The American Library Association 's [ALA] so-called Office for Intellectual Freedom [OIF] has a new OIF blog. For a few days, the new blog contained a means for commenting just like most other blogs. I know because I used it to respond to an existing comment—to no avail, as it turned out. Days after the blog was launched, the ALA removed the comment feature from the blog and removed at least one existing comment.
With ability to leave comments excised, the "blog" is little more than an organized collection of OIF pronouncements. For example, here is the most recent blog post: Code of Ethics 70th Anniversity Celebration at Midwinter. It's dated yesterday, January 9, after the date of the promised new blog, yet it does not allow for any comments: "Responses are currently closed.... Comments are closed."
People can do whatever they like on their own blogs, but they are not claiming adherence to a near century of ethics, decrying censorship, nor promoting intellectual freedom. Isn't it hypocritical for the OIF to even appear to suppress intellectual freedom, to censor out existing comments?
Is there anyone at the ALA who cares that the OIF squelching free speech or giving the appearance of censorship weakens the ALA's claims about the censorship of others? Is this double standard acceptable, particularly from the OIF? Has the new OIF Blog deleted free speech?
In the interests of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech, feel free to leave any comments you wish.
UPDATE 29 SEPTEMBER 2010: I now confirm the OIF Blog is finally allowing comments, even mine.
UPDATE #2 29 SEPTEMBER 2010: My comment has again been removed! Further, another OIF blog post had six comments from known ALA members, I left one only quoting Judith Krug that was in moderation phase, but that has disappeared as well as the six comments! So, about two years after my original post, the ALA OIF is again removing comments!!
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Might it have been software stability related? Even though it is running Wordpress, there could be server issues. When I last ran Wordpress, that did happen.
ReplyDeleteAs for http://erielookingproductions.info not initially having comments, that actually was a software limitation. Nanoblogger doesn't natively support comments. It took me a while to get Disqus welded in and it isn't retroactive in terms of making threads available.
LISNews has linked to this blog post at "New OIF Blog Deletes Free Speech," by StephenK, LISNews, 10 January 2009.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the OIF, LISNews welcomes comments and free speech.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteIt is quite possible you are correct. But the comments were there, then disappeared. Plus the latest post is not allowing comments. Plus the OIF has suppressed intellectual freedom in other areas, such as regarding comments that jailed Cuban librarians should drown, or when it investigated my own background then prevented my access to its classes about library law by raising repeated hurdles I kept surpassing.
Then still, the new blog was promised on 29 Dec 2008 to appear on 5 Jan 2009. I find it hard to believe that the nation's free speech police have not corrected the issue if it were of a technical nature. Rather, it appears the software is working as expected and comments have simply been disallowed.
Be that as it may, any technical issues should be cleared within a reasonable time. I'll venture a guess no such resolution is forthcoming. Time will tell.
LISZEN: Trends has linked to this blog post at "New OIF Blog Deletes Free Speech," by garretth, LISZEN: Trends, 11 January 2009.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the OIF, LISZEN: Trends welcomes comments and free speech.
Considering that private blogs are quite different entities from public libraries, your argument of OIF hypocrisy is specious at best. Much like your blog here, their blog serves to propagate their point of view, and nothing else. It is their right on their personal output of information to keep their message pure. Inherent in your argument that it is the sole definition of the blog or blogger to accept or even promote comments, but this is not the case. Clearly the developers of the blog software understand this, which is why the option to close comments exists. Freedom, get it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe not.
Also, the entire premise of your blog is a fallacy, and it really exposes your lack of understanding of the Constitution. Which is very sad.
WilliamUSA,
ReplyDeleteThe point is this blog ALLOWS comments where the OIF blog does not. And the OIF is not just any old blog. It's the blog of the Office for Intellectual Freedom. How does the OIF cut off comments and not look hypocritical for having done so?
Be that as it may, you said, "the entire premise of your blog is a fallacy, and it really exposes your lack of understanding of the Constitution." Funny you should say that. When I attempted to learn more about library law, what a coincidence, but the very same Office for Intellectual Freedom blocked me again and again. See "Unequal Access." Are you starting to see a pattern?
Thank you for commenting on my blog and exercising your intellectual freedom.
The point is this blog ALLOWS comments where the OIF blog does not. And the OIF is not just any old blog. It's the blog of the Office for Intellectual Freedom. How does the OIF cut off comments and not look hypocritical for having done so?
ReplyDeleteUPDATE 29 SEPTEMBER 2010: I now confirm the OIF Blog is finally allowing comments, even mine.
ReplyDeleteUPDATE #2 29 SEPTEMBER 2010: My comment has again been removed! Further, another OIF blog post had six comments from known ALA members, I left one only quoting Judith Krug that was in moderation phase, but that has disappeared as well as the six comments! So, about two years after my original post, the ALA OIF is again removing comments!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good step to delete free speech or such comments that are are irrelevant.
ReplyDeletePlastic Card