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Comment by declan_roberts | Hacker News Reader

Unfortunately the right to freedom of speech is undergoing a worldwide test right now, including in the USA.

Keep drinking the Kremlin Koolaid (TM), friend.

I see/hear various forms of this comment. Is believing that free speech is being threatened a Russian propaganda thing? I'm honestly curious?

exactly. even this post is flagged. :)

Do you think my inability to post AdviceAnimal style memes on HN is a free speech issue? Or do you think that a given forum deciding that it has a specific focus is actually ok, and that flagging an article as not belonging here is not, fundamentally, a comment on whether or not someone can say it at all?

I find that most of the vocal “free speech” complaints seem to center on the belief that everyone is always obligated to host and support anything and everything I say, no matter where I say it. Your comment is emblematic of that, and I’m curious if that’s intentional or otherwise.

My comment about the irony of a free speech post being censured was mostly sarcasm. That said, Hn has a pretty broad set of topics that are allowed through. Right now there's a post on the top page that is just a rant about people being late to meetings. Is this more of the "specific focus" of Hn than "free speech"? I'd argue the opposite since technology is playing such a major role in the censorship of today.

All that being said Hn remains my top visited site (by far), so I am not for a minute complaining about its quality of moderation.

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