So my thread asking a completely valid question was deleted

[Nebben]

What's the problem?

The question was regarding the language filter and what the purpose of having one is if any lookalike words are allowed.

Anyone that didn't have to work all day want to fill me in on what transpired?

 

[imported_Mike]

I don't know why it was deleted or what the mods said....but the same can be said about radio. Unless you're telling me when they have f..k instead of the word you can't put 2 and 2 together? The FCC regulates the radio so there is a clear line that they don't want to cross. Although the government doesn't regulate AT, they also have a line that they won't cross.

Your argument is like saying why have a speed limit? People speed anyways.... A solution to a problem might not be perfect and you can't please everyone, but on a whole, it works.

 

[Nebben]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
Your argument is like saying why have a speed limit? People speed anyways.... A solution to a problem might not be perfect and you can't please everyone, but on a whole, it works.

No, not at all. Speed limits are enforced. A parallel to my argument would be something like this: Speed limit is 25, someone gets caught going 35, so they just take a sharpie and draw a 25 over the 35 on their spedometer. They're still going 35, but it doesn't match up 100% with the violation in question... get what I mean?

Language filter bypassing isn't enforced. Everyone knows what 'fvck' is, and nothing is ever done about it, but if you try to type it normally you get a message telling you you're doing BAD THINGS.

It's completely pointless.

And as far as the radio censorship, I feel the same way about that. Either all or nothing.

It's really dumb to ban "the bad words" but allow people to say them anyway.

My personal feelings on this matter? I'm not offended by any specific words, but since many people are, I generally don't curse unless I'm with close friends that I know aren't offended by them and understand what I mean by using them. I think going around in public yelling 'F THIS' and 'F THAT' is really immature.

 

[imported_Mike]

The language filter is enforced to a certain degree just like the speed limit is. You don't get a speeding ticket for going just over the speed limit.

I dunno if you've ever noticed, but there are some words that the filter picks up that if you go around the filter...you will be banned/given a vacation.

You're viewing the language filter as something that is trying to hide curse words. This is not the case at all and your sharpie comment gives light to the fact that you believe this. The language filter isn't there to hide anything. If it were, then it would be pointless.

 

[Nebben]

Okay... so what is the purpose, then? Please enlighten me.

 

[imported_Mike]

The filter, however effective it might be sets the tone of the forums. AT is not here to be parents to the children of AT.

You have 2 problems, you have well over 100,000 members that are registered here on AT with the # of active members ranging well into the tens of thousands. The 2nd problem is that you have forum moderators that are volunteers. They arn't paid, they can't read every post, and there isn't a moderator logged in at all times.

Lets say you put up a stronger filter and even things like fvck and bullsh!t are banned. How do you propose this is enforced? People would start typing bullsht or some other variation. The combinations are endless and everyone still knows what you're talking about.

So, this would also be "pointless" in your opinion.

Now, lets say you just decide to fvck it and go without any filter at all. You just brought these forums to a different level, and set a completely new tone. Although this is me now assuming, this new tone would not be good at all for ad revenue.

There is a certain level of profanity the general public is willing to accept. Although this varies, AT has found a pretty good medium IMO.

 

[Nebben]

So how about banning people that deliberately bypass the filter by replacing characters with numbers, etc?

I don't think it's a good idea to remove all filtering, either, but it's really a pretty big joke if nothing is done when people type 'fvck' 'sh1t' or any other variation. You see this sort of thing constantly. When I read 'fvck', I don't read it as "fvvvvk", I read it as the word they meant to use but couldn't due to the filter.

Are people ever banned, temporarily or permanently, as a result of doing the above things?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Nebben
So how about banning people that deliberately bypass the filter by replacing characters with numbers, etc?

Not sure if you missed my points...this would be near impossible to enforce. If they just started banning everyone your ad revenue just plummeted.

I don't think it's a good idea to remove all filtering, either, but it's really a pretty big joke if nothing is done when people type 'fvck' 'sh1t' or any other variation. You see this sort of thing constantly. When I read 'fvck', I don't read it as "fvvvvk", I read it as the word they meant to use but couldn't due to the filter.

