When did the Graun’s “Comment is Free” become “Opinion”?
by BlackCatte
Some time over the last few months, while the hated new version was coming out of Beta, a funny thing happened at the Guardian.
With almost no announcement or explanation the famous, vaunted “Comment is Free” section changed its name to “Opinion.” It kept the old URL, and even kept Scott’s proud declaration (in smaller type), but the name itself vanished like the erstwhile ethical reputations of it’s journalists – without ceremony or acknowledgment.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/commentisfree
Here’s the old site, screencapped last autumn:
And here’s the new improved version:
What does this IngSoc style rebranding imply? Are they sending a message? Or is it just a pragmatic acceptance that you can’t allow Comment to be Free any longer when you’ve allied with the Kyiv Post and Radio Free Europe and are openly propagandising for neo-nazis, WW2 revisionists and the military industrial complex.
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I just realised that for the first time I’ve been pre-moderated. An article that has ‘Reply’ to comments available… then one logs-in and suddenly the “article” is closed for comments. Surely it’s my user account that is closed for comment, thus this is a lie, and a Dark Pattern (see: darkpatterns.org – hope this semi-link doesn’t pre-moderate this unregistered comment! IP is traceable, so no worries I can be proven not to be hiding from anyone with muscle… including hired hackers and other intel-gathering mercenaries of any level). Yet, like in Orwellian distopias, the paranoia stacks-up, doesn’t it just?! The Devil exists, and I know him when I see him, and he is a metaphor for human self-seduction via own ignorance. Raw IQ is meaningless when people are that stupid despite their own best interest in the long-term… beware anyone who obsesses with how intelligent they are or others are… or respects it in a very overt manner. Slaves love power more than anyone else, perhaps… Peace to all reading this (if anyone!)
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They are openly censoring comments they don’t like and close comments very quickly. The site is hardly worth visiting, although I have popped in to see their hysteria over Corbyn.
I was about to donate to them too, because mixed-in with the scamming propaganda and censorship does still exist some valuable articles on Tory corruption and such… Cost/Benefit of supporting them is becoming poor. I can’t even remember saying anything offensive or illegal, but anti-Feminist-dogma-abusing-everything-else-by-creating-mental-illness-via-aggressive-pushing-of-objectively-broken-logic – then yes, guilty 100%. Except, calling-out broken logic isn’t misogynist, or even misanthropic. It’s pro-human to help humans defend themselves… funny how that is now what the Guardian fights against. I’ve personally been oppressed and abused and gone to war with a whole community due to it, and lost due to being in a tiny minority… so I know what I’m talking about when it comes to what is and isn’t abuse, what prejudice is, logic, mental illness, groupthink and all sorts. Just the kind of person the Graun doesn’t want around, it seems. I even pity the fools – right up until the point where they break out the pitchforks and start witch-hunting, you know? This is the year 2017! Pathetic… Good luck to anyone trying to be free. The fascists must have won WWII and been preparing to win this time around…
I was about to donate to them too, because mixed-in with the scamming propaganda and censorship does still exist some valuable articles on Tory corruption and such… Cost/Benefit of supporting them is becoming poor. I can’t even remember saying anything offensive or illegal, but anti-Feminist-dogma-abusing-everything-else-by-creating-mental-illness-via-aggressive-pushing-of-objectively-broken-logic – then yes, guilty 100%. Except, calling-out broken logic isn’t misogynist, or even misanthropic. It’s pro-human to help humans defend themselves… funny how that is now what the Guardian fights against. I’ve personally been oppressed and abused and gone to war with a whole community due to it, and lost due to being in a tiny minority… so I know what I’m talking about when it comes to what is and isn’t abuse, what prejudice is, logic, mental illness, groupthink and all sorts. Just the kind of person the Graun doesn’t want around, it seems. I even pity the fools – right up until the point where they break out the pitchforks and start witch-hunting, you know? This is the year 2017! Pathetic… Good luck to anyone trying to be free. The fascists must have lost WWII, gone underground, and been refusing to win this time around… which is why it’s arguably all coming so fast and on multiple fronts. That’s how one wins a war – shock and awe.
Meanwhile, those who thought the career of the Guardian’s resident neocon shill Dennis McShame would expire when he was sent to prison for fraud….
… are wrong, because the criminal clown is back in the Guardian this week. Unapologetic, and full of spleen as usual!
Well, they DID need the grand Shamemeister back to add some nice salt for their lobsters (if you catch my drift).
I got such a kicking for quoting facts, photos, evidence etc for MH17 that I have not been back (personal attacks even – and very nasty ones too) – and they censored and deleted LOADS of my stuff; so much so it’s a waste of time posting there.
I even emailed them requesting cancellation of my account (after 30+ years as a reader).
The Graun nowadays disgusts me…..I only sometimes pop over for a good laugh at the narrowness, navel-gazing and pro-establishment IngSoc bile they spew out under the moniker of ‘journalism’ (surely a piss-take LOL)
If you ever comment make sure to keep a screen cap and if it’s taken down send it to us for our Censored on CiF section!
