Channel 4 Website - Censorship Watch

[dog]

The following was posted by Coati on the C4 website - It was censored by the moderator. It was posted a second time and the moderator deleted it again and then deleted all Coati's posts.

Property prices influence what we buy, when we buy and when we trade up or down. They also affect our disposable income, retirement age and spending plans. Many young people have expensive cars parked outside their houses or live in semi retirement thanks to capital gains on their homes.

If you calculate house prices on the basis of earnings multiple per square foot, we have had a remarkable run. A starter home 50 years ago had 1200 square feet and cost 2-3 times earnings of one income. A starter home today has 400 square feet and can cost 6 times joint incomes. In a climate of ever rising prices, buying decisions are simple (buy the biggest and best as soon as you can). This mindset however is only valid for rising markets and the consequences of static of falling house prices will have an huge impact on our lives for lots of reasons.

There are a variety of contributing factors that suggest that the housing bull market is over. The baby boom generation is getting old, taxes are rising, building land is being used more intensively, the nation is getting poorer and tax incentives for home buyers are dissapearing. Added to this, house prices are too expensive for many first time buyers and higher stamp duty has made trading up a very expensive business.

The debate on house prices is hugely important but it will always be a catalyst for tension. During rising markets the 'have nots' are turned off by the subject and during falling markets the 'haves' are frightened by it. Despite this, it still deserves to be a core discussion subject for any housing forum. I hope that attempts by some to supress debate on this subject will be not be successful.

Edited August 13, 2005 by dog

[Dicky]

The following was posted by Coati on the C4 website - It was censored by the moderator. It was posted a second time and the moderator deleted it again and then deleted all Coati's posts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The C4 forum is waste of time, its just dedicated to folks who want to discuss how to remove dogsh** stains from their shag piles, Anyone with an ounce of common sense who try and point out that there 2 bed sh**hole might be worth 40% less in 2 years time and they don't want to know, whats that Arc for then Nora they ask.

[dog]

I have spent the past week or two posting on the Channel 4 website. I went there because I felt that the moderator was engineering an unfair and unbalanced view of the housing market. They have banned one HPC member after another and systematically censored discussion on the subject of house price falls.

I posted the piece at the begining of this thread yesterday. It was carefully considered, clean, decent, honest and relevant to the forum. My contribution was censored without comment. I posted it again and it was removed along with everything I had ever posted on the site. I posted it a third time and I was banned.

If there is such a thing as a troll moderator, I believe that the C4 site has one. Such behaviour is forgivable from small independant websites but in the case of C4 it is different. I hope things will change and I am certainly making sure other people in C4 know what is happening.

[Casual Observer]

I have spent the past week or two posting on the Channel 4 website. I went there because I felt that the moderator was engineering an unfair and unbalanced view of the housing market. They have banned one HPC member after another and systematically censored discussion on the subject of house price falls.

I posted the piece at the begining of this thread yesterday. It was carefully considered, clean, decent, honest and relevant to the forum. My contribution was censored without comment. I posted it again and it was removed along with everything I had ever posted on the site. I posted it a third time and I was banned.

If there is such a thing as a troll moderator, I believe that the C4 site has one. Such behaviour is forgivable from small independant websites but in the case of C4 it is different. I hope things will change and I am certainly making sure other people in C4 know what is happening.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is outrageoue. Does anyone on the forum have the contgacts to get this censorship reproted in the more enlightened newspaperes?

[Waiting Patiently]

I have spent the past week or two posting on the Channel 4 website.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dog. There's certainly heavy censorship going on.

Looks like Coati's posts have just been deleted from this thread too. Some of the other posters don't seem to like whats going on though I expect the whole thread will disappear soon..........Ch4 forum : house prices

[Alfie Moon]

I think we ought to write some letters to national newspapers to expose this abuse on the Channel 4 Forum. If you look at the amount of traffic to their 'Homes' forums you will see that there are a great may people exposed to their highly controlled and censored discussion about houses. Due to their censorship of discussion about house prices, and their active support of the bullying tactics of susiecam et al, many people are being exposed to a deliberately biased version of the house price debate. For these reasons I think they should be exposed in the national press. Letters to 'Letters to the Editor' pages of newspapers would be one tactic and trying to get a freelance journalist interested in the story would be another tactic worth trying.

Whilst I underastand that some will think it's not worth the effort I have to say that over time I have become utterly disgusted with Channel 4.

[needle]

Write to John Snow, the C4 news anchor.

He's a good journo, takes an even approach to most issues.

Of course if he were to surf over here and see some of the more extreme posts from the uber-bears he might conclude that this forum is as biased as the C4 site in many respects.