You previously said "all or nothing" so I was addressing the point. Again, if fvck was banned, then fvvck would be used, etc.

Are people ever banned, temporarily or permanently, as a result of doing the above things?

For fvck? no, but for other words. Usually ones that are offensive to people of different sexual orientation, racisim, and/or other derogatory terms.

 

[imported_Mike]

I really think you never even thought of the money aspect before. People generate page hits. AT is one of the largest tech forums online to date, if you just start banning people for using fvck, fvvvck, or any other variation of the word...your population just decreased dramatically. The fact that AT is so huge and has so many active members AND guests creates a higher dollar amount AT can charge companies to post an ad on their site.

 

[Fern]

Honestly I don't know the answer.

But as a father with a kid who goes online, I think it's OK to ban certain words, yet allow them in variations or "coded" form. Why?

1) We're suposed to be a tech computer forum and I don't believe unabated vulgarity enhances that purpose or image.

2) If any kiddies are looking on, if they don't already know the word why teach it to them? And I think they'd have to already know the word to be able to figure it out.

3) How ever many variations or coded forms you banned/filtered, well, news ones would be invented anyway. It would just be a constant struggle.

4) Filters can be taken to extremes, rendering communication next to impossible. For example the word "tithe" has "tit" in it (@ss is in assume etc.). The Forums for the game Painkiller are an example where filters were taken to extreme. It hard to communicate there, I never realized how many normal "words" have a component which appears to be a vulgar word to an out-of-control filter. Geez, the expansion pack to PK is called Battle out of h3ll. What a pain it was just trying to draft a post over there!

Just my .02

Fern

 

[Nebben]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
I really think you never even thought of the money aspect before. People generate page hits. AT is one of the largest tech forums online to date, if you just start banning people for using fvck, fvvvck, or any other variation of the word...your population just decreased dramatically. The fact that AT is so huge and has so many active members AND guests creates a higher dollar amount AT can charge companies to post an ad on their site.

I didn't, really. I see now it's a little more complicated than I'd thought, but it still makes not that much sense. But it's like this in many places other than AT.

Really, the whole 'these words are bad' thing makes little sense in a lot of circumstances, as 'the F word' is rarely used for its original meaning. But I don't think our society is going to change anytime soon on the whole 'bad words' idea...

 

[Nebben]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Nebben
So how about banning people that deliberately bypass the filter by replacing characters with numbers, etc?

Not sure if you missed my points...this would be near impossible to enforce. If they just started banning everyone your ad revenue just plummeted.

I don't think it's a good idea to remove all filtering, either, but it's really a pretty big joke if nothing is done when people type 'fvck' 'sh1t' or any other variation. You see this sort of thing constantly. When I read 'fvck', I don't read it as "fvvvvk", I read it as the word they meant to use but couldn't due to the filter.

You previously said "all or nothing" so I was addressing the point. Again, if fvck was banned, then fvvck would be used, etc.

Are people ever banned, temporarily or permanently, as a result of doing the above things?

For fvck? no, but for other words. Usually ones that are offensive to people of different sexual orientation, racisim, and/or other derogatory terms.

I didn't mean that we should ban 'fvck' or 'fvvck' or 'sh1t' or whatever. I meant if you're going to have a language filter, then people that go around it intentionally should be warned and then banned.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Nebben
What's the problem?

The question was regarding the language filter and what the purpose of having one is if any lookalike words are allowed.

Anyone that didn't have to work all day want to fill me in on what transpired?

did you PM a mod and ask why it was deleted?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: Nebben

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Nebben
So how about banning people that deliberately bypass the filter by replacing characters with numbers, etc?

Not sure if you missed my points...this would be near impossible to enforce. If they just started banning everyone your ad revenue just plummeted.

I don't think it's a good idea to remove all filtering, either, but it's really a pretty big joke if nothing is done when people type 'fvck' 'sh1t' or any other variation. You see this sort of thing constantly. When I read 'fvck', I don't read it as "fvvvvk", I read it as the word they meant to use but couldn't due to the filter.

