Swearing

[Zauls]

So I got a bit fed up of the profanity filter and did this whole VIP promotion thing because posting 2200 more times seemed like a bit too much effort. Like why is there even a profanity filter? And even if there is one, why is it lifted at 10k posts? It's not like somebody becomes magically responsible with their language as soon as they've made a certain amount of posts on a funking Yu-Gi-Oh forum. 

 

I want the freedom to swear without making my profile look stupid and I really don't want my name to be all purple and sparkly on the online users list. Its not like censorship is even effective anyway. Who in this day and age will see "f***" and not recognise it as "funk"? Getting a bit philosophical now, but what's actually wrong with swearing in the first place if it isn't used to directly offend? I swear quite liberally (you may have noticed by now) but I never use any sort of language intended to cause direct offence to a person/group of people, so why was I being censored? And even if someone does use swearing to directly offend someone, does it really make a difference if it's a load of asterisks or not when the intent is the same either way?

 

I know this has been discussed before, but can we please remove the profanity filter?

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

It's not hard to speak w/o profanity

 

You don't need it

 

I want a lot of things, most of which wont happen

 

Deal with it

[Snatch Steal]

It's not hard to speak w/o profanity

 

You don't need it

 

I want a lot of things, most of which wont happen

 

Deal with it

 

By this logic, nothing gets done. Analogize there's a ban on wearing shoes. You can get through your day just fine, but you can't wear shoes. Why not just lift the ban on shoes to make things easier?

 

The censor really is pointless, since you'll just recognize the word anyway, like the OP said, and just makes things harder for people. It's not a big deal, so no point in keeping it around, quite frankly.

 

If you want sheet done, then do it instead of moping around and "dealing with it" :^)

[Aix]

Because we have to pretend we're a kid-friendly site.

[Slinky]

Then add an option to turn the filter on/off. That way, people who are offended by it, can turn it on, and people who don't give a sheet or are annoyed by asterisks can leave it off.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

I vote we put the filter on even the privileged.

Since we're supposed to be kid-friendly and there's really no big need of swears.

Plus the filter looks cute.

 

Also I was thinking about something. What's the rules about profanity?

By this logic, nothing gets done. Analogize there's a ban on wearing shoes. You can get through your day just fine, but you can't wear shoes. Why not just lift the ban on shoes to make things easier?

 

The censor really is pointless, since you'll just recognize the word anyway, like the OP said, and just makes things harder for people. It's not a big deal, so no point in keeping it around, quite frankly.

 

If you want sheet done, then do it instead of moping around and "dealing with it" :^)

Who does it make it hard on? How?

[Tesability Black]

In all honesty, if you have to pretend to be a kid-friendly site, then the filter would not be lifted for anyone, even the VIPs and Legendary Members. Even I must admit, there seems to be a double-standard present with the filter.

 

'refreshes page' And it looks like another agrees with me.

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

>Site is casually talking about furies

>Kid Friendly

 

Uh

[Snatch Steal]

>Site is casually talking about furies

>Kid Friendly

 

Uh

 

>implying furries aren't kid friendly

>this is the guy who's fine with the confederate flag's existence

>Furry avi

>your drama is showing

 

Uh

Who does it make it hard on? How?

 

Some people have it ingrained in their vocabulary, and that's that. This isn't exactly tea with the Queen of England.

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

Yeah? Yiff isn't kid friendly

[Toffee.]

Holy funking sheet you bastards, calm the-

wait. no.

 

*ahem*

 

I'd honestly vote to remove the filter. Not because of OP's reasons or anything, but because... Swearing has more of a mentality to it then people seem to recognize. It's typically seen as degrading to one's own dignity due to the fact it strikes others as fowl/unpolite/etc, so it would be more of matter of conducting one's own self in a more respectable manner, unless he/she chooses to pollute whatever context they have with cursing.

I mean, swearing is commonplace, sure, and 9 times out of 10 it isn't directed at anyone, and it's used more in place of adjectives/etc, but that should be expected from users who are either showcasing a less dignified way to communicate, or are just disregarding the filter all together.

At least, the way I see it.

[Forest Fire]

Because we have to pretend we're a kid-friendly site.

>kid friendly

>need to be older than 13 to actually have an account

>moog's thread handing out his furry s*** (not that i don't like the thread, mind you)

>cowcow's thread handing out maids

>*insert stuff here* waifu threads

>the thread that literally handed out pics of porn stars

>the thread asking about your fetishes

>new members are basically all but ignored if they don't do something that makes people hate them

 

 

In all honesty, if you have to pretend to be a kid-friendly site, then the filter would not be lifted for anyone, even the VIPs and Legendary Members. Even I must admit, there seems to be a double-standard present with the filter.

