Topic: Scientology
Scientology Controversy The Nolan Chart website's official position on this controversy, with a message to both proponents and critics of Scientology and Anonymous.by Walt Thiessen
(libertarian)
Saturday, September 13, 2008
I was originally going to write this as an email reply to the 90+ people who have filed violation reports about various articles and comments about Scientology posted on this website within the past few days. I've decided instead to reply to all via this article because I'm on vacation right now and don't want to waste any more of my rest and relaxation time than I have to. I trust that it will be viewed by all the main contributors to the debate, as well as to many of those who have been watching it.
First, Nolan Chart LLC takes no official position on these issues. Indeed, we take no official position on any issues. I often publish my own stuff on this site as a columnist, but when I do so I am writing in my own voice, not in my role as the owner of the website. However, this article is an exception. In this article, I am writing on behalf of my company.
Second, in a normal week, we receive maybe 1 or 2 violation complaints for the entire week. I'm currently on vacation, having left with my wife on Wednesday. When I logged on today to check emails and such, I found over 90 violation reports waiting for me from all sides of the controversy. This led to a number of observations on my part.
(1) I'm pissed off that this has happened just as I went on vacation. Are you guys all conspiring to ruin my only major vacation of the year? The timing is incredible.
(2) A huge number of the violation complaints I have received are, at best child-like....and that's an insult to children. I'll tell you all point-blank that it is time for all of you to grow up. I haven't seen this many thin skins since...well, I can't remember a time.
(3) I am going through the articles and blocking only those comments that really go over the line. Most of the articles and comments published on the site have been relatively civilized, although there has been a significant amount of sarcastic bile in comments from both sides. So I'm warning you all....heavy sarcasm may be considered a violation of my rights as publisher, and therefore be in violation of our terms of service. I will be the sole judge about this, and I do not promise to be even-handed. If someone pisses me off with their petty bile, they will see their comments and perhaps even their articles disappear. Warning to all on all sides of this debate...don't push it! If you're wondering whether you might have crossed the line but not yet been sanctioned for it, you probably have. I strongly recommend that you write apology comments on the articles to make up for it before I get back from vacation. Those who make an effort will be noticed by me.
(4) I want everyone who is writing to spend more time documenting their claims. I've seen articles and comments on all sides of the debate that are very poorly documented. Some of you have made any effort to document, and I commend you for that. Do more of it! And if you haven't been documenting, particularly if you're writing articles...beware! When I get back from vacation, I'm going to start banning those people who haven't done their jobs. Again, I do not promise to be fair. I will instead react based on who is pissing me off the most. I make no promises as to whether they will be from one side of the debate or another. This way, you all will have to be on your toes. Think you're safe because your article or comment is still up? Guess again! I may have a fit and decide to start banning stuff I've already passed, depending upon what I see when I return from vacation! If you've written an article that needs better documentation, use your control panel to re-edit the article and document it. If you've written a comment that you didn't document, write another one, provided the documentation, and apologize for not providing it in the first place.
(5) Swearing is almost certain to get your comment or article banned, if it hasn't been already. Got it?
This all probably seems quite unfair to some of you. I say, tough! Instead, of being pissed off at me, I ask you to remember that when you visit and participate at this website, you are effectively visiting my home. If you believe that you have the right to visit someone's home, pee on the carpet, dump the hors d'oeurves on the floor, and write obscentities on the walls, you're going to be in for a very rude awakening when I get back from vacation.
I hope I have made my position (i.e. the company's position) clear. For the record, I don't personally care a whit about Scientology, so don't think that you can psyche me out and get me to favor your side of the argument. You can't.
Grow up and act responsibly, or you'll pay the price. You have been warned. I'm off to get some much needed rest and relaxation.
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The views expressed in this
article are those of Walt Thiessen only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Walt Thiessen is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
When Scientology started spamming the system with false accusations about anonymous and Scientology, I don't blame the Anons for firing back with the truth.
Sorry that some got a little too pissed off and may have respondd in inappropriate ways.
I'm glad to read this because I was beginning to wonder why we are being flooded with Scientology articles. One or two, summarizing both sides, would be sufficient given its peripheral relevance to politics and the fact that the election is in full bore.
It's also not fair to other columnists. I posted a new column on Friday and it's already off the front page because of so many points and counter points on Scientology. Out of consideration for people who are interested in other topics please try to limit your contributions on Scientology to comments on existing articles. Only write a new article if you have something completely new to say. Thank you.
"Shirley", you are mixing up the times. Nolanchart.com has been abused for almost a week by Anonymous with opinionated and undocumented claims before any even slightly "pro-scientology" article showed up. Sticking out the finger and blaming others for something not done by them is not really a good idea in the age of computers when you can trace back everything to the millisecond.
Would you like to provide documentation? (urls) I'm new here and haven't gotten my sea legs yet. (i.e. Show me the money :-) The first one I saw that came up on a google alert was "Lou's" attack on the anons.
Do you know anything about Scientology? If so, then you should know Scientologists are all over the internet hiding behind front groups and fake names to spread false information in press releases, on blogs and in newsgroups.
I'll tell you why nolanchart is having so many articles and violations of articles posted on this single subject. If you google "scientology" news (not web, but news) for the past 24 hours you'll find about 5 to 50 articles Apparently there are people who do this every day. Because if you do, and then go to those articles you find many that allow comments. They rapidly fill up with negative comments. Briefly, there are a number of Scientology critics who spam like crazy.
