Poll: Masked vulgarity, should it be allowed?

[Jeff7181]

I've noticed an increased use of words such as "fvck" or "fuk" and other vulgarities masked with spelling errors that still get the point across. While this may not directly violate the forum rules, masked vulgarity is a banable offense on MANY other boards, especially ones where teens and pre-teens are known members.

I'm not one of those people who gets mad and says damn, then goes to the church to confess and be forgiven of my sin. I've even used such words in my posts before. But some of this is getting out of hand, especially in Off Topic.

I'm sure we all would like to keep AnandTech a clean and friendly place, and when non-members check out the site, and see people calling eachother "fvcktards" and "sh!theads" it doesn't present a very good image of the AT Forums.

I know someone will reply with a link to the deal with the FCC not censoring Bono's use of the word as an adjective on TV... but the word is still not socially acceptable. If you were just told you were hired into a new workplace, would you say to your new boss, "That's fvcking great! I'll see you Monday?"

Personally I have no problem with the word, or any words used here... but it creates a poor image of the members AND the moderators here.

I think people who use masked vulgarities on a regular basis should maybe get a week off, or at least put "fvck" "fuk" "fvk" and any other spellings you can think of on the list of prohibited words.

I find it odd that I can say "Fvck you a$$hole!" but I can't say "I've never installed a CPU, but I figured I'd take a "st@b" (with the correct spelling of course) at it anyway."

 

[ProviaFan]

Whatever they do, they had better not ban "fsck" because that's a real utility in the Linux and BSD OSes, not a swear word like some of the ****ing idiots around here think.

 

[sash1]

And don't ban fcuk either. That's not a fcuking swear, it's French Connection UK!

`K

 

[Evadman]

I do it on occassion because everyone else does, and the mods don't seem to care.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Hasn't the word "fvck" (spelled correctly) recently been uncensored?

 

[olds]

I don't think it should be allowed. But I am sure I am in the minority. It often comes out of my mouth but I can't imagine typing it. For me it takes more thought to type than speak. There are more adult/creative ways to show anger or shock.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

I only use dasm, and @ss. they are allowed on the open airwaves, so I probably don't have to mask them here, but I do it anyway for the kiddies.

 

[Jeff7181]

It's not that I find it offensive... I just think it creates a negative image of the message boards here.

 

[Buz2b]

I agree that this is something that should be addressed. It should however be looked at with a "voice of reason". There's not a lot of "gray areas" though and no matter what happens, someone will be mad. Obvious areas such as fvck, fsck, fcuk, a$$hole (no matter what someone thinks it represents) are a no-brainer and should be banned, if AT is really serious about cleaning things up a bit. Part of the point here is, "Is AT really that serious about keeping things clean?" I guess we will know that soon, if anything happens. I don't and never will advocate total censorship on the boards because that would end them. I do think that AT could make a name for themselves by drawing a line here and demanding something better than a cheap, profanity filled, (disguised or not) remark from thier useres.

 

[Jeff7181]

True, I don't think total everything should be censored... this isn't PBS. It might take more time by the Mods' to police this kinda stuff... I just think people who consistantly use fvck and dick and cvnt in their posts should be delt with. It's inappropriate.

 

[Red Dawn]

Well when there were less than 10,000 members there wasn't any type of censorship enforced (of course about the only teenager here was Anand himself) Obviously it didn't make to bad of an impression as there are now over 120,000 members.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I don't think it should be allowed. But I am sure I am in the minority.

I'm right there with you.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Well when there were less than 10,000 members there wasn't any type of censorship enforced (of course about the only teenager here was Anand himself) Obviously it didn't make to bad of an impression as there are now over 120,000 members.

Just to be contrary, I'd suppose that you all were / are more mature than to try to make every post a contest to see how many times you can squeeze in a "fvck" in each sentence without horribly breaking the grammar. Then again, I wasn't there, so you can rightfully accuse me of speaking on matters of which I have no understanding...

My personal opinion is that if the amount of vulgarity is to be diminished, that banning more misspelled permutations of swear words is the wrong way to go about it. With that method, all you end up doing is pi... er... making upset people who need to use those words in valid contexts (Linux filesystems or midieval reenactment - fsck or st@b, for example). The ones who want to use those words will just come up with other new permutations, and before long you'll be needing a few server upgrades to handle your multi-GB-sized database of banned words.

