unexpected, no.
Just wish I could be bothered following it up. Feel a little defamed by the implications of having my comments being censored in the first place...
I think the vast amount of newly-blanked postings does more to show the truth of the issue than any of what we all wrote.

Beware!
Nev

It's the simple things stupid...

I find it most interesting that many of the comments "removed" actually had more to do with critical advise than actual defamation. I have no first hand experience of the agency myself and a lot of my posting were advice type comments and thoughts about the stong level of complaint.

When even tips and advice are censored, you then have to wonder.

Absit invidia

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing and dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director
UPstageWA Rep

Home Page

That is seriously sad. Like you both said the deleting of so many posts makes a better statement then what the posts themselves may have said in the first place.

Does free speech (well text) exist? Or is this just how humanity reacts to anything negative? It's not an attack just general responses.

~ Tari

The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

The way to avoid being sued (because defamation and libel are civil actions) is to tell only what can be supported by evidence as truth. Stated opinion is another issue. It is theoetically a defence to use the term "alleged" or "in my opinion" thereby removing the claim to fact. I do not believe that many of the posts on the BMA thread were defamatory as many of them simply repeated what we all say. Do your homework.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

I DO know there is no UNLIMITED free speech. Humanity cannot operate like that. Human flaw is always at fault. Besides the concept of "freedom" ,in my opinion, is an abstract concept, just like knowledge is an abstract concept.

My point was people can claim an opinion without being attacked or ridiculed because of it.

I believe that thread is a sad example of power struggles and control. But thats just me.

~ Tari

The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

I doubt that anyone will be surprised when they read this. Free Speech should never be curtailed except when used to defame or maliciously damage the reputation of an individual or legal entity. The point is that we all have opinions and beliefs and curtailing anyone's right to say what they beleive is an infringement of their civil rights. I personally find for example the remarks made by Shiek al-Hilali about women to be very offensive BUT I have two probems with the storm of passion about them.
1) They have been quoted as stand alone out of context and that as we all know can vastly distort the intent of the original speaker. I woulds like to hear the entire speech.
2) They are his opinion. Whether or not I agree it is for him and his church to decide whether or not they are appropriate and act accordingly.
This opinion of course is one of the problems I have with Islam. Particularly as there is very little Quranic support for the attitude.
So Freedom of Speech. It is in my modest opinion one of the most basic rights of all and is a right upon which many of the freedoms of which we are so proud hinge. To once again quote Benjamin Franklin
"He who is prepared to give up essential liberty in return for a little safety deserves neither liberty not safety."
It's as basic as that.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

I agree. But in order to avoid legal action you must say it is your opinion that they are shit unless you can prove that they really are shit in a way that will stand up in court.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

a hell of a lot of the posts had nothing that was remotely defamatory towards this business.
much was general advice, a lot replies to other posters, and some of it I seemed to remember was plain innocuous.
some of mine in particular (which probably in hindsight deserved to be at the least 'edited') were aimed at a certain inflammatory poster, not BBM at all.

My understanding, however, is that free speech is not a right guaranteed in Australian law anyway... anyone more full-bottle on constitutional law?

Neville

It's the simple things stupid...

I think most of the comments were not defamatory, and I did read them all. I think it was a lot of people expressing their personal experience of a service given. When someone writes a review of a film or a meal or fills out a costumer service slip at coles, just because the review is not positive doesn't mean it's defamatory. In most cases it is just considered someone's opinion, unless of course your Mel Gibson

To write about your own personal experience I think is completely legitimate. The real issue here is if someone has the money and the threat of legal action to muscle people's personal experiences out of the arena. I think the thread was a threat because of the shear volume of personal attributions, also because this site is considered a respected source of infomation between creators.

Cassie Dart
Actor-Writer-Director

www.fixedpoint.com.au

I highly doubt anyone is going to be "sued" here. It would only bring more unwanted attention onto the agency. What I am seeing here is paranoia at it's highest.

It isn't easy to sue someone for defamation. They have to prove that it was deliberate, malicious, untrue with intent or agenda to sabotage their business.

Let's everybody start getting a bit realistic here and a little less stuck in TV land.

Come on guys

Nothing a shotgun wouldn't fix

I shot my mouth off without checking the faulty memories of a twenty year ago course. Yes we do have a written constitution although apart from a few long ago repealed remarks about Indiginous Australians it says nothing about the relationship between the governed and the governors.
Should it? I think it should and if we do become a republic I hope our new constition will contain some sort of Bill of Rights. It seems to be becoming more important every day.
Stinger: I would love to engage in a debate with you one day about whether or not the Magna Carta is a constitution. I don't beleive it is. It was a document designed to preserve the powers that a mob of fuedal Barons didn't want to lose. It started England on the road to a constitutional monarchy because it actually curtailed and defined the powers of the king but if Simon De Montford had realised he was establishing the beginnings of democracy and power for the people he wouldn't have been happy.
Paul: Yes Corporations and other legal entities are limited in their ability to claim defamation but they can and they can win. The Maclibel case in England is a case in point even though MacDonalds were awarded the "lowest coin of the realm" as damages. A great number of legal entities have also successfully sued "Private Eye" magazine in the UK. In fact doesn't everyone who sues Private Eye win?
In addition to legal entities it can also be very difficult for certain public figures to successfully sue for defamation as the court can decide that it would not be reasonable to assume that people believed the defamation to be true. Pat Robertson versus Larry Flint in the US was a case in point. An evangelist was portayed as having sex with a stranger in a barn in an advert in Hustler Magazine and the court decided that it was unreasonable to assume that people believed the portrayal so therefore damage in the form of "shun and avoid" could not be proven.
The point that very little on the original thread was actually defamatory was lost in all this. Some of the remarks were down right unpleasant and insulting like the other thread about dance schools. but not much was defamatory.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

HAAAAA, best comment i've read strangejuice!!!

i can accomodate, how about a trg42 .338 lap for example?