Despite my recent overwrought reaction to “dark mutterings,” the only time that Wretchard has moderated any of my postings was when I put multiple links to vendors of Georgian wine. I thought that I was providing a service, but I understand that this venue is not a swap meet.

It would be more, er, convenient to have explicit posting guidelines, but then we would have an actual censorship regime. It would be administratively convenient to require posters to register and limit e-mail addresses to one on-line handle, but I doubt that libertarian clubbers would accept that.

I don’t know what the laws are in Australia, but the recent actions of Human Rights tribunals in Canada ought to give us all pause. This blog is associated with one name, Richard Fernandez, and it is our host who would be subject to witch hunts or spurious investigations. We who post here are insulated from such considerations and enjoy nearly perfect freedom to vent as we please.

Personally, I have great confidence in Wretchard’s informal, ad hoc moderation. None of the complaints that I’ve seen allege that a point of view was moderated; rather, it seems that expressions were the objection. This might be cold comfort to those who have been moderated, but BC does not exist in a vacuum and some direction is warranted. Wretchard has a light hand and we owe him our thanks.

It might be helpful if Wretchard were to send an explanatory e-mail to those who have been moderated, but, we do not pay him for his time and trouble. We are riding for free.