Nolanchart recently appeared on the google news list with a single, scientology article. Lots of commenters, therefore, read here but can easily comment here. It is cheap, easy, and quick. And no proven identity is necessary to comment, either. So even my screen name is duplicated in comments here on nolandhart (only found one instance of this so far). Views completely contrary to my own are opined with this screen name.
"For the record, I don't personally care a whit about Scientology, so don't think that you can psyche me out and get me to favor your side of the argument."
You already demonstrated that in your article? If one doesn't care a whit about what he is commenting or writing on, the article is bound to be biased and carry false information [proganda]
Maybe that was your intention [to spread propaganda]??
The site is still being swamped with undocumented and offensive language articles. I don't think some people have not gotten it. You should make them pay for your vacation.
Shirley, I know what you are talking about. I like Nolan Chart for diverse and interesting political viewpoints and some anti-Scientology guys like it as a cheap springboard to get their badly or not documented claims spread. It's disgusting, none of these recent cheap-Jacks cares about Nolan Chart.
As for timing, there is a call to kidnap and deprogram Katie Holmes dated 3 September, obviously not written by a scientology member, and another similar article of 9 September that is barely less than a very personal attack on the scientology leader (who does not write here). The first and only articles about scientology that are not bluntly hostile are dated 11 September and somewhat documented. You can hardly blame them for reacting.
Wouldyou be so kind to explain from where/whom were coming the violations reports?
I'd bet it's mostly from scientology-linked people; just another exemple of why I think so: take the EFF story about the youtube supposed 4000 violations last weeks: the source was scientology, and none of the violations were existing.It's just one more attack from the cult against anyone or anybody daring to expose the facts.
I presume it would be great to realize that any message pro-scientology contains lies or exxagerrations. So, they should be cut off, because that's helping a fraud (many times convicted) to perdure and keep on defrauding.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2008-09-17 12:37:16
Hi Walt,
Thanks for taking a stick to this recent trend. Frankly, I have found it only a symptom of the NolanChart.Com self-limiting flaw. With no barrier to entry, the content can only maintain mediocrity. On the other hand, if there were barriers to entry, perhaps I'd not be eligible to write here.
I resigned from a 4X4 club this year for the same reason. On every single outing there were new folks joining us who had no off-road experience. For me, an avid off-roader for decades, the value of the club was a flat line; no value add over time.
I quit frequenting public message boards for much the same reason 7-8 years ago. The format fosters endless back and forth with no return as there is a never ending supply of new protagonists and their corresponding antagonists.
A ladder of knowledge and understanding requires there to be higher rungs. Always standing on the bottom rung is no way to advance a cause.
I write in order to formalize and solidify my positions and reasoning. I use feedback comments to measure my effectivness; with the goal of reaching a higher perspective. I am dismayed that the recent spate of religious ferver has probably turned off a great many readers because the wider the audience, the more feedback I get. Yes, this is all about me, but so what? [grin]
I really don't care what anyone thinks about Scientology or any other faith including Atheism, Liberalism, Nationalism, Christianity, Conspiracy theories of all flavors, etc. I only care that their incessant recanting of dogma erodes hit on this site.
You obviously aren't familiar with scientology's Office of Special Affairs. They have a whole team of people who go out and make pro-scientology remarks in articles (Terryeo is one of those people) and who sometimes will write articles like the kidnap one as well as other ones that sound quite nasty. Not saying anonymous wasn't behind all bad language articles, there are some hot headed kids among the group but the worst of the ones, especially if they make threats or try to get people to commit crimes are almost certainly scientology "black PR" made to look like we wrote it. If you need backup on this claim, go talk to Paulette Cooper, a journalist who was smeared this same way in the 70's by scientology. They haven't changed a bit since those days either.
Oh also, Walt? You might want to add a thumbs down icon to bury spam articles. I would suggest that a user need to be on the site for a week or so and have actually contributed without being reported (for a real reason, not just because of a dispute) before they can downvote. This would prevent either side from abusing puppet accounts to rig a vote.
DISCLAIMER: The information presented herein consists of the commenters personal opinion(s) and does not reflect the view(s) of nolanchart.com, any affiliates of nolanchart.com, the owners or administrators of nolanchart.com or the view(s) of the author of this article.
It appears from my perspective that all religion is as equally illogical as Scientology is. The difference however is that Scientology is NOT a recognized religion in many countries of the world - including (but not limited to) their original home base; the UK [1].
Therefore Scientology deserves NO protection in terms of what a recognized religion should receive. If you want this sorted, ban Scientology-related "religious" articles altogether. Allow only factual articles for what newsrooms have reported on; this way only pre-verified facts will be provided.
Well, Martyn Hare, if a body of information results in a more understood relationship with the Supreme Being, I would say it qualifies as a religion. Because that is religion's direction. While this is a simplification of what Scientology says practitioners can achieve, it is accurate.
Scientology promotes a closer relationship between their organization and your wallet!
Also, if you are interested in being illegally 'employed' for a pittance by this 'church' and then possibly falsely imprisoned in their 'Rehabilitation Project Force' system, that can easily be arranged too! See the lawsuits now under way by former members who are taking them to court for labor law violations.
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