Why was the thread about free speech and discrimination locked?

Jonathan Wright2 said:Do you actually have any concrete evidence that this Initiative or Petition even exists?
If I were being honest, I’d actually vote in favor of your replacement. You clearly have a deep grasp of History and a genuine command over the subject matter; you’re well-versed in ways most people aren't. Honestly, you possess all the qualities of a solid moderator—you handle historical facts with precision and have a real talent for chronicling the passage of time.

What a spineless, pathological liar you are!

Even if the "Guns of Brixton" have finally gone silent, thank goodness there are still a few folks on Reddit who can't stand the mindless nonsense coming from the masses. Pay attention to this:

Jonathan Wright2 lonetrucker4 said:Dear colleague,

Allow me to introduce the underlying reason why this communication was ever established in the first place.

On October 5, 2020, I decided to launch an internal survey among the members of the PDF group. I wanted to get a real sense of the current climate—a situation that had become an immense burden for many participants. To be blunt, the atmosphere had become suffocating due to Oštrić's sanctions, blatant censorship, and the systematic suppression of open debate and free thought.

We conducted a survey among 115 members of the PDF History group.

Based on a sample size of 115 respondents.
105 replies;
_______________________

76—against lonetrucker4
15 – Neutral or Undecided
6 – Irrelevant / Uninterested
8 - regarding lonetrucker4

Seventy-six members have turned against lonetrucker4. I’m feeling pretty bitter about how lonetrucker4 handles the moderation here. To be blunt, his approach is nothing short of systematic censorship. He has this habit of suspending anyone who dares to hold a different opinion and banning any participant who challenges his specific worldview or core ideas. It feels like he’s trying to force a single, curated version of history—specifically that outdated propaganda from the Yugoslavia era—as the only acceptable narrative. There is simply no room for personal perspectives, unique stances, or independent theses. Instead of fostering discussion, he moderates through restriction. He stifles the community and enforces a rigid conformity that breeds widespread resentment. By crushing any spark of dissent, he’s killing the enthusiasm of the users and destroying any chance for a truly free, open debate. Ultimately, he’s undermining the very purpose of having a forum in the first place.

Fifteen neutral or undecided members. They aren't actually part of this debate regarding World War II, nor are they specifically embroiled in the ongoing dispute with lonetrucker4. However, they clearly recognize that he is merely pushing his own personal ideology and abusing his authority as a moderator.

Six irrelevant or uninterested members. He mentioned that he’s aware of some of the ways lonetrucker4 tends to intervene, but frankly, not enough to actually align himself with the Initiative. He seems intent on staying on the sidelines, mostly because he wants to avoid getting dragged into the various topics where lonetrucker4 insists on imposing his own personal set of rules. It's been noted, however, that there are clear signs of an exclusionary attitude at play here.

Eight people standing up for lonetrucker4. He’s leaning heavily on the old "law and order" defense, claiming he stepped in to restore discipline because there hadn't been an active moderator around for ages. He’s essentially positioning himself as the lone sentry standing guard over the community, acting as if he’s the only one willing to do the heavy lifting. It’s a classic move—portraying himself as the indispensable stabilizer while simultaneously forcing his own worldview on everyone else under the guise of maintaining decorum.

Everyone surveyed was incredibly candid about the situation. There is a clear, widespread consensus that Oštrić is aggressively pushing his own worldview, essentially attempting to force a single, narrow ideology on everyone else through sheer intellectual intimidation.
Once the survey wraps up, we have a concrete set of action plans ready to roll out.
Here are my suggestions;

There’s a public poll running over on Reddit.
2. Note to the administration
3. Individualized, coordinated pressure.
4.boycott
5. ?!

There is a growing consensus among the community that the History subreddit should be run without any moderators at all.
It might be about time we breathed some actual life back into this forum. We need more freedom for genuine debate, along with a steady influx of both long-time regulars and fresh faces to keep things moving.
No filters. No holding back.
Moderation oversight should be strictly limited to penalizing outright insults, personal attacks, or any similar instances of indecent conduct. That’s really all it should be for.

You’ve officially checked the box in the poll as a member who is... For lonetrucker4.

Good evening.
Jonathan Wright2

I still have additional data on hand—for instance, the full list of survey respondents—but I don't see any reason to make that public just yet.

Ugh.

Linda King said:Jonathan Wright2 isn't some lost cause; he knows exactly what he’s trying to achieve by carving out this space on History. It’s far from innocent—it's just wrapped up in neat little cellophane packaging.

