My exchanges with the BBC on being disabled from commenting on The Today Programme

Sent: 01 January 2011 14:22 To: Today Complaints
http://thevoiceofreason-ann.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-6-unpersonned-by-bbc-censor-of.html http://thevoiceofreason-ann.blogspot.com/2010/12/day-5-unpersonned-by-bbc-censor-of.html http://thevoiceofreason-ann.blogspot.com/2010/12/day-4-unpersonned-by-bbc-censor-of.html http://thevoiceofreason-ann.blogspot.com/2010/12/day-3-unpersonnned-by-today-programme.html http://thevoiceofreason-ann.blogspot.com/2010/12/day-2-bbc-censor-has-disabled-me-from.html http://thevoiceofreason-ann.blogspot.com/2010/12/today-programme-facebook-group-censor.html I look forward to hearing your reasons when you have decided what you are going to say about taking this disgraceful and arbitrary action, without warning or explanation.  Claire Khaw Their response of Sat, 1 January, 2011 17:00:19 Dear Claire Khaw, Thank you for your emails. I have spoke to our online team. I understand that they have taken action because of unacceptable content in a number of your postings. Yours sincerely Dominic Groves Duty Editor 'Today'    My response of Sat, 1 January, 2011 17:09:54 Dear Dominic Groves May I know in what way they were unacceptable and whether my ban is permanent? Your sincerely Claire Khaw Chasing them up on Tue, 4 January, 2011 9:22:19   Dear Dominic Groves May I know if you intend to respond to my questions? Yours sincerely Claire Khaw Chasing them up again on Thu, 6 January, 2011 10:00:15 Dear Dominic Groves May I know if you have received my email of 4 January? Yours sincerely Claire Khaw Chasing them up again on Wed, 12 January, 2011 8:38:13   May I have the email of the person who banned me, please, Dominic?  I wish to establish if there are any rules for posting on the Today Programme.  I do hope you will see fit to assist me in this regard.  If not, can we assume that there are no rules and the Today Facebook Moderator does as he or she pleases?  Claire Khaw Their response to me of Tue, 25 January, 2011 11:04:28  Dear Claire Khaw, Thank you for your email. The moderation rules can be found in this link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/ under bbc.co.uk communities. Yours sincerely Dominic Groves Duty Editor 'Today' My response on Tue, 25 January, 2011 11:12:27   Dear Dominic Groves That was not brought to my attention at any time before I was disabled from commenting and all my comments deleted.  May I respectfully request that I be allowed back on now that I have been made aware of the parameters of discussion?  Yours sincerely Claire Khaw A further email to the BBC of Tue, 25 January, 2011 12:37:49 Dear Dominic Groves May I make a suggestion as regards the rules which were at no time brought to my attention? I anticipate that there will be many accusations of "left wing" bias after Peter Sisson's book and it may assist the BBC to change the rules from those currently in operation. It is quite clear that (i) About your posts: Contributions must be civil and tasteful. No disruptive, offensive or abusive behaviour: contributions must be constructive and polite, not mean-spirited or contributed with the intention of causing trouble. No unlawful or objectionable content: unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, racially offensive or otherwise objectionable material [my italics] is not acceptable. is intended to cover any eventuality and to give the BBC a reason to censor anything that anyone might find offensive for any reason at all.  This will of course leave the BBC open to accusations of institutional bias against anyone expressing any opinion that would offend to those who regard themselves as Left Liberal, and therefore failing the test of impartiality.  Are there any plans to revise this? Yours sincerely Claire Khaw  BBC response of Wed, 2 February, 2011 18:57:07 Dear Claire Khaw, Sorry for the delay in responding to your email.I'm afraid the decision is final. The rules are not designed to exclude any genuine political opinion - provided the contributors obey a few sensible rules. ''Disruptive offensive or abusive behaviour'' for example is unacceptable wherever it comes from.It's not a party political matter. It's hard to see how an unmoderated forum of any kind could operate without such rules. Yours sincerely Dominic Groves Assistant Editor 'Today' www.bbc.co.uk/complaints Sent: Wed, 2 February, 2011 22:45:52 Dear Dominic Groves Perhaps you will give me example of posts of mine that were considered to be disruptive, offensive or abusive?  Otherwise the accusation is entirely unfounded and not substantiated by any evidence.  Yours sincerely Claire Khaw  Fri, 4 February, 2011 15:31:31 Dear Dominic Groves I do believe that the BBC is in fact unable to produce any posts of mine that were considered to be disruptive, offensive or abusive.  Please confirm that this is the case.  Yours sincerely Claire Khaw   Mon, 7 February, 2011 10:44:45 Dear Dominic Groves I do hope I will be able to receive a YES or NO answer to this simple question today. Yours sincerely Claire Khaw Tue, 8 February, 2011 8:05:14 Dear Dominic groves As I did not receive an answer yesterday, perhaps you will let me know if I will receive one today.  Surely you must know if the BBC retained any of my comments that were considered to be disruptive, offensive or abusive?  Or was the fact that I am a member of the BNP considered to fulfill all of the above?  How dare Nazi scum like me post on the Today Programme?  Perhaps it was considered a deep affront to liberal sensibilities that I was allowed to post at all? I look forward to receiving your confirmation that the above was the case, whereupon I will then commence proceedings to apply for judicial review.  I have consulted a solicitor and it was confirmed that I have a good case that the BBC is yet again in breach of its duty to be impartial. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_review_in_English_law  I therefore suggest that you let me back on and then remove me later should I be considered to infringe your catch-all rules later.  You will then be able to give a reason as to my removal when you will have remembered to  keep a copy of the offensive, disruptive and abusive comment in question, and explain why it was offensive, disruptive and abusive or indeed "otherwise objectionable". I look forward to hearing from you.  Yours sincerely Claire Khaw Fri, 25 March, 2011 23:37:08 Dear Ms Khaw Reference CAS-598116-4571J8 Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘Today’ on Radio 4 and the rules concerning the programme’s Facebook page. Please accept our apologies for the delay in replying. We know our correspondents appreciate a quick response and are sorry you've had to wait on this occasion. We forwarded your concerns to Dominic Groves who explained in response that the programme is quite within their rights to ban contributors to non branded BBC sites, and they stand by their decision to do so on this occasion. With this in mind, there's little we can usefully add but we’ve registered your comments on our audience log for the benefit of senior management within the BBC. The audience logs are important documents that can help shape future decisions and they ensure that your points, and all other comments we receive, are made available to BBC staff across the Corporation. Thanks again for contacting us. Kind Regards Stuart Webb BBC Complaints www.bbc.co.uk/complaints [Still no reference to any evidence of how I have offended against their rules.]