How useful is a Q&A service that lets kids & bigots censor others by simply filing false violation reports?

Did you know that on Y!A you can get anyone's question or answer deleted if you don't like it? Just report it as a violation of the TOS or user guidelines and poof, it's gone! Doesn't matter if it really was a violation or not.





Ford dealers can delete anything that favors Chryslers,.Liberals and Conservatives can suppress each others' viewpoints, religious zealots can stifle any beliefs or ideas other than their own... And all with impunity and very likely, success.





Sure, the original writer can appeal your report, but they might not. And even if they do, it's pretty unlikely an actual Yahoo staffer will review it (for example, I doubt a reasonable human reviewer would consider it a violation to ask what news channel someone watches).





I know, Y!A is a free service so I shouldn't complain. But sometimes you get what you pay for and sadly, Yahoo doesn't seem to be able to maintain Y!A as a reasonably open marketplace of information and ideas.





I think it makes the service almost worthless and unusable, at least for any topic that could conceivably have the slightest hint of controversy.





What do you think?How useful is a Q%26amp;A service that lets kids %26amp; bigots censor others by simply filing false violation reports?
There IS a system of checks and balances in place. It generally takes more than a single report for something to go 'poof'. There is an analysis program run which weighs the 'trust' levels of all reporter(s) against those being reported and the 'poof' does not happen until enough reports of a high enough trust level are posted to overturn the level of the person reported. Even then, there is an appeal system in place which does work if approached correctly. For example, I've won 75% of my violation appeals.





Finally, the internet is an open marketplace of information and ideas. But Yahoo Answers was NEVER designed to be that. It is NOT a forum to exchange ideas -- it is simply a question and answer site. This is stated over and over again in the rules and is the basis for many of those same rules, rules you agreed to abide by. So if you truly feel this site does not fulfill its INTENDED purpose -- or your own needs -- there are plenty of other forums out there to turn to.How useful is a Q%26amp;A service that lets kids %26amp; bigots censor others by simply filing false violation reports?
It's very simple, it's their ball game, if we want to play, it's their way or not at all. The choice is ours.