On the other hand, I think that clear rules against excessive profanity, combined with consistent enforcement, would do much more to "clean things up," assuming that things need any cleaning to begin with.

Finally, don't assume that I take a hard-line position either way on this issue. What I do know is that there are some methods of enforcement that I would find very unacceptable.

 

[Nitemare]

I use it as part of my speech and so do my younger teenage cousins. As long as it is not directed towards anybody than it is fine, same thing can be said towards the hetero challenged but now banned word.

If we keep on banning words like f@p and st@b, all four letter words as well as their mispellings. Should we then start on all racial and ethnic terms being banned, how bout religions and references next...

It's better to grow thick skin than to ban anything that might offend one person. Being so anal about language filters offends me, yet I don't female dog about it, ya know.

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Well when there were less than 10,000 members there wasn't any type of censorship enforced (of course about the only teenager here was Anand himself) Obviously it didn't make to bad of an impression as there are now over 120,000 members.

Actually I was a teenager back then, oh the joys of youth

I don't think the words themselves have much to do with anything, it's what you're saying and how you're saying it to someone, there are many ways to insult people and troll without using a single "bad" word, and there are many uses for those words that don't involve flaming people.

 

[Red Dawn]

Just to be contrary, I'd suppose that you all were / are more mature than to try to make every post a contest to see how many times you can squeeze in a "fvck" in each sentence without horribly breaking the grammar. Then again, I wasn't there, so you can rightfully accuse me of speaking on matters of which I have no understanding...

To be perfectly honest we were pretty brutal back then. Just ask some of the WMC's

 

[AvesPKS]

I obey the letter of the law, if not the spirit...

 

[Ogg]

I like it dirty!

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Just to be contrary, I'd suppose that you all were / are more mature than to try to make every post a contest to see how many times you can squeeze in a "fvck" in each sentence without horribly breaking the grammar. Then again, I wasn't there, so you can rightfully accuse me of speaking on matters of which I have no understanding...

To be perfectly honest we were pretty brutal back then. Just ask some of the WMC's

WTF is a WMC?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Just to be contrary, I'd suppose that you all were / are more mature than to try to make every post a contest to see how many times you can squeeze in a "fvck" in each sentence without horribly breaking the grammar. Then again, I wasn't there, so you can rightfully accuse me of speaking on matters of which I have no understanding...

To be perfectly honest we were pretty brutal back then. Just ask some of the WMC's

WTF is a WMC?

Wounded Monitor Children.
You had to be there.

 

[Sunner]

Ok, I give up, is this some newage AT-OT thing?

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Sunner
Ok, I give up, is this some newage AT-OT thing?

Nah this was actually before there ever was an Off Topic Forum.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Just to be contrary, I'd suppose that you all were / are more mature than to try to make every post a contest to see how many times you can squeeze in a "fvck" in each sentence without horribly breaking the grammar. Then again, I wasn't there, so you can rightfully accuse me of speaking on matters of which I have no understanding...

To be perfectly honest we were pretty brutal back then. Just ask some of the WMC's

WTF is a WMC?

Wounded Monitor Children.
You had to be there.

Were you even there?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Just to be contrary, I'd suppose that you all were / are more mature than to try to make every post a contest to see how many times you can squeeze in a "fvck" in each sentence without horribly breaking the grammar. Then again, I wasn't there, so you can rightfully accuse me of speaking on matters of which I have no understanding...

To be perfectly honest we were pretty brutal back then. Just ask some of the WMC's

WTF is a WMC?

Wounded Monitor Children.
You had to be there.

Were you even there?

Yes. Some people actually lurk. They don't feel a need to shoot their mouth off at every possible occasion.
You know, like the old saying: "It's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt".

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Sunner
Ok, I give up, is this some newage AT-OT thing?

Nah this was actually before there ever was an Off Topic Forum.

I was referring to the WMC thingy, never heard of it, and I was here before OT came to be as well, funny you don't remember considdering the thread that led to the creation of OT is one of those few occasions where we agreed with each other