Did I Use a Bad Word

[spec]

When I first started posting on ETO I had a load of problems, especially attaching files. One post had the sentance 'life's a b_i_t_c_h', but it rendered as 'life's a XXX'. I had been having a few problems with the laptop this end, and figured that that was the problem. I tried and tried and still the same. Then I cleaned the cach and all that. Then a virus scan, but no, just the same. Finally, the penny dropped; b_i_t_c_h is an ETO banned word and the offending word is automatically replaced with XXX. What other words get censored?

 

[ericgibbs]

ji,
Trying out that word '*****'
*****

E

It does reject that word.!

 

[spec]

ji,
Trying out that word '*****'
*****

E

It does reject that word.!

Hy eric,

Can't decode- hopeless at xwords too- can you elaborate without getting the big XXX? Two more '**' and I could get that!

 

[DerStrom8]

ETO recognizes certain words and censors them with asterisks (or maybe X's based on the browser?).

This is a family-friendly site, we do not allow bad language here.

 

[zahwi]

Censorship is the privilege of the fittest in Western culture.

 

[JimB]

This is a family-friendly site, we do not allow bad language here.

Quite right.
However, there is often a big difference in perceived offensiveness of words in the UK and USA.
In the UK, the word b_i_t_c_h is not (in my estimation) all that severe. Other opinions may differ.

I wonder how the censor will deal with a tour of Northern England towns including Scunthorpe and Penistone?

JimB

 

[spec]

The slant of the word, like the one in discussion, is in its context. For example how you might be describing a female dog.

I'm right with you Matt!

 

[jpanhalt]

On another site owned by WTWH, I tried to post a link to an article on organic conductors. The author's name was "Gay", which was censored. Then a gay reader with few other posts took me to task and a heavy-handed moderator scolded me and deleted the whole post.

The problem with word/dictionary censorship is that it doesn't account for context and meanings that change with context. It is unfortunate that some moderators are no better, but I have not seen a similar problem on ETO.

John

 

[Pommie]

Just to give perspective to the use of a banned word list, I work in a high school and they have very strict rules on websites that can be accessed by the pupils. If a site has what is considered not appropriate then it get's banned. ETO is available in Australian schools because it is family friendly and I hope it stays that way.

Mike.

 

[zahwi]

Just to give perspective to the use of a banned word list, I work in a high school and they have very strict rules on websites that can be accessed by the pupils. If a site has what is considered not appropriate then it get's banned. ETO is available in Australian schools because it is family friendly and I hope it stays that way.

Mike.

Wrong logic, if the school uses censorship it doesn't justify censorship in ETO. They are both wrong and should teach pupils how to choose for themselves. Besides, swearing is very common among engineers.

 

[cowboybob]

Censorship is the privilege of the fittest in Western culture.

Censorship is a multi-edged sword.

Ordinarily I am dead set against it (1st amendment to the US Constitution and all that). But I'm a realist and in an internationally accessible web site context, I don't have a problem with it so long as it is individual words censored, not concepts.

And, at that, since ETO substitutes "*"s (even if you've left the first and last letters of the word with *'s in between!), most observers can refill with the actual letters, or at least subliminally understand.

So, in the end, the "bad" words still come through loud and clear, i.e., "**** you!" leaves no doubt as to the phrase...

Always best to just be civil (difficult, at times, as that may be...). My excuse is 7 years in the US Navy.

 

[zahwi]

My excuse is 7 years in the US Navy.

For engineers and military men every second word is a swear word, so if you are a US Navy engineer and live on an island you probably handle all conversations using only one word.

 

[jpanhalt]

zahwi
I have no problem with rules of civil behavior. There is a huge difference between government censorship and individual censorship, which you apparently don't appreciate. BTW, why don't you show your location? That is, why are you censoring it?

John

 

[zahwi]

BTW, why don't you show your location? That is, why are you censoring it?

You got me there. I guess you will classify it as "individual censorship".
I'm a foreigner living in UK.

 

[Pommie]

It doesn't matter if you agree with censorship or not, the Australian rules for schools implement it and so, if you want to be available to the widest audience, keep it clean. Simples really.

Mike.

 

[DerStrom8]

It doesn't matter if you agree with censorship or not, the Australian rules for schools implement it and so, if you want to be available to the widest audience, keep it clean. Simples really.

Mike.

Exactly, it's more of a "common sense" and "common courtesy" sort of thing than a legal issue. Besides, coarse language on a forum such as this comes across as somewhat unprofessional in many cases, which is certainly not something we would like to convey.

 

[fezder]

Things can be talked about without using swear words, then again, some people have habit saying swear words like in ''bolding'' manner to point their point out better way. It looks unprofessional and plain stupid....like i'm out of ideas, let's use force! Blah, better use 5 minutes to think other way than to use bad words. (i'll admit, i too lose my nerve in some occasions, it's healthy in its own way sometimes to let some steam go out. Much less nowadays, last time i was really angry was year ago)
Cencorship can be plain annoying in like online games when trying to type something non-swear-word and bang, it's censored...

 

[granddad]

I am sure I saw a post here last week.. regarding some dodgy IC bought off a well known www auction site, then when i went to comment... it was gone, This is not good for my old brain , did I image it , perhaps my PC is on the blink, or perhaps I jumped a dimension.. I will never know...... Ah perhaps OP used some banned bytes....

 

[spec]

I am sure I saw a post here last week.. regarding some dodgy IC bought off a well known www auction site, then when i went to comment... it was gone, This is not good for my old brain , did I image it , perhaps my PC is on the blink, or perhaps I jumped a dimension.. I will never know...... Ah perhaps OP used some banned bytes....

Didn't see that grand, but that doesn't mean much

 

[spec]

We had a driver at work who was a real character and seemed to have a girl at each stop, even though he was married with kids. Every other word was an expletive mainly of the F variety. He would even pop in Fs in between syllables: The Fin church Fin bell, went ding Fng dong and Fng woke me up way before Fng break Fng fast.

I don't know what it is like in other countries but some kids in the UK, especially girls, use such foul language that they even embarrass me. It seems to be quite normal too.

What makes me laugh the most is when a genuinely posh person delivers a well modulated F; that has real impact.

Most male dominated professions use the most foul language imaginable and nothing is thought of it. They also call each other the most foul things too- it is par for the course.

A typical greeting might be: Hello you old w..er, what the F have you been p...ng about with since I last saw you. Answer: F off you big c.