How to Deal with Censorship on Internet Message Boards

Since most Internet message boards have moderators (called 'mods' for short), censorship is actually quite common, especially for people who just drop in to comment on one particular thread. If you've been censored online for one comment or another, you might be feeling anger or even betrayal. After all, if someone else can state his or her point of view, then why can't you be afforded the same courtesy?

Censorship on Internet message boards can occur for a variety of reasons, some of which are more understandable than others. If you're frustrated with the situation, consider the following tips.

Profanity

One of the major reasons for censorship on Internet message boards is profanity. While some web sites don't have a problem with its use, others are considered 'family friendly' and would prefer to keep it clean. You should know that it is the prerogative of the moderator or owner of the site, and there isn't much you can do about it. My advice is to send an e-mail to the person in charge, asking what words are allowed on the site. If your entire post was deleted, ask if you can reinstate it without the profanity.

Isms

I've decided to group this all together in one point because racism, ageism, sexism and every other 'Ism' comes to the exact same conclusion. If your post on an Internet message board contained a derogatory statement about a group of people, the moderator is likely to exercise censorship rights. This goes hand-in-hand with profanity, as it is usually not tolerated. If you've been censored in this way, you might also be removed from the Internet community.

Contradicting Viewpoints

Many Internet message boards are geared toward a particular doctrine, belief system or ideology, and if you post a message with contradicting opinions, censorship might become an issue. Some say that the closer you come to refuting a belief, the worse the censorship gets, but you should know that it's likely to happen. If you are censored in this way, you might write to the moderator in a private message and ask why the post was deleted. If it didn't contain offensive material, you can request that it be reinstated on the board.