I manage a community devoted to an online videogame. If we allowed our community to set the standards of what a good and acceptable player is, and vote out everyone who did not meet their standards, our game would be in dire trouble. The community would suffer in terms of diversity, and it would suffer in terms of behavioural standards, as the most obnoxious and the ones that get a kick out of grieving would drive the others out, simply because they are more aggressive and will use ways to exploit the system to their advantage.

I agree that a community has to develop their own identity but isn’t there a fine line here about self determination and discrimination? What if there was a community of anglo’s who decided that people from other races should not be able to be included due to a difference in skin colour.

I read the site, and this is a direct quote; “Beauty is subjective and BeautifulPeople Network believes that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. The rating module was born from this very principle. By giving the power back to the members to define their ideal of beauty in a democratic way.”

I guess that this proves that democracy is not fool proof – a whole community of people who cannot recognise the beauty of a person who is regarded as a” fatty” – what that actually means I don’t really know. In a world where eating disorders and emotional troubles relating to self acceptance continue to grow unabated, I guess this is just a symptom.

Am I offended? Well I know that the group isn’t one that I would want to join as it doesn’t celebrate the true gifts of humanity but just what others can see.

I am really wondering if the decision on defining what is a “fatty” was determined by the whole community or whether it was a decision that was determined by a few? I would really like to know the process. I wonder if a similar process applies to those who are considered too thin?? I guess as long as these “rules” were known and clear from the outset then the process of having the members reapply won’t be a surprise to anyone.

Just as long as our commitment to self defining communities is accompanied by a reasonable outlook of maintaining broad social values and upholding the tennets of laws. I would be dreadfully challenged to support elite communities who excluded people on the basis of appearance, gender or any other factor. So maybe I am very earnest about my beliefs and values about equality but we have had enough history of division and struggle which demeans humanity.
Good thought provoker – thanks Angela

It’s shocking at first when you read what was done, but honestly, it’s their freedom and their right to run their community how they want. Which includes screening the types of members they allow. Not say that I agree, there are people that way more than average that look better than the bean poles in the magazines. I don’t think they should be banned just for being overweight, because you can still be very attractive and not at an ideal weight.

But I digress. My main issue was if they were to be “forced” to let members back on. I hate when our freedoms in America are overlooked for trying to be Politically Correct. It’s very dangerous, even in the “name of good”. We could become a country with no freedoms at all if we start to tell people how to run their communities.