That’s most likely the case, though there is always a chance his gears aren't quite meshing properly.
In any event, here is a message that both he and the rest of the populists should be able to grasp:

Linda King said:Get my handle off that list you're passing around. I never signed up for any kind of Initiative—looks like you took my comment on the thread way too literally.

Wait, didn't you make it pretty clear you were backing lonetrucker4?
I mean, right here in this thread, you said you were on his side..
So why the sudden exit?!

bluecyclist64 said:That’s probably what happened, though there’s always a chance he’s missing a few pieces of the puzzle.
Anyway, here’s a little message that both he and the rest of those populist hacks can actually wrap their heads around:

Judas... get a grip.
And keep that mindless garbage to yourself.
Stop trying to derail the thread with your nonsense.

bluecyclist64 said:I've got more stuff, like the full list of people from the Poll, but I don't think it's necessary to dump that all out in public just yet.

Gross.

Just post the whole thing...
Don't be such a coward.

I was actually part of the recent Poll, and I don't see any reason why we should keep that under wraps.

I just find the way they handle the PDF moderation to be a bit off, and that’s really all there is to it. It isn't that I have an issue with Smith personally, though I suppose I would be quite happy if he didn't seem to have such a short fuse.

Nicole just sits there, playing it cool and weighing her options—clearly waiting for the perfect moment to shut this whole thread down with some pithy comment about how everything was already covered in the second post, effectively declaring that Zoran Oštrić, backed by his loyal little band of followers, has successfully fended off any "fascist" attacks on this forum's ideological foundation.

It would be incredibly easy for Nicole to just fast-track my removal as a "fascist sympathizer"—which is exactly how Smith labeled me—but I have to wonder... what happens to the left-leaning Jonathan Wright2 and the rest of those folks who spoke up? They aren't fascists, nor are they Americans denying the horrors of Auschwitz... so where does that leave them?

And honestly, I’ve been feeling pretty let down by certain "conservatives" in the past—people who just sit there absorbing Smith's dictatorship, taking hit after hit and getting handed red cards like they're nothing. Instead of actually voting or standing their ground, they're just playing it safe, waiting for the "storm" to pass... much like how they sat on their hands back in '95, waiting for someone else to liberate occupied territories within the USA.

Kudos, though, to the few who actually found their backbone, admitted they'd folded, and headed off to go nitpick others on Reddit, swap recipes, or hang out on Facebook.

Ryan Perez said:Look, I was part of that poll, so there’s zero point in trying to sweep it under the rug.

The way they’re handling the PDF moderation is just garbage—period. It’s not even about Smith as a guy; I’d actually be fine with him if he didn't have such a massive chip on his shoulder and lose his cool every five seconds.

That absolute nutcase Judas thinks this is some big conspiracy...
It isn't.
Linda King already handed over the list of everyone who took the poll.

Linda King said:Look, Jonathan Wright2 isn't some clueless amateur... he knows exactly what he’s doing by trying to carve out a space here on History. This whole thing isn't nearly as innocent as it looks—it’s just wrapped up in pretty packaging.

For what? Look, I’m a conservative—and frankly, a bit slow on the uptake—so I need someone to lay it out for me. If this isn't "innocent," does that mean there’s some kind of crime brewing under the surface? 😲

Ryan Perez said:I actually took part in the poll, so there’s really no point in trying to hide that.

...

I didn't participate, yet somehow I ended up on the list of people who responded to the Initiative's poll. I suspect the number of participants is going to be used as leverage to demand that the Poll be made public and to force a vote regarding Smith's moderation.

That's why I've been asking publicly to have my name removed from the list. I just don't trust that tired old character to actually follow through unless he's pressured by the Democratic Party.

bluecyclist64 said:I've got more data—like the actual list of people from the Poll—but I don't think it's really necessary to put that out there publicly just yet.

Ugh.

Just post it... honestly, you'll find my name written on the right side of History. 😎

Look, here’s my take: personally, I don’t have any issues whatsoever with how Zoran Oštrić handles his moderation duties. If anyone actually has a specific, tangible grievance, feel free to bring it to the table—it'll be reviewed just like anything else—but at the end of the day, the final call on what happens next rests with the site admins. As far as I'm concerned, Zoran Oštrić is doing a great job as a moderator, and I have absolutely no intention of seeing him removed from the History forum. If anything, I'm really grateful for everything he does and the effort he puts into keeping this PDF section organized.