^ this

[Ryusei the Morning Star]

>kid friendly

>need to be older than 13 to actually have an account

>moog's thread handing out his furry s*** (not that i don't like the thread, mind you)

>cowcow's thread handing out maids

>*insert stuff here* waifu threads

>the thread that literally handed out pics of porn stars

>the thread asking about your fetishes

>new members are basically all but ignored if they don't do something that makes people hate them

 

 

 

Pretend: Speak and act so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not.

 

Learn to read kid

 

 pretend

 

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

Pretend: Speak and act so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not.[/size]

Learn to read kid[/size]

Ideally, we shouldn't be pretending at all.

[Forest Fire]

Pretend: Speak and act so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not.

 

Learn to read kid

that's like pretending you don't swear after actively swearing, with recordings of you swearing. you're just kidding yourself. no one else is fooled, but you get to be happy in thinking that for some reason, people will believe you don't swear. i was just pointing out why it's silly to pretend we're kid friendly. which you would have been able to figure out if you actually thought about it for more time than it takes you to put your foot in your mouth.

[evilfusion]

I seem to vaguely recall that, at one point, for an experiment or something (I cannot remember the details, to the point where I'm not even sure the event happened, but I'm pretty sure it did), the profanity filter did get disabled.

 

And everybody and their mother decided it was awesome and spammed the status bar with a ridiculous amount of cursing, just because they could. While yes, it was very likely that this immature testing of their newfound freedom would die down once the appeal wore off, I seem to recall getting really irritated by this, and re-enabled the filter. This is the only reason I seem to remember the event happening at all - because I'm the one who put an end to it.

 

The filter doesn't stop swearing. That much is true. It censors it in a way that the chosen word is still very obvious. But having a post full of asterisks looks stupid as hell, so people aren't likely so spam curse words all the time. Similarly, having a post of all caps looks stupid, so people posting in all caps when enraged lose impact in their emotion to the point of being amusing rather than threatening.

 

As for why the filter doesn't affect VIPs...I dunno. Incentive to pay up?

 

Why the filter doesn't affect mods...I dunno. Power?

 

Why the filter gets disabled at 10k posts...I...don't have the slightest idea. Because when you're here for 10k posts, you get a privilege?

 

As for the rules of cursing...let's face it, there aren't any. Okay, there totally ARE rules, but the thing is, the stray curse word or two isn't an issue. Much more important is the tone you use it in. If you are using curses to make your comments more inflammatory and insulting, your post comes across as very hostile and gets penalized for that. The fact you USED curse words doesn't matter. It's the context you used it in.

 

Excessively cursing is also problematic, but again, that's more because it makes your tone extra hostile.

 

But you know the biggest issue about curse words and rules?

 

They're almost NEVER worth enforcing. It's like being back in second grade and going "Ooh, Jason said a naughty word! Teacher!" And then Teacher scowls and says "Jason, you shouldn't say words like that!" and Jason just nods, and then gives you a death glare, and you grow up to be known as the "Squealer" and eventually the mob slits your throat. Um...or something. I don't know how I...never mind, moving on.

 

Just like in actual interactions with people, curse words tossed around too freely and too often can sour an impression of someone. But when it comes to site moderation, it's impossible to enforce with rules and punishments, because it's so minor and so widespread that it's almost a complete waste of time. Try it sometime. Go to almost any thread, at any time, in any section. Every time you see a post with a curse word, imagine yourself making a post that says "Hey, you shouldn't be swearing". And if they do it again after you made this imaginary post, imagine taking 30 seconds to "warn" the person for that.

 

Do this for literally every person in any thread, any section, forever. Good job! Are you having fun as an imaginary moderator, or do you wish you were doing ANYTHING ELSE?

 

And God forbid you overlooked User Y cursing in HIS thread, because after you warned User X for his curse words, you can bet your ass he will complain when User Y wasn't warned or banned, or anything, and his words were WORSE than User X's, as if you're deliberately using a double standard.

[Tesability Black]

If there was a way to lift the restriction in the Roleplay Section, that would be nice. You will have some people whom sometimes play characters that...well, let's just say there are toilets cleaner than their mouths. And for some roleplays, this is to be expected and for the filter to block them out makes it a bit irksome to work around.

[Forest Fire]

If there was a way to lift the restriction in the Roleplay Section, that would be nice. You will have some people whom sometimes play characters that...well, let's just say there are toilets cleaner than their mouths. And for some roleplays, this is to be expected and for the filter to block them out makes it a bit irksome to work around.

step 1: don't make you character immature/ a douche

problem solved.

 

wait... i thought it didn't censor capslock....

f***                  f***

b****                b****

HELL              hell

DAMN             damn

ASS                ass

 

just use cusses that escape the censor....... because those exist.... apparently.....

