I just thought I'd pop in and say HELLO again.
Hopefully we'll be filling this up soon!

Uber: Your Jedi mind trick will not work on me. THIS IS NOT THE DIARYLAND SURVIVOR 5 HOST YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!

I think Scourge should totally win the IC for Best Rambling Paranoid Conspiracy Rant. This guy (?) is friggin' hilarious! It's too bad he (?) isn't a contestant (as far as we know). If everyone put as much time and thought into their creative writing as he (?) does, it would be damn near impossible to pick a horse for this vast cryptic underground alliance to jockey.

Maybe we should make the next IC be "write a rambling paranoid conspiracy rant." I thing Scourge has proven how entertaining that would be.

I know a lot of you people don't bother to read Scourge because of all the venom and stupidity in his (?) previous posts, but this latest one is pure genius. Go have a look. Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic here. I genuinely think he (?) deserves some credit for poking some good, brilliant fun at himself (?).

(doing finger circle around ear thing)

So, does the complete lack of activity on the contestant blog mean that Kim really was the only thing keeping it going, or does it mean that she was the last one to leave? I hope she turned out the light and locked the door...

Fear not, Meg — there will always be a place in my life for the truly crazy.

(doing *b-b-b-b* thing with finger and lips)

Kim, your apology was appreciated, but not necessary. I never told you your comments were getting on my nerves, so how could you know? That's hardly your problem...it's my problem for not telling you sooner. However, I refuse to speak up simply for the benefit of those who wanted me to do something about you. I didn't want to play into their agenda, and I still will not. If my editorial yesterday had any coincidental effect that pleases them, it was really not my intention.

I still want everyone to say and do as they please. I just wanted everyone to know that my personal policy is to not censor anyone for doing so.

But, again, I do appreciate your apology. I know it was sincere, and I respect you a lot for that. I think a lot of people have a lot of misconceptions about — well, about pretty much everyone associated with this competition. However, I know that nothing is going to change that, so we just need to try and tolerate each other until this is all over. Then we can go back to not being involved in each others' lives just like it was before the game started.

Trust me, folks...we will all survive Survivor.

Up to this point, I've felt that not acknowledging all the artificial controversy was the smartest course of action. I still feel that way. However, I am going to address a couple key points, just so the contestants and the judges know that this game hasn't devolved into the joke some loudmouths in the gallery seem to believe it has.

First there's the issue of blogs, message boards, guestbooks, and mailing lists. It is the policy of the host to NEVER restrict free speech. To instruct anyone on how to conduct themselves publicly or privately simply because they are associated with Diaryland Survivor would be hypocritical. And it would be stupid. And, most of all, it would invite even more of the sort of allegations we've seen already.

To allow free speech is to allow free stupidity. Some readers and former contestants view themselves as staunch defenders of free speech. Their techniques are crude and damaging at best. But they believe in what they are doing, and to restrict them would be to oppose their right to have such idiotic opinions.

The view of the majority of readers is that ousted contestants should be banned from the blog. The purpose of that poll was to gather information for a possible future edition of Diaryland Survivor. To enact a change as big as that mid-game would be grossly unfair. And it would affect EVERYONE, not just the two particular players we all seem to be weary of.

It should also be noted that silence as to their behavior is not an implicit agreement of their statements. To accuse anyone of that is to be incredibly closed-minded and judgmental. I personally have found the actions of some of my online friends to be downright stomach-churning. But I have never condemned them because, quite frankly, what would be the point? Well, it seems to be the view of many critics that "the point" would be to placate those who oppose them. In my case (and in the case of MOST of the judges and contestants), choosing silence is an endorsement of neither side.

The second issue is one of judge integrity. As previously said, it is our belief that the opinions of the judges should not be restricted. The reliability of a judge is based on other things, such as voting record. And by that, I don't simply mean "do they vote every week?" I also mean, who do they vote for? If a judge is observed voting for the same contestant week after week, they are removed from the judges' pool. It would be very illuminating to many outsiders to see how the public statements of the judges seldom matter when it comes time to vote for Immunity. I can say with pride that all the current judges ARE impartial and fair. And they are opinionated and talented as well. They all deserve a lot more credit than they receive.

It is regrettable that a former contestant was driven to the point of locking her diary. I personally find that goes against everything this game stands for, and it flies right in the face of the free speech that some people claim to defend. But it is her personal choice, and she alone has the power to change her mind. Just as others have the power to stop flinging false accusations and tired insults. Those people should stop looking to others for action, and start taking it upon themselves to correct their behavior.

Thank you for giving this a moment of consideration.

Hey, congratulations! What's your name?

Uh, I mean...what's the little thing who is gonna get to call you Aunt Jenistar gonna be called by you?

(and please interrupt the regular ds4 discussion!)