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Is it just me...?

Discussion in 'General' started by sam.g.taylor, 3 Oct 2007.

  1. sam.g.taylor

    sam.g.taylor Apparently I'm Greg Kinnear

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    Or are many more people swearing on these forums than, say, a couple of months ago?
    I'm also seeing more people using (or coming close to) using stronger language...

    I am not ranting or really against it, in the real world I'm probably as guilty of it as anyone else, but I'm just seeing more and more of it on these forums. And I'm not saying anything about the mods on this forum either, they do a wonderful job; I just am kind of curious as to what other people think about this.

    Am I right in bringing this up? Should we try to pay a little more attention to this?

    Or should I just stop listening to my dog?
     
  2. oddball walking

    oddball walking ...!

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    I've noticed that the is more, must be to do with the filter being off. I'm not bothered as I don't swear at all anymore. (it just go's to show what 10 press-ups can do every time you swear:sigh:,army cadets is such fun)
     
  3. GuitarBizarre

    GuitarBizarre <b>banned</b>

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    Honestly I think swearing is overblown. We cater to an older demographic, the youngest member I've ever seen on here is probably Teyber, who is more than likely cussing just as much as we do. Its not like we're going to warp the minds of children who aren't used to it, I think its only really an issue when its either excessive, or deliberately offensive.

    E.G, if someone answered 'Whats the best mobo right now' with '**** man you ****in know its the ****in 680i, **** yeah!', then thats just excessive and serves no purpose. If it was 'Ummm **** I dunno, probably the 680i' then thats just a by the by comment and as far as i'm concerned can be left.

    The same with the difference between 'Oh **** this' in exasperation, and 'You ****!' aimed at a member. The first is vernacular, the second is offensive and should be removed.
     
  4. cpemma

    cpemma Ecky thump

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    I've seen damn-all bad language; of bad English there's a shitload.
     
  5. sam.g.taylor

    sam.g.taylor Apparently I'm Greg Kinnear

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    All I'm saying is that I've seen an increase recently. I didn't know the filter was off - that explains a lot...

    I could go into moral obligations and whatnot, despite supposed older demographics, but I don't want to be ostracized* and it's not really that important to me anyway.

    *Or, at worst, have Bindi invade my sig...
     
  6. wiby645

    wiby645 Minimodder

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    im not sure about the swearing filter, i dont mind many words as im a swearer myself, if someone is saying fu** this, fu** that then censor it. in a general comment i really dont find it offensive, a good rule would be "say what u would say to your mother"
     
  7. RTT

    RTT #parp

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    The swear filter is not off. it used to be, but we put it back on :)
     
  8. DougEdey

    DougEdey I pwn all your storage

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    I've been trying to get people to type real words on my schools forum at uni. But I've given up now because I get blasted.

    I despair for the future of the computing industry and when I get involved in a management process any sign of bad English will be told to go away and never try again.

    the swear filter isn't working on full words, so **** gets blocked but shitload doesn't
     
  9. WireFrame

    WireFrame <b>PermaBanned</b>

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    Swearing? Travesty! Witchhunt! Burn Him! /sarcasm

    I think the filter needs words adding to it. "Shitloads", for a start.
    Also, it would be nice if swearing were discouraged on the forums.
    Maybe by the people who should be leading by example?
     
  10. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    If we're going to have a full on naughty word ban, then surely words that imply swearing should also be filtered. For example: WTF - How is this any better than typing what the ****. Everyone knows what it stands for, and if they don't; they ask, and someone tells them. When you read WTF on a screen, in your head you think what the ****. Actually, thats pretty much what happens with ****'s as well. I still say the swear word in my head. Unless you read out loud a swear filter doesn't really do anything. So really, unless we can start censoring peoples thoughts what we should do is just not let posts be made that have swears in them. Simply not allow them until they are cleansed.
     
  11. RTT

    RTT #parp

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    WTF does WTF mean? ;D
     
  12. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    It means What the ****.


    It edits URL's? WTF!?
     
  13. WireFrame

    WireFrame <b>PermaBanned</b>

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    Without getting into this again, we have had a large debate that agreed that whilst you may swear IRL and live in a sty, and smoke drugs and beat women and a thousand other things, this forum is not real life. That being said, it can be moulded as one pleases. And not everyone wants to read one of the 10-20 "taboo" words in out language. Surely you can come up with something intelligent, rather than f*** and sh** and c*** all the time? How about not using "filler" words at all? How about you just state what you mean clearly and with intent?
    And that actual question was "why is there so much swearing suddenly on the forums?". I can't answer. But I can suggest a solution.
     