You previously said "all or nothing" so I was addressing the point. Again, if fvck was banned, then fvvck would be used, etc.

Are people ever banned, temporarily or permanently, as a result of doing the above things?

For fvck? no, but for other words. Usually ones that are offensive to people of different sexual orientation, racisim, and/or other derogatory terms.

I didn't mean that we should ban 'fvck' or 'fvvck' or 'sh1t' or whatever. I meant if you're going to have a language filter, then people that go around it intentionally should be warned and then banned.

Again though, this would be near to impossible to enforce.

 

[Nebben]

Would it really, though? I'd think that after the policy was known by the majority of the population it'd probably be curbed very much. But I could be wrong.

Of course you'd still have newly registered people spamming with pointless crap, but that's already going on and it seems pretty well-controlled

 

[imported_Mike]

I don't know if you hang out in ATOT at all. After the sticky thread was posted about name calling not being tolerated, there was a huge drop in personal insults. This is just too hard to enforce and name calling is back to usual.

Volunteer mods + 100,000+ is not the ideal place to start enforcing every single post...which is what would have to happen.

 

[Nebben]

I do, but I'm pretty new to OT. I registered a bit over a year ago and lurked before that, but never really read OT until recently. I mostly used these forums for informational purposes.

 

[olds]

I didn't see the thread. But, I would guess someone posted how to bypass the filter and the thread was deleted.

 

[BillyBobJoel71]

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Nebben

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Nebben
So how about banning people that deliberately bypass the filter by replacing characters with numbers, etc?

Not sure if you missed my points...this would be near impossible to enforce. If they just started banning everyone your ad revenue just plummeted.

I don't think it's a good idea to remove all filtering, either, but it's really a pretty big joke if nothing is done when people type 'fvck' 'sh1t' or any other variation. You see this sort of thing constantly. When I read 'fvck', I don't read it as "fvvvvk", I read it as the word they meant to use but couldn't due to the filter.

You previously said "all or nothing" so I was addressing the point. Again, if fvck was banned, then fvvck would be used, etc.

Are people ever banned, temporarily or permanently, as a result of doing the above things?

For fvck? no, but for other words. Usually ones that are offensive to people of different sexual orientation, racisim, and/or other derogatory terms.

I didn't mean that we should ban 'fvck' or 'fvvck' or 'sh1t' or whatever. I meant if you're going to have a language filter, then people that go around it intentionally should be warned and then banned.

Again though, this would be near to impossible to enforce.

i would like to see you go around and ban the 100,000 members here because mroe than likely 75 percent have avoided the filter. fvck. sh!t. b!tch. @$$hole. pu$$y. ban me.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: SuperTyphoon

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Nebben

Originally posted by: CheapArse

Originally posted by: Nebben
So how about banning people that deliberately bypass the filter by replacing characters with numbers, etc?

Not sure if you missed my points...this would be near impossible to enforce. If they just started banning everyone your ad revenue just plummeted.

I don't think it's a good idea to remove all filtering, either, but it's really a pretty big joke if nothing is done when people type 'fvck' 'sh1t' or any other variation. You see this sort of thing constantly. When I read 'fvck', I don't read it as "fvvvvk", I read it as the word they meant to use but couldn't due to the filter.

You previously said "all or nothing" so I was addressing the point. Again, if fvck was banned, then fvvck would be used, etc.

Are people ever banned, temporarily or permanently, as a result of doing the above things?

For fvck? no, but for other words. Usually ones that are offensive to people of different sexual orientation, racisim, and/or other derogatory terms.

I didn't mean that we should ban 'fvck' or 'fvvck' or 'sh1t' or whatever. I meant if you're going to have a language filter, then people that go around it intentionally should be warned and then banned.

Again though, this would be near to impossible to enforce.

i would like to see you go around and ban the 100,000 members here because mroe than likely 75 percent have avoided the filter. fvck. sh!t. b!tch. @$$hole. pu$$y. ban me.

huh? Who are you talking to? b/c you quoted me...