A post I made recently on our forum about how essential Free Speech is, especially to a STEM instance (adapted from the original).

Freedom of speech is a basic human right, and double important in the field of science. It isnt “religious like” so much as it is essential to any space where the primary goal is truth.

It has served more to bolster our reputation than it ever has to hurt it. 58% of our users explicitly joined due to freedom of speech principles and the rest were not put off by it evidenced by their presence.

I find it ironic that the only instances that have ever used the principle to “hurt our reputation” are instances themselves with a horrible reputation, often instances that struggle to keep users and where large numbers of their user base have fled to other free speech oriented instances (QOTO being a huge focus among them).

I have seen people repeatedly suggest we block users simply because their opinion disagreed with their own (usually politically) and thus you’d think it would “hurt our reputation”. Perhaps the focus shouldnt be what the reputation of a server who has created a walled echo chamber for themselves and demands it of others. Perhaps the focus should be the quality of our server, to foster a free exchange of ideas where a person doesnt need to be in fear that should their opinion be too unpopular they will be cast away.

We have all seen the damage in both the USA and Europe excessive censorship of speech has caused in the past. During the cold war tens of thousands were arrested in the USA for voicing communist sentiments. In europe During WWII only propaganda pro-nationalist messages were even permitted on the airwaves at all. The people have suffered greatly from this.

It is important to note what free speech means. It doesnt not (and never has) meant “you can say anything you want without repercussions”. What it does mean is that “you are free to hold any opinion you want, but your expression of that opinion may be held to scrutiny”

The irony in all of this is if anyone actively pushed free speech on any of the servers people worry about our “reputation” with they would have been suspended long ago. We wouldnt even be able to have this sort of dialogue on those servers at all.

I dont wish to control others and force them to think like me, I do not want an echo chamber, I do not want a curated list of opinions that follow my vision. I want a meeting of minds, I want brilliant people living without fear to voice their opinions, engage in debate, and reach for truth.

I have been on many of the servers some people seem to worry about our reputation with. They are the most toxic and vile environments I have ever seen online. To worry about our reputation with them is sad to say the least, let alone to want to replicate it. On the other hand I am immensely proud of the effect free speech has had on the quality of discussion on QOTO and the level of tolerance it has proven to foster between its members and the ability to have a fact-based, respectful discourse on otherwise difficult and emotional issues.

If after being at QOTO and seeing the difference between the rampant toxic intolerance of the other instances and our wonderful sense of tolerance and you still dont feel free speech has value, then sadly I have to wonder if you really can recognize what a healthy and vibrant community looks like. Luckily the vast majority of our users see the value, appreciate it, and stay because of it.

#freespeech #mastoadmin #fediverse