I have received a complaint from my internet service provider for posting my
idea's/opinions on this/these newsgroup(s).
Where can I find the policy for this newsgroup. I believe it is in violation
with the law in many countries !
Is your local newspaper -required- to print any and all articles you
submit to them? Is The Voice of America -required- to broadcast your 2
hour discussion of why Brittany Spears is the best artist, "like,
ever!"? Is CNN -required- to broadcast your home video of your dog
chasing a stick? Is your city -required- to allow you to put on a "You
can't trust {specific <ethnicity|religion|Santa Claus>}" parade?
"Free speech" means *at most* that the government cannot stop you from
expressing your views in such ways as will not cause undue disturbances
(and there are "prior restraint" exceptions in -every- country that I
have examined.)
"Free speech" does NOT mean that anyone is obliged to provide you with
a forum to express those views, particularily if doing so would cost
them money. And "Free speech" does not mean that people cannot complain
about your expression of your views, does not mean that a business
or individual cannot require you leave for having expressed those views,
and does not mean that [in serious cases] that you cannot be arrested for
having expressed those views.
In my country, "free speech" is a legal concept that applies to
"public places" -- and Usenet is NOT a "public place" (ask yourself
who owns the systems that Usenet groups travel over and get stored in.)
The closest Usenet gets to "free speech" is to say that "If one of
the Big 8 newsgroups doesn't want your opinion, then go start an alt.*
newsgroup and see if anyone bothers to carry it." And if even an alt.*
newsgroup doesn't fly then you could try for a free.* newsgroup --
I hear that the total audience for those has risen to 19 people now.
"Free speech" doesn't mean you can force anyone to -listen- to you.
If you go around trying to cite "free speech" laws as overriding
Usenet policies and customs, then you WILL lose the debate,
because those laws are *always* full of limitations.
Oh and you should examine your contract with your ISP before you go
much further: your contract with them very likely gives them the right
to drop your service for pretty much any reason they want, -including-
(and possibly specifically written into the contract) violating Usenet
norms.