Flickr to censor?

Below is an email i wrote to the owners and partners of Flickr regarding the blocking of sites such as Flickrlicio.us

"To the people of Flickr,
Let me first introduce myself. I found your site, Flickr, only a few months ago and within days i was signed up for a "Pro" account. Now i have read several reports about your actions against Flickrlicio.us, Flickr Babes and Chickenbreasts. This article in specific really stands out to me.

http://www.flickrlicio.us/2005/10/27/flickr-doesnt-believe-in-web-20/

What do you have to say on your behalf? Why have these sites been blocked from the photos publicly hosted on Flickr? Its not about content but about censorship as far as I am concerned. If my blog of photos and thoughts were to be contrary to what you believe is appropriate would i be subject to the same denial of service?

Your own TOS states that:

This leads me to where I am at now. FlickrLicio.us, a website that I started and after talking with the owner, this post will be cross posted over there, has seemingly been blocked by Flickr/Yahoo. The site operates on the basis that Flickr “makes it possible to post images hosted on Flickr to outside websites. This use is accepted (and even encouraged!). However, pages on other websites which display images hosted on flickr.com must provide a link back to Flickr from each photo to its photo page on Flickr.” - Per the Flickr TOS.

So before i jump to the obvious conclusions i am asking you why. Every story and event has two sides. What is your side Flick/Yahoo?"

His response
can be read at Nick Star's Blog.

Catholic School Principal: Thou Shalt Not Blog...

Free speech, whats that? A catholic school in NJ has made it expullutionary effence to blog. They say it to protect the students from online predators, but at what cost? This is a direct violation of each students 1st ammendment rights. I hope that the students ban together and stand up for their rights.

Added 10/27/2005

In light of my misunderstanding of the limits of the first ammendment and thinking about the problem at hand i would like to add a few things. The reson for the school to ban blog was to protect them from internet predators. Like most plans it was a good intention with poor implementation. To truly protect someone you should educate them, not shelter them reality. If you a school you have all the opputunity to educate your students about internet safety.

If the students were spread rumors and general liable comments it is another problem all together. I have been in a similar situation. When i was working at the Apple Store over the summer I was prohibited from taking part of any online message baords that related to Apple. Being caught was groudns for termination. While at work i was prohibited from viewing such sites as well. But during my own time i was allowed to READ the sites. I knew all this before i began work.

My point is that if the principle wanted to stop rumors and false statements that defamed the school or members of the faculty or staff then say that. Do not put a blanket ban on all blogs. Doing what he did spawned lots of backlash about his motives.

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Funny Quote of the Day

"There is no question that there is an unseen world. The problem is how far is it from midtown and how late is it open."

- Woody Allen