Censorship on this Site

[Trampbag]

Open Letter to the Administrator

It’s been a long time since I last contacted you. Actually I think it was in 2003 before the format of the Forum was changed. You may recall, however it doesn’t matter if you don’t. I wanted a change then.

I was pleased to see the improvements on the site because the board was being hijacked by none sense at the time. I was actually off the site for about 2 years, mostly because of living in hotel/motel rooms until life became a blur, the life of a tramp lineman, you know. As Willy sings in Pancho and Lefty,

Livin on the road my friend, is gonna keep you free and clean
Now you wear your skin like iron
Your breath as hard as kerosene

At any rate these lyrics sort explain, and maybe they don’ really, why I am contacting you now.

I posted today and quotes a movie line from The Italian Job (2003) by the character John Bridger, played by Donald Sutherland. I was asked how I was doing and I said, “FINE - ****ed up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional” (I accidentally misquoted the character’s lines which was “Freeked Out”) and I got “****ed”.

One of the really interesting things on this site is that it was crew speak. Many I had no truck with, many I disagreed with most of the time, and few, and they were there, I agreed with all the time. But it was honest, uncensored and true to linecrew talk. I don’t curse a lot on this forum, as I try to curb my cursing on the crew. It just ain’t right in my opinion, not because of religion such, but because I hope I can express myself more descriptively that limiting myself to a few words. I was appalled, though, when ****ed appeared.

Why??

Is this an attempt at deviation from what makes this forum attractive to a lineman? If so, please return the format to an uncensored platform, a Lineman’s Speakers Corner. Maybe the warning label should be applied prior to entering this site that makes one aware the those easily offended should not enter, but please don’t alter the way this Forum has operated over the last decade.


Thank you,


Have Tramp Bag, Will Travel

[LostArt]

http://www.powerlineman.com/lforum/s...ead.php?t=2865

I'm working on it Lonesome. Just give me a few days, okay? I have to contact the owner, Byron.

[LostArt]

I have tried to contact Byron on the phone and left a message for him to read my email. It is the weekend, but I'm sure he will answer us one way or the other.

[lineman]

Sorry for my delayed response. We were camping out this week end.

It has always been the policy of Powerlineman to provide an open forum for the linemen and we stay out of it. Powerlineman has no opinion on anything. We just try to provide a level playing field for our users to have.

In the beginning it was a totally open bulletin board and as some of you remember it got way out of hand with some people posting things that were simply pornographic. I tried to delete the things that were plainly off subject and just nasty. BUT I never edited or censored any of the postings. The only thing I do is delete it.

I received many complaints about the language on the forums from all sides. Then our advertisers started to leave because of it. They didn’t want their banners condoning what was going on there. So, I had to make a change.

The new forum still allows you to be anonymous but it identifies you by your email so that if you go too far out in left field or if your intent is to sell “male enhancement” pills or employment postings I can block you. Of course you can just use a different email and come back but I at least have something I can do about it.


With over 3000 registered users on the forum there are a lot of opinions on this issue across the board and we are a bit stuck in the middle. We have never censured any postings. We did censure two words because I figured that you could get your message across even if the two words were bl**ked. One of then starts with an F and the other starts with a C.

I wonder how the rest of you feel? Do we leave it wide open and let the f and c bombs fall? I personally don’t care unless we start to loose advertisers because of it.

But I do know one thing. The nastier we let it get, the nastier it gets and some people will take it to the extreme like we have seen before.

What does everyone else think?

Byron Dunn

[Trampbag]

As I said I don’t curse a lot on this site anyway just because I think I can get people much more upset by utilising proper English and don’t like limiting my choices of adjectives to a couple of expletives. I certainly can live without the F or C especially if the choice is loosing the site or keeping it going.

I guess my problem is loosing freedom, piece by piece, little by little, until we’re all cringing in a mass afraid to say anything at all. I’ve worked in countries like that and I sure as h*ll wouldn’t like to live like those people. That isn’t living.

Thanks, Byron, for giving us this platform which keeps the ideas going. I believe what you are doing is correct; man I have believed for many years you are correct and I have supported every move you have made.

So, again, thank you.

[lineman]

Thank you for your support.

Like I said. I personally don't care about the language. I was a lineman for 30 years. I am not easily offended by things people say. I have been around linemen most of my life and I enjoy cutting up with them any time. Especially at the bar with a beer in front of me.

I guess my main point is that I leave the forums alone. I don't post any of my opinions because I don't want powerlineman to become the point. THE point is the linemen and what THEY want to talk about so I stay out of it.

All I want to do is avoid trouble and keep the free loaders off of it.

bd

[dirtdobber]

This site is a wonderful place for us lineman to vent and share our view points with one another sometimes it might get a little harsh but hey who are we? LINEMAN my eldest son is an apprentice he likes the site my 6 year old twins say they want to be lineman GOD I hope not.but they have watched some of the video posts and love them my WIFE reads some posts but then she kinda gets upset and some of the posts but thats another story.

[Koga]

to be some limitations as to certain words appearing in full written form. And I think the best way to handle it, is the way your are doin it. When someone writes "its f***ed up" you get thier drift and context of what is said. So I hope it remains the same and everyone can appreciate what we have here. Thanks Byron

Koga

[bashlin]

leave it like it is..i know what each person is trying to say without seeing words i try to keep out of my head anyway..clean = better..

[CenterPointEX]

I think it's fine just the way it is.

We sure don't want you loosing advertisers over the crap we talk about in some of the Forums.

I concur... it's kinda odd how Swamp**** and I agree on a lot of ****ing crap... Even though Swamp thinks I'm a ****ing Bible Thumping Arsehole... out to **** UP his world... What the **** Swamp... you don't ****ing love me any more? Come the **** on Swamp... Golly Gee's... I was just joshing **** Head... This is sort of ****ing Fun... any of you other sissys want to grab your ****s and come out to play? Though I'm out of charactor... I am after all a Lineman...


But who's to judge me? Swamp? Dirtdobber? Batts?... This world is not the ****ing hokey pokey... You can'T have one foot in and one foot out standing there holding your ****... either your all in or your all out... But I ****ING DIGRESS...