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Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum

This message board welcomes open and friendly debate on matters relevant to Ashton and its history, and the publicising of local events, activities and facilities. Please read the board rules before posting.

Extracts from this forum and other material have been brought together to provide a local history from the contributions of members.

Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum
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Re: Re: CENSORSHIP ON THIS WEBSITE

Hi Alan
You can't see my posting of a report by the world respected journalist John Pilger because it was removed shortly after being posted.
I thought it must have been an error so I posted it again but that too was removed.
No explanation was given and I can therefore only assume that it was removed because it was critical of the ruling politbureau.
I see also that the message cartoons have been removed.
Best wishes
Peter

Town: peter.franzen@community-action.com

Re: Censored messages

Hi Alan -

To reply to your points:

1. >>I have been told that this website is here under false pretenses and represents the views of one person, the webmaster

My credentials for recounting events at Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum are set out on the home page. The reports on current events in Ashton are mine and can be accepted or rejected as such. Are you suggesting I should remove this website because your informant doesn't like it?

2. >>..members of the now defunct Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum are upset at the way this forum is heading.

If you are referring to a posting on this board: that remark came from a person who was never a member of the Community Forum and who is politically motivated to suppress any views which do not correspond with those of her Party.

3. >>Also that there is censorship of this website. If there is censorship I would be interested to know how it is done as this posting appears as soon as I press post??

Messages are deleted if they contain personal abuse of contributors (I have made an exception in the past in the case of CAP aggression, as I feel it is beneficial if people can see demonstrations of their hatred). They are also deleted if they consist mainly of chunks of copied diatribes rather than reasoned argument between contributors. AndyY's point about insertion of links instead of direct use of copyrighted material was a good one.

4. >>It seems strange that one of the main conributors is the leader of the CAP.

Sad, but true.

5. >>At the end of the day this website does serve a useful function. perhaps the time has come to break the link with Ashton-in-Makerfield Community Forum and rename the site.

The site was originally created to mark the work of the Community Forum and continues to exist as explained on the home page. CAP have made determined efforts to oppose this site, as people from Wigan Council could attest, which is why I am unwilling to bow to pressure to rebrand it. The message board was added to attempt to enhance dialogue between people interested in Ashton in a positive way, although it is being currently used to peddle political views (by a party which forced the Council to remove links to it on the grounds that this was a political website!). If the majority of contributors are unhappy with the board then I will remove it, but the website will remain. The original Community Forum attempted to bring together people of all political persuasions and none, as the founders saw that political infighting would do nothing to forward the interests of the town. Would that the present local political regime could rise to the same standards.

6. One rule that any website should have is a valid email addres from contributors.

I have left this to the discretion of the contributor - not everyone wants to be subject to the risk of orchestrated spam from certain parties. I am able to monitor the IP addresses to assess if a contributor is genuine.

Thanks for your points and your interest in the board.

David.

Town: dm@aimi.org.uk

Re: Re: Censored messages

Hi David

I wish to respond to your comments as follows:

"Messages are deleted if they contain personal abuse of contributors (I have made an exception in the past in the case of CAP aggression, as I feel it is beneficial if people can see demonstrations of their hatred)."
This is an unwarranted attack on the Community Action Party and a further transparent demonstation of your political bias and the purpose and agenda for which you use this website, as exemlified by the derogatory comments on your home page.

"They are also deleted if they consist mainly of chunks of copied diatribes."
This is an insult to the world respected John Pilger, whose boots some will never be fit to lick.

"It seems strange that one of the main conributors is the leader of the CAP. Sad, but true."
Perhaps I should be flattered to be considered as one of the main contributors but since I hardly ever post on here I just think that its a sad relection on your lack of appeal. Just take a look at how many posts you have had in the past six months.

"CAP have made determined efforts to oppose this site,"
This is a blatant lie. The Community Action Party have never tried to close this site, just to expose it's political bias and to remove the Council link.
The Community Action Party website does not have a link from the Council website so why should your politically biased website have a link either?
Council Officers took the decision to remove the link because they read your politically motivated diatribes against the Community Action Party.

