Goodreads: You might not like it, but it's not censorship.

Okay, I'm not even going to get into the backstory of what Goodreads did. Regardless of your position on the issue, I agree Goodreads just created themselves a PR nightmare, when they could have done something that made sense like, oh, say, create the ability to have private shelves/reviews so people could stick stuff where only they could see it instead of deleting it without notice.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Then get yourself up to speed. I'll wait.


http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1499741-important-note-regarding-reviews

We good? Great, let's continue.

Again, I'm not saying what's right or wrong here. But, here's the thing.

Goodreads is NOT CAPABLE of CENSORSHIP.

Censorship is via a government, etc.

Wikipedia definition
PBS.org definition

Goodreads is a BUSINESS. Businesses like Goodreads have the right to define their terms of use. Nowhere that I'm aware of is there a law that requires Goodreads to let everyone say whatever the hell they want regardless of Goodreads' views on it.

As a BUSINESS, unless you actually write the checks that pay the bills there, you really don't get a say. As a customer of said business, you have the right to express your displeasure, or to vote with your feet by leaving.

But please, for the sake of my OCD brain, quit calling it censorship. Call it bullshit or shitty customer service, or whatever you want to call it based on whichever side of the aisle you're standing on.

But...

It is NOT censorship.

Because Goodreads is a BUSINESS, not a GOVERNMENT.

And if you think Goodreads is a government, you have FAR bigger problems, bunky.