  14. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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    I've always suggested that bit remain partially open. If people want to swear, let them. We have a swear filter which picks out most stuff and if anyone treads the line over into abuse then we personally shut them down. I've always said that the best idea would be to have the official bit-tech subforum exist as a clean zone where absolutely no swearing is allowed and where words are replaced with piratey lingo (for example), but that the other sub forums are more lax and leave it to personal disgression and existing methods.
     
  15. whisperwolf

    whisperwolf What's a Dremel?

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    I've always found the swear filter to be more than enough, It allows people to swear if they need/feel they must, and when i see a post that is more *s than letters I can happily ignore it. Its an amazing thing that I don’t have to read every post by every person, I can in fact censor for myself and therefore I don't feel the need to be the moral police for the whole world and demand everyone think and act like me.
     
  16. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    You missed my point.

    I'm merely saying that using *'s is pretty useless and that WTF is just the same as saying what the ****. It's nothing do with what I may or may not do in real life, the fact is that when you read a sentence like:
    You still fill in the blanks. You might not fill them in with the same word that the orriginal writer used, but its still a swear word.

    With that in mind. Is it really any better to use *'s or WTF?

    The only people that the *'s protect shouldn't be allowed free roam on the internet at that age anyway. If they are, it really really isn't our problem. Should I have a disabled ramp in my house just because there is a slight chance that one day a disabled person might come and visit.

    I am against the swear filter... However it is what it is. I just think that if your going to start going any further:

    But that wouldn't be a nice place. It would become like a political event in America. You can say anything as long as I like what your saying.

    Also WireFrame. If you don't stop throwing insults at me I'm going to have to get you censored:

    I can also remember several other instances from various threads. If you ask me, some of the things you type out in these forums when you don't get your way are far more offensive than the occasional swear word.
     
    Last edited: 4 Oct 2007
  17. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    It is a tricky and circular balance. If you take all power away from people, you take away all responsibility too. If you take away all responsibility, people will behave irresponsibly across the board.

    The end result is that posts may be swear free, but may uninhibitedly express offensive statements in all sorts of other ways, through flaming, personal accusations and insults (e.g.:
    "you are a mentally retarded moron whose mother fornicates with farm animals"
    . Note how not a single swear word was used).

    Personally, I would like to encourage some taking of personal responsibility in the forum community by allowing people some personal power in the forum community. For the occasional extremes there is always the Ban Hammer. :D
     
  18. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    I'm not sure what to make of your post in all honesty. I know for a fact that I certainly don't encourage swearing and to my knowledge nobody else on the staff actively encourages people to swear. However, I'm not going to waste my time telling people not to swear when it has been outlined in the forum rules that you agree to when you choose to post on this forum. That, in my opinion, should be enough and if someone excessively swears on the forums, we will dispatch of them where necessary, like we have done in the past.

    We tried removing the swear filter because you should all be responsible enough to post sensibly, but after feedback from the readership, we decided that it was a bad move and back-tracked. I don't get why you seem to have a continual chip on your shoulder whenever you post on these forums?
     
  19. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    As an alternative; what about instead of changing the word into ****'s there is a similar system to spoilers: Put a <span class="swear"> around the text and then have an option in the control panel that simply enables or disables a mask of some kind. I know someone mentioned that the swear filter couldn't be dynamic, but if a span was used it might work...
     
  20. WireFrame

    WireFrame <b>PermaBanned</b>

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    You assume it is just children the swearfilter is there to protect. You clearly haven't considered that some of the adult readers in this forum may not wish to read swears on their (worksafe?) forum.

    You read too much into it. It was a general "you". Not "you" inparticular. Unless all of these acts/scenarios do infact relate to you. But that would just be co-incidence.

    I doubt it. I can think of one. You're straying off-topic again. Its like you follow me around the forums, sparring for a fight and straying off topic

    You don't ENCOURAGE, but you don't discourage, and by allowing other mods to swear (calling users f***ing idiots, shitloads, etc) it appears to other users that it is the done thing here, that swearing is allowed, permitted, condoned.

    What, for trying to maintain a standard / standards?

    Nice idea, Will. , But I doubt people would wrap their swears in tags. I would hope that meant that they would just not swear, but instead I fear that it would simply allow the tag to fall into disuse.
     
    Last edited: 4 Oct 2007

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