"The original Community Forum attempted to bring together people of all political persuasions "
Founders of the original Community Forum included New Labour supporters hacks and stooges. As soon as it's Chairperson, Don Hodgkinson, was elected as a Community Action Party Councillor he was hounded out of office.

"Would that the present local political regime could rise to the same standards."
As a point of information the present local political regime is Stalinist New Labour - but hopefully not for much longer.

In conclusion, you are truly a legend in your own imagination. If you close this forum, or even the whole stagnant website, hardly anyone will notice or care.

Best wishes

Peter

Town: peter.franzen@community-action.com

Re: CENSORSHIP ON THIS WEBSITE

IT,S THERE???????????

Town: ajames46@fsmail.net

Re: Re: CENSORSHIP ON THIS WEBSITE

Hi Alan
I have posted the new topic again but this time with a link that is also copied hereunder:

http://www.newstatesman.com/nscoverstory.htm

Best wishes
Peter

Town: peter.franzen@community-action.com

Re: CENSORSHIP ON THIS WEBSITE

Hi David

Thank you for your prompt and comprehensive reply. to answer your points.

1 No I am certainly not suggesting you remove the website, I was only stating the views forwarded to me. I made no comment either in agreement or otherwise.

2 I have not seen the posting you refered to, but is linked to point 6.

3 I have experienced no censorship and anyone will agree it is impossible to prove a negative.

4 To diverse slightly and reply to another posting. If this is a such a bad website that Peter rarely posts on, then I don't seem to be able to do simple sums, never mind mathamatics. The number of postings speak for themself.

5 Yes I do think this website serves a useful purpose and despite what the CAP thinks is not a voice of New or Old Labour. Perish the thought that I could be assosiated with either. I have gone to great lengths to say how I welcomed the arrival of an opposition party on WMBC. Reading the postings any bias against the CAP has been sadly self inflicted.
Any resident finds it nessesary to work with whoever is in power. I have contacts with all the parties on WMBC and apart from one person find that contact cordial.
However if Peter would remove the chip from his shoulder that could become 100% cordial.


6 Regarding this point, please contact me via my email address and I will be willing to expand on this point. I do not think it would be fair on an open forum.

In concluding I would like to restate the heading "Chat about matters relating to Ashton" if we could revert to that I think that would solve a lot of problems.

Regards
Alan

PS New Labour me, heaven forbid, as blue as the Danube!!

Town: ajames46@fsmail.net

Re: CENSORSHIP ON THIS WEBSITE

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the link to the New Statesmen, re John Piliger.

Before I comment what has it to do with "Chat about matters relating to Ashton"
There is much to chat about, it may seem trivual when taken in the context of events of the past month, I admit, but that is what this website is about.

None the less you seem despite what you claim to, want to dominate this site with your politiacl views. I wander if there is any wisdom in replying, none the less here goes.

I agree with most of the comments in the New Statesman, but it only is one side of a many faceted problem.
In todays Times there is an excellent article by Libby Purves that makes a link to the moral decline of our country over the past thirty years and how evil people have wrongly used Islam to indocrinate impressionable people to become suicide bombers.

Perhaps we should look at our so called liberal society that has watered down our Christian heritage. Most Moslems I know find no difficulty living in a Christain Country, what they do find difficult is living in a country that claims that title but is in the main lacking any beliefs bar consummerism.

All parties carry resposibility as does the vast majority of the population (myself included)who have stood by and allowed the situation to reach the low it has it has.

BUT at the end of the day, nothing can excuse the horrors of 7-7 or 9-11 and yes the slaughter in Iraq and Afghanistan. Islam, Judaism Christianity and most other religions cherish human life. All have perpetrated great evil in the name of their religion. But that does not condemn their beliefs, sadly it does condemn the action of those who use its name to perpetrate evil.

So perhaps Peter if we could revert to "Chat about matters relating to Ashton" We all may in our small way help to put "the genie of consumerism" back in the bottle. Lets save topics like this for a different forum.

May the wisdom of Jehova, the peace of Allah and the love of Jesus Christ be with you.
Alan

Town: ajames46@fsmail.net