LLÁMAME YA, AHORA EN ESTE MISMO INSTANTE FIJO. En este momento en cualquier lugar. En este momento tú pondrás tu concentración y tus pensamientos de Nuevo en mí (tu nombre), tú entiendes que no puedes vivir sin mí. En este momento comenzaras a descartar tu orgullo. En este momento tú estás dispuesta a llamarme. En este momento tu estas pensando en mi (tu nombre). ¿Vas a tratar de resistir? No te resistas. Si tu (su nombre). Si no me llamas ahora me vas a llamar mas tarde. Pero puedes estar seguro de que me llamarás. Tú entiendes que estás enamorado de mí y no puedes estar sin mi presencia. En este momento tú piensas en mí (tu nombre). Invoco a los siete ángeles, Miguel, Gabriel y Rafael, Zadkiel,Uriel, Chamuel y Jofielpara iluminar tu corazón ………Y deshacer cualquier duda. Lo que Miguel expulsará Cerca de ti es el espíritu del mal, todas las influencias del mal. Gabriel para anunciar a ti …….. Mi nombre ……… que soplen al Oído la palabra amor y te acuerdes de mí …….., anuncio a su Ángel de la guarda Rafael para que utilice el bálsamo curativo para sanar la desconfianza que se a desarrollado en tu corazón, y para mantener abierta la cicatriz del amor y el deseo hacia mí ……Arcángel Zadkiel ayudame a trasmutar todo la envidia el rencor y los problemas que surgieron alrededor de nuestro amor. arcángel Uriel ayúdanos a tener paz y tranquilidad en nuestros corazones para poder acercarnos con mucho más amor. arcángel Chamuel elimina todo rencor y aumenta el amor de ……… Hacia mi …….. Y amadisimo arcangel Jofiel para dispersar las dudas que tenga hacia mi….. mi amado …….Que así sea. Así es, y así será por siempre. Con todo mi amor! Cuando este mensaje se publique en dos minutos ella tendrá un impulso irresistible para que me llame
LLÁMAME YA, AHORA EN ESTE MISMO INSTANTE FIJO. En este momento en cualquier lugar. En este momento tú pondrás tu concentración y tus pensamientos de Nuevo en mí (tu nombre), tú entiendes que no puedes vivir sin mí. En este momento comenzaras a descartar tu orgullo. En este momento tú estás dispuesta a llamarme. En este momento tu estas pensando en mi (tu nombre). ¿Vas a tratar de resistir? No te resistas. Si tu (su nombre). Si no me llamas ahora me vas a llamar mas tarde. Pero puedes estar seguro de que me llamarás. Tú entiendes que estás enamorado de mí y no puedes estar sin mi presencia. En este momento tú piensas en mí (tu nombre). Invoco a los siete ángeles, Miguel, Gabriel y Rafael, Zadkiel,Uriel, Chamuel y Jofielpara iluminar tu corazón ………Y deshacer cualquier duda. Lo que Miguel expulsará Cerca de ti es el espíritu del mal, todas las influencias del mal. Gabriel para anunciar a ti …….. Mi nombre ……… que soplen al Oído la palabra amor y te acuerdes de mí …….., anuncio a su Ángel de la guarda Rafael para que utilice el bálsamo curativo para sanar la desconfianza que se a desarrollado en tu corazón, y para mantener abierta la cicatriz del amor y el deseo hacia mí ……Arcángel Zadkiel ayudame a trasmutar todo la envidia el rencor y los problemas que surgieron alrededor de nuestro amor. arcángel Uriel ayúdanos a tener paz y tranquilidad en nuestros corazones para poder acercarnos con mucho más amor. arcángel Chamuel elimina todo rencor y aumenta el amor de ……… Hacia mi …….. Y amadisimo arcangel Jofiel para dispersar las dudas que tenga hacia mi….. mi amado …….Que así sea. Así es, y así será por siempre. Con todo mi amor! Cuando este mensaje se publique en dos minutos ella tendrá un impulso irresistible para que me llame
Lies and truth are matters of opinion to psychopaths, and that’s all they are.
Hi BlackCatte,
Very glad to have found your site. Very Unglad (!) about my grauniad.
bit off topic, but how do you recover comments that have been modded/censored?
Just had a few of mine lost, again, to the mods; the Armenian Genocide/Obama’s refusal to recognise.
I mentioned – calmly, reasonably, factually – that Israel and its American lobby might have something to do with it, and I’m now being pre-moderated, again.
Hi ho, time for another guardian ID.
Hi Simon. I don’t think there’s any way to retrieve censored comments once they’re gone. The ones we post here were screen capped by their authors as a precaution before the mods got to them.
When I was still commenting on CiF I got in the habit of capping every comment I made that was even remotely “controversial”. I’d encourage everyone to do that and if the comment goes send the caps to us!