DonnyEMU wrote:
The problem is, I am used to sites in the USA that allow for totally free speech and I realize that when I am in a website that is not in the US I am subject to their rules and regulation of the owner of the site. That fact should be mentioned in big text on the page I believe, as their rules and terms of service would be better understood.
The problem with international sites is that what you and I think is funny can be interpreted as very insulting by someone else. People come from differing cultural backgrounds and perceive things differently. Then there's the cross-country issues. Everyone has a right to be pround of their country, but some people think, for example, that only Americans have that right "because every other country is substandard". This really gets tempers flaring.
BIG NOTE: People from countries other than the USA behave like this too!
Another big one is the "our way is the only right way" attitude, and I've seen that from people from all parts of the world.
I agree with many of your points, but that may be because I come from an ethnically diverse country that celebrates this diversity. I'm used to dealing with people that are different from me. Not everyone is though. I've also found that most people truly believe that they can see the other side of the coin, but that no-one else can see their side.
I'd say that more moderation is required on international sites that national ones because of the more complicated social dynamic involved. Personal freedom is always limited by maintaining public decency and mutual respect. What people think is and isn't acceptable varies from country to country, and even state to state or town to town. It can be difficult to get the balance right when everyone is talking to everyone.
Hans
