Comment Removed from Janice Turner Hate Crime Article in The Times

[AnnoyedOfTunbridge]

I've name changed for this as it's obviously outing (or at least linking across platforms).

I'm just here for a gripe, really. I commented on this article this morning and it's just been unceremoniously deleted.

It said (almost word for word) that while I didn't think that 'hate crime' as a concept is helpful, if we're going to have it, it's outrageous not to include sex (as a protected characteristic) and that not including it precisely because it's too prevalent is outrageously craven.

Not that this should matter but it was the most recommended comment on that article and I found that quite heartening.

I honestly can't fathom what could possibly have got it deleted and am disproportionately annoyed by it.

If anyone would like to pat me on the head / share their own tales of unjust deletion woe (on platforms other than Mumsnet, perhaps - I'm not looking to start a civil war!) please join me in my aggrieved muttering!

Just want to give you that pat on the head! I agree completely with your comment and I am baffled as to why it would have been deleted.

I know a number of other people who had comments deleted on Janice's articles or articles on self ID; they complained and got them reinstated!
(Think the moderators may tend towards the woke....)

Both pats much appreciated! There's something very calming about simply having someone else agree that something is unfair!

That is outrageous! Definitely complain and get it back

Join the club annoyed take it as a rite of passage. I had one deleted (not to do with Janice's article)for inferring that the Civil Service were not so independent as we like to think.

Are you sure it wasn't because they hadn't loaded? that can sometimes happen

Infuriating OP. I am getting the impression that stuff like staffing the company Twitter account, or moderating the comments on newspaper articles is often done by young woke university graduates with a TWAW mindset which isn't great for commenters with a more reality-based perspective.

I had one deleted too! I assumed The Woke were on duty, especially given some that are still there!

If you sort the comments on most recommended, it seems that the most popular comments were also the most contentious... Definitely pursue it with the moderators.

I can't see anything remotely controversial about your comment OP. How bizarre.

Pursue it OP.
There's a customer services number listed and you could ask them (when it's open) how to challenge a deletion.

I think I was one of the people who liked it - it didn't seem remotely to infringe any guidelines. It's unusual, the Times is generally quite live and let live BTL.

I liked it too. Times has been odd recently seeing quite a few anti government posts being deleted even if seems well within guidelines and upvoted (Steve in Cambridge for example). You should complain.

I did scour the guidelines and come up empty. I even carefully said 'sex' rather than 'women' or 'misogyny' because a) it seems fair; and b) it seemed pretty hard to me to argue with including the protected characteristic as written in the Equality Act.

I will have a look at the complaints and how to argue for reinstatement. Thanks.

Another one to say pursue it. I don't comment but I've seen comments reinstated, sometimes it's removed by mods for checking I think and comes back after a delay.

But surely the woke kids are all over feminism, as long as you ignore the obvious? So they shouldn't have objected, either - you made no reference to anything other than how misogynist is it not to, yanno, see misogyny as an issue worth addressing!

Definitely complain.

Polite complaint sent. I'll keep you posted.

I'm definitely getting more irritable with age about these little injustices. It's inconvenient, really, but I'm not sorry about it.

Yes, utterly unfair.

Of course, when one starts having polite, reasonable comments relating to freedom of speech deleted, it only underlines the point.

I had something equally bland deleted under the article about Liz Truss’ statement earlier in the week.

I suspect there is a (Or probably several) stonewalled young staffers looking after the comments.

I've seen people say a few times that moderation on week ends seems to be done differently, more like anything that gets a complaint is removed. Maybe you fell foul of the weekend mods.

I’ve had a couple of comments removed recently in the Times. Both were under an article about the GRA when I replied to a well known commenter on trans articles called ‘disgusted of Manchester’. I wasn’t rude but I think as others have said that the comment was removed by the woke moderators, his comments were left alone.

I’ve seen quite a few people complaining recently under the trans articles that their comments are being deleted. It seems to be a new thing so whether it is one new mod responsible, who knows? It’s very annoying.

Different topic, but worse outcome.

I was used to having comments deleted by woke moderators at the Guardian.

But I got banned from commentating BTL altogether at the Guardian for posting shortly before the election that Jeremy Corbyn was anti-Semitic - they said this was libellous, but a) there had been numerous articles, including in their own newspaper, saying the same thing, and b) the EHRC were literally investigating the Labour Party under Corbyn for anti-Semitism.

I am Jewish, btw.

I argued to no avail that what I said was hardly controversial, that as a Jew, I had a right to name obvious anti-Semitism where I find it, and that banning a Jew for pointing out anti-Semitism was really not a good look for a supposedly left-wing paper...!

But no, they stayed firm. Horrendous. And probably some woke young mod, who imagines they are 'progressive' and anti-racist. I'm still fuming, though.

So on the positive side, at least the Times just deleted your post rather than removing your posting rights!

According to new comments under the article, this has also happened to the next most popular comment regarding the 'manosphere' which was up with no issues for well over 24 hours.

Seems The Times need to have a good look at their moderators before they put of half their subscribers. The many intelligent comments under articles are half the draw for me.

For anyone interested, I've had a bit of back and forth on admin matters so far but still waiting for a substantive response to the complaint. I've politely prodded then and will continue to do so until resolved.

Once upon a time I would have given up on this as not being with my time. I teetered on the edge of that this time too but I must be getting more bloody-minded and tenacious with age!

annoyed good for you. I’m a regular Times commenter and I have also noticed the woke-creep. Last week I reposted a deleted and perfectly reasonable comment with a note to mods that I am starting to take screenshots for my Times complaint letter.

Well done! I'd like to hear their justification for removing your comment!