Reaction

For fun, we posted several threads on the Critique Circle forums concerning free speech and censorship, ranging from quotes from the Wizard of Oz to Milton's Areopagitica. The Moderators placed them all into a single thread, explaining that it was our intent to spam the forums. Apparently they know us better than we know ourselves.

This morning the Administrators closed that single thread, with their own reply:

As to the content — it was very sad for us to see that a member would try to hurt our other members here at CC by trying to stage a "crit strike" in retaliation for a short-term forum ban he received over a month ago when he specifically chose to ignore CC rules and requests from the CC team to stop stirring up trouble.

This is a supportive writing and critiquing site, where people should feel free to post on the forums without being attacked, and to critique as they wish—not to sacrifice credits they need or feel pressured to conform to a minority mob mentality over personal agendas. This is not a place where personal vendettas should be allowed to hurt members' chances to get feedback on their work—that goes against what CC is about.

Anyone who can't live with CC's rules and style of administration is free to leave our site. They are in fact encouraged to so at their earliest convenience, rather than keep disturbing the peace for the rest of us. Anyone wishing to leave, just let us know, and we'll close your account and refund your membership.

The thread they replied to had nothing to do with another thread they characterise as a retaliatory "crit strike". They were posted in two separate forums. We never chose to ignore rules over a month ago; we asked for clarification, in a private message as directed, and were never given any. We only knew we had violated the rules when we were told we were banned.

Now we have been banned again, this time without any notification.

Our heart goes out to the saddened Administrator.