It is quite interesting that after spending much time on this site, not as a contributor of any sorts and in any capacity, in fact i have had the privilege of being a mere reader and at times an observer and an occasionatl commenter, just found out that i have been blocked by several specific contributors for making comments that may have been just a tad opposite what i should have or expected to have thought and commented on! 

It is as if someone literally is telling me what to think and what to say and try to realign my thoughts and basically put words in my mouth.

It is sad, that a site that bears its reputation on "stop searching" , i suppose to mean this is the ultimate forum where you can expect an ultimate free exchange of ideas to take place, regardless of how disgareeble two commenters could be and how controversial the stated opinions. 

I suppose making comments on the status of a young woman who believes she earned the honor to represent Iran under severe repression , which she knowingly embraced, and made a conscientious decision to accept wearing hijab, again knowing full well what the consequences would have been But now, has changed course completely and for reasons that are undeniably articulated on her essay , decided that in a fit of rage , she is better than this and she never believed in hijab and etc.... To take a stand on the issue, Justifies being cut off and ordered to change opinions.

Perhaps going on to a thread and engaging in a discussion with a pure facist who unappologetically promotes and advances the most outdated and backward ideas when it comes to The issue of Palestine and blindly blames other countries for such a dilemma is fair grounds for blocking someone. How logical. As if cursing israel and their policies and what they have or have not done and pushing stubbornly for their boycott while failing misrabely to come up with a solution that contains a modicum of logic, let alone being fully rational; will somehow magically rally people and solves the problem. How ignorant.

Imagined being denied access to the site or certain threads , on a so-called forum , claiming to be radically different from others, not it words but in action and based on the news and views presented; merely because The Editor thinks or rather believes someone has fallen out of line, is not following the "norms" and makes a decisive posture on what should and should not be said, while since 1995 he and this site under its various names have aggressively been trying to prove just the opposite. 

Wow...That is some breath-taking task. That is something you would hope not have the misfortune to witness but sadly it happens. That is totally in line with the principles and best-practice journalism right there for you.