I have had posts removed from view and, in the past week, at least three of my friends were banned from posting on Facebook for a week because of conservative posts, one of them being a quote from Saint Francis or someone. Just because words have meaning, let's discuss censorship. The word can be used to refer to anyone preventing anything from being published but, in the sense that the Bill of Rights prohibits censorship through the First Amendment, it is important to keep in mind that the Bill of Rights was intended to be a limitation on the power of the federal government. Although it has since been applied to the states and even to businesses and organizations, when it fits the agenda of whoever is in charge at the time, it is clear that the Bill of Rights was not intended to limit the power of the individual states, and it certainly wasn't intended to be applied to companies, organizations, or individuals. Facebook has as much of a right to prohibit something that its management considers to be offensive as I have to do so here. Clearly, the owners and management of Facebook, Twitter, and Google consider conservatism to be offensive. That's what conservatives, including myself, sometimes forget. While few conservatives would object to the censorship of the Ku Klux Klan or the American Nazi Party from these platforms, because they share in the objection to these political voices, they protest their own exclusion. That's the problem when our love for the freedom of speech is extended only to speech that we agree with, or that doesn't offend us. Under the First Amendment, Facebook is well within its rights to censor conservative voices. So, while I am also concerned about the attacks on conservative speech from Facebook, Twitter, and Google, the First Amendment isn't the appropriate remedy, in my opinion. The influence of all three of these companies is pervasive, in that it could be argued that the exclusion of a segment of the political landscape from these platforms will greatly limit their ability to get their message out. Anti-trust laws have been used against companies for far less of a reason than they could be used against these media giants. I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but I believe that all three of these companies enjoy privileges as publishers that are not extended to the general public. In other words, if I built a website in which people were allowed to call for violence or anything else that is against the law, I would be held responsible for the content published on my website, and this would be true whether I wrote it myself or not. However, in the United States, at least, neither Facebook or Twitter are held responsible for what their users post online. Given their biased policies, they are not a true publisher of public content, so I would think these protections could be withdrawn. However, while this is peripherally on-topic, the opening post was asking whether we belong to any support groups on Facebook. A support group is one that is designed to help someone through a problem. For example, there are support groups for people with cancer, for alcoholics or drug addicts, and for people who have been victims of abuse, and so on. In a sense, I suppose a senior's group could be considered a support group. To a point, I think we support one another here, although we also use the forum for entertainment, information, and to relieve boredom. When I set the SENIORSonly Club Facebook group up, I had considered promoting it as a senior's group on Facebook, with the idea that those who posted there would be encouraged to sign up here as well, but then I became concerned that people would decide to post there instead of coming here, being more familiar with Facebook than with online forums, and I didn't want to spend a lot of time promoting anything on Facebook. However, people are free to post in the Facebook group, and we may have gotten a few members through it. Although I like being supportive when I can, I haven't been big on support groups. When I first got cancer, of course, I became concerned about dying of it because cancer is a scary word. Even now, I feel confident that when I die, it will probably be of cancer because I have had two types of cancer now. Every time I feel a new pain or become aware of something going on with my body, I worry that it's cancer and that maybe the three-strikes-you're-out thing will apply. However, I never felt the need to attend any of the support groups sponsored by the hospital, nor have I joined any cancer support groups. It's not that I feel that those who seek them out are weak, but I just can't imagine that sitting around talking about my cancer with a group of other people who are talking about their cancers would make me feel any better about my own; not that I have any. When the question was first asked, I hadn't noticed that it asked specifically about support groups so, like others, I responded with the Facebook groups that I am a member of. None of them, I suppose, are support groups.
I do think for some people it seems to be therapeutic and they feel less alone. But I'm with you. I can't think of anything I would rather NOT do, than share hours of discussing an illness with a group of people who probably feel as miserable about it as I would.
As I understand it, the problem is, as @Ken Anderson noted, the social media companies enjoy tax privileges and exemptions as a public media entity. They are also a monopoly for the most part for their individual venue, something like a utility. They are not regulated like a utility, but have tax advantages similar to a necessary utility service. As such, they shouldn't be able to censor postings for accounts they have background on. I guess it is similar to why the NRA has to pay taxes, as is not a tax-exempt organization, but the Sierra Club is. Both conduct political lobbying and activity, but one is not favored by liberals while the other is.
Sorry that my original response to Lon's question took the thread in another direction. I fully agree that Facebook, Youtube, etc. are within their rights to delete content they disagree with. However I am within my rights to not participate in their endeavor.
I belong to a Neighborhood Watch group for our area. They call it a neighborhood watch but it is more of a community group.
As far as Facebook support groups for a disease, I suppose mine fits. I belong to one for people that were having hip replacements done. Most were for arthritis, which was the reason mine were done. Both of my hips were replaced. I did like belonging to the groups, and believe they gave good support to those who joined. I think there were downsides as well. I don't think the advice of people in the groups were a replacement for opinions from their doctors. Times for them to do "such and such", when they could walk without on their own, etc. varies for each individual. There was information that shouldn't have been said. I don't participate in the group any more. I suppose I should un-join, but truthfully, I don't go on Facebook much. I've given it over to my kids, I seem to get in trouble for the posts I make. They do have other support groups that I enjoy. I belong to several writer support groups that I think are very worthwhile. And then I could talk about the Old Hippie groups and my game groups haha. To tell the truth, I could say the groups are the main reason I am there. And the fact that I am linked to the page that my son Tyson had. He passed away ten years ago, so I guess I'm a member for life.
@Charlene Marolf I hope I didn't sound negative on my post regarding support groups. It just wouldn't work for me personally , but it came out sounding unthoughtful. I'm glad you were able to find friends and meaningful conversations in the groups you joined.
@Bess Barber oh I didn't think of it as negative at all! I mostly join the groups for fun. And as in most things, I take what I can out of a situation, and leave what I feel doesn't apply. There are things I truly dislike about those groups, and I avoid them like I would like someone hateful. I mainly like to read comments, and I have really learned some good ways to look at negative situations. One of my favorites....just for example....I was getting very frustrated with my writing. One of the members of my group commented that I should try writing just for fun. That helped me immensely. I discovered I was trying to hard. Just a little example of how I can learn little bits here and there. And thank you so much for what you said.
I belong to two of them and I am amazed at the number of members from all over the world. It's not the place to go for medical advice but is excellent to learn how others are being treated and to compare symptoms. To find a group for your condition just search name of condition/support forum.
@Lon Tanner For lots of people with health issues, support groups become their life line. It's easier to deal with a serious illness if a person feels they aren't alone.