[evilfusion]

If there was a way to lift the restriction in the Roleplay Section, that would be nice. You will have some people whom sometimes play characters that...well, let's just say there are toilets cleaner than their mouths. And for some roleplays, this is to be expected and for the filter to block them out makes it a bit irksome to work around.

 

Unfortunately, this is not possible. The filter is tied to Member Groups, not forum sections.

 

Or rather, the ability to BYPASS the filter is inherent to individual Member Groups.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

step 1: don't make you character immature/ a douche

problem solved.

Okay I'm gonna step in just to say, while off topic, this is a really bad attitude.

Characters are people. There are some people who are immature, or a douche, or just have no filter with words for one reason or another. (Such as anger issues).

Even an immature or douchy character can be a really good character if done right. So don't just say something like this as though the only good character is one that doesn't swear.

 

Anyway that's...all I had to say. Sorry for off-topic.

[Bellringer Angel]

step 1: don't make you character immature/ a douche

problem solved.

Swearing doesn't make you look immature, but improper use of swear words does.

 

Also, swearing filter actually make people look less mature, due to the fact that you are probably younger than 12 if you have to censor your own swear words.

[Tesability Black]

Nor does one have to be a jackass to swear.

 

Perfect example in real life, the Order of the Turtle. Normally, these folks don't swear, but if one question is asked...well, suddenly their mouths aren't so clean.

 

BUT ANYHOO, sorry for the derail. completely unintended. It is sad that the filter seems member group based-though.

[evilfusion]

step 1: don't make you character immature/ a douche

problem solved.

 

wait... i thought it didn't censor capslock....

f***                  f***

b****                b****

HELL              hell

DAMN             damn

ASS                ass

 

just use cusses that escape the censor....... because those exist.... apparently.....

 

This explanation is two-fold.

 

There are definitely words not on the filter. This was brought to attention a long time ago (come to think of it, I feel like that heralded the temporary disabling of the filter), and the problem is that what constitutes a curse word is WAY bigger of a slippery slope than you would expect.

 

There are two settings for filtering. One of the settings, if I recall correctly, filters all instances of that exact combination of letters, even if the "word" exists within another, non-curse word. And the other setting will only filter that exact combination of letters by itself.

 

There's two problems. This can lead to innocent words being filtered because they happen to share a partial spelling with an offensive word. For example, Grass would get filtered if "ass" was on the list, with the Loose Filter setting. This looks even dumber than posts full of asterisks, because it looks like you're cursing when you're not. Therefore, to censor "Ass", it would have to be listed with an Exact Filter setting. Now the combination of "A-S-S" and only those letters, will be filtered.

 

The second problem is that some curse words have VARIANT curse words. Going back to the "Ass" example, using the Exact filter method has allowed Ass to be censored. But Asses is not. jabroni is not. bastards is not. The only way to catch all variants (not counting misspellings) is to use the Loose filter. And that means innocent words get filtered. OR I can list every single variant word derived from a curse word.

 

(For the record, jabroni IS censored)

 

Therefore, it's only reasonably practical to Loose Filter words that are offensive regardless of variants. A certain F word fits that bill (just because I can swear doesn't mean I'm going to cite 300 curse word examples, especially since my posts bypass the filter).

 

Which leads to the overall problem why some words simply aren't censored at all - Slippery Slope. Who gets to decide how offense a word is to update the Filter list? For that matter, the sheer amount of time and effort devoted to updating the filter list would be way too much trouble, especially if you're trying to account for variant words or innocent words that happen to have a curse within it. What about curse words that are innocent in another culture, or vice versa?

 

And then the really minor words can still be used in non-cursing contexts, like Hell. Or being damned to hell. So long as it's not directed at a person, the word itself is not inherently offensive.

[Forest Fire]

Okay I'm gonna step in just to say, while off topic, this is a really bad attitude.

Characters are people. There are some people who are immature, or a douche, or just have no filter with words for one reason or another. (Such as anger issues).

Even an immature or douchy character can be a really good character if done right. So don't just say something like this as though the only good character is one that doesn't swear.

 

Anyway that's...all I had to say. Sorry for off-topic.

i did edit my post after saying that cause i realized how stupid it was.

 

............. like a whole 3 minutes before you posted....

 

sure i didn't remove the original comment, but there is an obvious edit.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

i did edit my post after saying that cause i realized how stupid it was.

 

............. like a whole 3 minutes before you posted....

 

sure i didn't remove the original comment, but there is an obvious edit.

And obviously by the fact that my post had your original non-edited comment I didn't see it.

Okay I checked and the thing I replied to hasn't changed so now I don't get what your point was at all.