×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Swear-word Filter/Censor


Goto page Previous  1, 2

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> ANN Feedback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2012 2:49 am Reply with quote
Psycho 101 wrote:
Personally I find this topic to be more of a common sense issue. If you're obviously arguing with someone, being condescending, a topic is heated, etc and you start cursing you know you shouldn't. It's rather common sense at that point cursing is just going to derail the issue more. Sure some people are thin skinned or just don't like cursing at all period but 99% of the time here at ANN I think it's really common sense given a situation if cursing is ok or not.


Yeah, I agree with this completely. Although as I mentioned earlier, this leads me to wonder why we have a swear filter at all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2012 10:34 am Reply with quote
ManOfRust wrote:
I appreciate that you, Dessa, and ikill seem to feel that way, but I don't agree with you. You can't create good behavior just by piling on more and more rules. At some point, people either get it and behave, don't get and there needs to be some intervention, or do get it and continue to behave poorly anyway. Even if you chose a list of 50 more words you think should be added to the filter today, you're going to either miss something, or someone is just going to find a way to circumvent the filter. If someone wants to engage in bad behavior they are going to do it, and the remedy is not going to be found by adding more and more rules.


I agree that the filter would not stop people from being intentionally offensive, but I think that it is still useful for preventing people from being unintentionally offensive.
As has been mentioned, what is or is not offensive can change in different situations. When people are talking to their friends they might use words that they would never use with their family, boss, or teachers. People sometimes forget that when they post in a forum they are potentially talking to anybody and everybody.

Even if I am wrong in my thinking I still do not see any valid argument against adding words to the filter, as long as they are words that most people would agree are offensive in "mixed company."
The words that dtm42 mentioned in his opening posts would be prime candidates for the filter, in my opinion. Even if you were discussing gynecology there are other words that would be more appropriate.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar


Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16935
PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2012 9:46 pm Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:
Psycho 101 wrote:
Personally I find this topic to be more of a common sense issue. If you're obviously arguing with someone, being condescending, a topic is heated, etc and you start cursing you know you shouldn't. It's rather common sense at that point cursing is just going to derail the issue more. Sure some people are thin skinned or just don't like cursing at all period but 99% of the time here at ANN I think it's really common sense given a situation if cursing is ok or not.


Yeah, I agree with this completely. Although as I mentioned earlier, this leads me to wonder why we have a swear filter at all.

Well some are just obvious ones I think. The big ones we all know. The same ones any normal filter would have. It's just anymore with social media and internet trends what constitutes a curse word changes every damn day. <---Example of obvious innocuous non-inflammatory use of a curse. I think having a filter for the big ones makes sense. The ones that almost universally are insulting and just derogatory. The rest though really fall under the common sense area. As would any colorful and creative ways to incorporate any big ones into words to get them past the filter. I think the best thing to do is go by the 2 basic rules of 1. Don't cuss like a sailor in quantity and creativeness & 2. Don't use them in an inflammatory way towards others. Do that and I'd wager 9 times out of 10 you'll be fine. Barring the exception of being a repeat offender of the rules and on the short list to begin with. At that point it's probably just a good idea to behave period and not push things or test how far you can go. Just asking for trouble at that point honestly and putting yourself under the microscope.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Mesonoxian Eve



Joined: 10 Jan 2012
Posts: 1858
PostPosted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:26 pm Reply with quote
I rather enjoy ANN's filter system. It always makes me smile when I see words changed that I don't consider swearing. My favorite is the powdered drink changing to "cool aid". By the way: why is this changed?

On other forums, the use of manual-censored words is grounds for a warning, because it's virtually impossible to make filters for every variation.

I generally stick to a site's rule of thumb: if a website's taking to censoring a word, perhaps find a different word or accept the filter's comical change.

I mean, would "cluster-fudge" really be that bad?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:17 pm Reply with quote
I pretty much abhor all forms of censorship, and this includes profanity filters. That said, people need to be responsible for what they do and say. If someone says something clearly inappropriate, especially if it was intentional, then that person needs to be warned, and if it keeps happening, then appropriate action taken. You don't really need a word censor to do that.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail My Anime My Manga
Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 4:48 pm Reply with quote
Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:
If someone says something clearly inappropriate, especially if it was intentional, then that person needs to be warned, and if it keeps happening, then appropriate action taken. You don't really need a word censor to do that.

You do not need a filter to do that, but you do need people to do that.
I think that the moderators and administrators could make better use of their time.
And, as has been said here, the filter does not prevent anybody from intentionally being offensive. I don't think that it really counts as censorship to force people to be a bit more creative with their insults.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Tempest
I Run this place.
ANN Publisher


Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10420
Location: Do not message me for support.
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:36 pm Reply with quote
ikillchicken wrote:
Yeah, I agree with this completely. Although as I mentioned earlier, this leads me to wonder why we have a swear filter at all.


Because some people come in with no other intent than to troll, and they post long rants that are 50% cusswords. Censoring that diminishes their effect.

I'd rather remove the filter altogether (well, I'd keep the part that censors bootleg and spam URLs), but right now I think it does more good than bad.

People have made some reasonable points here, but nothing has been said to make me think this issue is worth spending any more time on.

To be clear, I'll ban someone as quickly for saying "What you say is so simpleminded, it leaves no doubt in my mind that you recently fell off the bus on your way to the sanatorium. I wonder if your disability is a result of the cocktail of donors that lead to your procreation?" as "You're one stupid [expletive] son of a whore aren't you?"

I really should have been warned myself when I told a number of people that I lacked the skillset to explain a certain issue to them. Fortunately none of them understood the insult. Consider this a warning to me then...

-t
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail My Anime My Manga
dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:51 pm Reply with quote
tempest wrote:
To be clear, I'll ban someone as quickly for saying "What you say is so simpleminded, it leaves no doubt in my mind that you recently fell off the bus on your way to the sanatorium. I wonder if your disability is a result of the cocktail of donors that lead to your procreation?" as "You're one stupid [expletive] son of a whore aren't you?"


Fair enough.

I do think the filter could do with some more words added to it, but you've already said you won't be spending any more time on this matter so I will not persist with it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Crisha
Moderator


Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 4290
PostPosted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:26 pm Reply with quote
I've been on forums before where 2/3rds of Dick Van Dyke's name gets censored out. I much prefer ANN's less conservative filter.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Chagen46



Joined: 27 Jun 2010
Posts: 4377
PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:28 am Reply with quote
In all honesty, we shouldn't even have a swear filter. If little Timmy's feelings get hurt because he saw some vulgarity then he can pack his bags and eff off.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Errinundra
Moderator


Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 6525
Location: Melbourne, Oz
PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 1:32 am Reply with quote
Chagen46 wrote:
In all honesty, we shouldn't even have a swear filter. If little Timmy's feelings get hurt because he saw some vulgarity then he can pack his bags and eff off.


But I think it's important to encourage people your age to contribute to the forums. When they grow up they may become valuable members of the community. Wink

I think I just violated Willag's "pointless one-liner snark" rule from Nina's ANN Argument Losing Bingo game.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:46 am Reply with quote
errinundra wrote:


Must be recent if it has the Ferrari analogies.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 10:39 am Reply with quote
Chagen46 wrote:
In all honesty, we shouldn't even have a swear filter.

That has been explained, conclusively.

Quote:
If little Timmy's feelings get hurt because he saw some vulgarity then he can pack his bags and eff off.

I think that we should be encouraging little Timmy to participate in discussions, not driving him away.
Also, in the given scenario, I believe that little Timmy is not the one who should be packing his bags.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> ANN Feedback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group