[dog]

I totally agree with the above comments and I have started contacting organisations to complain about activities on the C4 site.

Any website distorts the debate about house price movements is sailing very close to the wind. Such activities may have disasterous consequences for many young and naieve buyers. When a large and powerful organisation can use their resources in this way I find it very distastful.

I wonder how much influence Kirsty Allsopp has on the website? I believe she hates HPC.

[teddyboy]

I too have had a very fair/unbiased discussion that wasnt even posted. The reason? I typed www.housepricecrash.co.uk! :angry:

We live in a democracy and should be able to show our views. This bias towards - FFS DONT PANIC PEOPLE is pathetic. If I think the world is gonna end - I should be able to say so and back it up - As long as I dont do things that are slanderous why not portray my point of view? I think house prices are VERY apt for the said forum but they dont like you talking about it - yet they produce programmes that are based around house prices.

I look at the C4 website but very rarely comment.

Lighten up C4! Just because a HPC means you can't show location, location,location and other Property Development programmes - think of a new one.

What about "How to sell a house in this FCUKed up marketplace"

I would watch it!!!

[NotDavidIcke]

I think they have to censor the C4 forums because any form of intellectual argument might make their brains go *pop*.

Do different types of laminate flooring adjacent look bad ?

championed of course by susiecam et al who will always have some useful anecdote to share on the subject...

Here is the thread in question if you can manange to read past the few few posts without your brain atrophying.

http://community.channel4.com/groupee/foru...41/m/3990090782

Edited August 14, 2005 by NotDavidIcke

[FaTB]

Write to John Snow, the C4 news anchor.

He's a good journo, takes an even approach to most issues.

Of course if he were to surf over here and see some of the more extreme posts from the uber-bears he might conclude that this forum is as biased as the C4 site in many respects.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This site is undoubtedly very biased, but it does not censor people with alternative opinions.

If it did the likes of TTRTR, and Property Guru would never get anything posted !

[George]

hmm sound like ******tards to me. Mass invasion sounds good. Either that or start a channel4sucks site. That'll get their attention.

[dog]

FatB

You are right. It is to HPC's great credit that bulls and bears alike are free to post on this site without fear of censorship.

George

If the Channel4sucks idea is legal, it sounds great.

[North London Rent Girl]

I think they have  to censor the C4 forums because any form of intellectual argument might make their brains go *pop*.

Do different types of laminate flooring adjacent look bad ?

championed of course by susiecam et al who will always have some useful anecdote to share on the subject...

Here is the thread in question if you can manange to read past the few few posts without your brain atrophying.

http://community.channel4.com/groupee/foru...41/m/3990090782

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

God almighty that discussion is just mindblowingly pathetic - imaging having problems like that? Shouldn't they be out on a ledge somewhere?

[Saving For a Space Ship]

This site is undoubtedly very biased, but it does not censor people with alternative opinions.

If it did the likes of TTRTR, and Property Guru would never get anything posted !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Property Guru is banned from HPC Forum

[FaTB]

Property Guru is banned from HPC Forum

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OH !! I'll get my coat then !!

[Rapid Descent]

Some of the stuff on the Ch4 website is a complete disgrace. Might have to register myself at some point...

I notice there is a profit from property section in there (where suziecam is railing against the shocking tactic of gazundering) with some particularly moronic statements. "GameOver" is demonstrating some real brains in this thread. Any of you with accounts want to set him straight on the meaning of the phrase "selling in two years"?

[kissmyb]

OH !!  I'll get my coat then !!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes shame so few bulls on here we all get banned eventualy!

[Casual Observer]

The following was posted by Coati on the C4 website - It was censored by the moderator. It was posted a second time and the moderator deleted it again and then deleted all Coati's posts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's a worrying time for property bulls when they have to censor any contrary viewpoint.

[Guest The_Oldie]

Yes shame so few bulls on here we all get banned eventualy!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not so!

We welcome bulls on this site; we need to hear both sides of the argument for a balanced view. Very few people get banned from this site and when they do, it is always for “trolling” or abusive behaviour, never because of their genuinely held opinions.

[Waiting Patiently]

It's a worrying time for property bulls when they have to censor any contrary viewpoint.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

After Dogs campaigning the Ch4 mods seem to have backed off and some of the discussions now have a more realistic air about them like these two threads............

repossession repossession repossession

house prices 10

[planit]

The following was posted by Coati on the C4 website - It was censored by the moderator. It was posted a second time and the moderator deleted it again and then deleted all Coati's posts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If everyone on this site posted the article on the C4 forum it would be quite interesting.

It would be like one of those games where you have to knock the gophers on the head when they pop up (for the moderators).