Professor says hate speech is akin to obscenity

Obscenity isn’t about sex, but rather about degradation, argues a Michigan State University professor who conducted a first-of-its kind study on the relationship between hate speech and obscenity.

NYTimes.com friends Facebook in revamp

In a bid to elevate the debate, The New York Times is revamping reader comments on its website and joining a growing number of US newspapers in integrating Facebook into its commenting system.

The art of telling it like it isn't

There are certain things in life we'd rather not conjure up too vividly, and for this we have at our disposal a range of linguistic deodorisers, smokescreens and fig leaves. These are euphemisms. They are about taboos (those ...

Groups sue Mass. over newly expanded obscenity law

(AP) -- A coalition of booksellers and Internet content providers on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging an expansion of Massachusetts' obscenity law to include electronic communications that may be harmful to minors.