much rather see resources, especially limited ones, directed towards educating people about the many "needs" of the neurodiverse and how best to accommodate without pandering to those "needs".

    As for who to educate, everyone. GPs, members of the public (public awareness etc), family, employers, other health professionals, ourselves etc

    I would certainly prefer this than impeding a person's choice on freedom of expression

Children
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