With Craigslist's decision to replace its "adult services" section of its "Services" classifieds with a "Censored" bar that blocks that content, the online powerhouse has once again become a magnet for controversy among those who view the move as a cave-in to limit free speech and to those who accuse the site of facilitating prostitution and possibly a now-dead serial killer's agenda.

In a poll Mashable is conducting about the change, the website asked readers if Craigslist's "adult services" should be censored. So far, 71 percent of more than 1,800 who have responded said no, it shouldn't be censored (although the caveat to that "no" is "because prostitution shouldn't be illegal anyway.")

In its coverage of the possible free-speech ramifications of the decision, the New York Times boiled down the issue: "Just how much responsibility does a Web site have for what is posted by its users, or for potential criminal activity that results from the posts?"

The liability issue has stirred up lots of debate.

"If you impose liability on Craigslist, YouTube and Facebook for anything their users do, then they're not going to take chances," Brian Carver, an attorney and assistant professor at the UC Berkeley school of information, told The San Francisco Chronicle last week in a story about the Aug. 24 demand from attorneys general to Craigslist to shut down the "Adult Services" section. "It would likely result in the takedown of what might otherwise be perfectly legitimate free expression."

Technology Liberation Front blogger Ryan Radia wrote: "While the state attorneys general are likely celebrating victory this holiday weekend, all they’ve really done is to stifle free speech online and complicate efforts by law enforcement authorities to go after the real bad guys — you know, the ones who are forcing kids into sex slavery."

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/06/5055303-craigslists-adult-services-decision-a-blow-to-free-speech-