Topic: Word Censor.

[8ullfrog]

cen?sor?ship  (snsr-shp)
n.
1. The act, process, or practice of censoring.
2. The office or authority of a Roman censor.
3. Psychology Prevention of disturbing or painful thoughts or feelings from reaching consciousness except in a disguised form.

- American Heritage Dictionary. Emphasis mine.
 
Earlier, I noticed that the word filter was on by default. I thought the option was for people who wanted the forum to be "kid friendly".

As someone who does not care for disnification, I had to go into my profile to turn OFF the word censor.

There were a lot of different points being made in the former thread, but it was closed before I had time to come up with replies to some of the arguments.

I find txt speak far more offensive than the words that some people have a stick up their... craws about.

I've also noticed that many of the online communities I frequent are cracking down. On some sites I got a polite or impolite invitation to censor myself, lest a heavy hand do it for me.

I'm also not sure what "senseorship" is, but it seems to be rather popular.

I don't like substitutions. When I hear someone say something like "shut the front door" I become piqued.

There is an online community I frequent where the censorship is silent. When a thread or a user gets on the wrong side of things, their posts or accounts become forfeit.

Or the opposite, once a post or thread is out, one might not be able to delete it.

I'm not sure what has caused this creeping thing, but I am not a fan.

[smokester]

I think you don't quite understand the mechanics of these SMF forums.  There is no "on/off" switch for word filtering on the forum, that switch only exists inside of the members' individual profiles.  We can remove that option from your profiles which would be a true form of censorship but we don't - we simply trust the members to be bright enough to make their own, considered choices.

So, the filter is always on and cannot be turned off and when I said ""enable word censoring" I simply meant that we were making use of that filter. The fact that we have now added more words to the filter (there was always at least one word being filtered) is just part of our gradual evolution and neither something novel nor a change in our philosophy.

[dweez]

To try and clear up some things.  We are not implying that people need to watch what they say or that their post MUST be filtered/censored.

The thought behind this was that some of the members have children who like to "look over their shoulder" so this feature will allow those members the option to filter out any bad words or such.  As smokester said in the other thread, it actually gives us more freedom in our use of words because if a curse word is used, the onus is on the individual reader to use the filter or not.

Now what is very unfortunate (and smokester also pointed this out in the other thread) is that after configuring the feature, it seems it's default initial state is to be enabled.  Feel free to go into your profile and disable it.  It's at "Profile"|"Modify Profile"|"Look and Layout" and it is the 6th checkbox on the left (see image below).



It seemed to me throughout the entire previous thread that people were confusing what our intent was.  We aren't trying to restrict anything you say, just give the option to individual members to have the word filter option.  That, and the fact that the topic was often shifting away from the censor/word filter feature to censorship in general, was why the previous topic was closed.

[8ullfrog]

Any idea why this seems to be spreading over the internet right now?

[smokester]

Any idea why this seems to be spreading over the internet right now?

I remember a while back when Mininova incorporated it, and I presumed they did so as some of the language/flaming used in the comments would make yours eyes bleed. 

Perhaps as there are more and more unmonitored youngsters on the internet (in the UK 60% or 12 to 15 year olds have broadband in their bedrooms and 33% or 8 year olds (my son is 7 and he has had broadband for a few months in his room)) sites are getting more complaints and are reacting to that?  I can set up content filters for what my son sees, but I can't prevent him reading foul language.

Anyhoo, that is a possibility I suppose.

[8ullfrog]

When I was a kid, there was no effing way my mom would have let me have a computer in my room. That being said, my 16th birthday present was a toshiba laptop (with windows me!)

After that, I was allowed to have internet in my room. When I hear six or seven year olds yelling "meatball" at me on xbox live, I know that a parent has failed.

crap, sabin's brother pulled a knife on him when they took away his internet!

[8ullfrog]

But I can't help but feel that the xbox live generation would be better off smothered to death instead of catered to.

[Skadi]

But I can't help but feel that the xbox live generation would be better off smothered to death instead of catered to.

I'm not being obtuse.. I'm just not putting together how and in what way you mean.

[8ullfrog]

[Skadi]

 

I am at work.. so I have no sound right now.

Do you have one titled 'Why People Should Not Be Looking at Youtube at Work'?

I'll watch it when I get home though.

[smokester]

The world would be a better place if a few more adults understood the constraint involved in not splashing unpleasant words around the intertubes as if it were somehow a badge of honour.

Constraint is not censorship; being able to say whatever you want to say does not mean that you have to be obscene whilst saying it. "I want to" is selfish, "I bless'ed want to" is selfish and unpleasant. Being allowed to say the former but not the latter is not censorship, it is just a house rule.

Just like over at my house, you follow the rules or you leave, this is not censorship, it is good manners.

Suck it in 8ully, and follow the rules.  Pthbpppttttttt.

Just quoting you as I'm in need of the practice.

I swear when I'm in the pub watching football with my mates (well, referees were born to be sworn at) but I rarely swear anywhere else as I consider in most other situations I am in "polite company".  Some of the toughest people I know wouldn't dream of swearing in front of their mothers and I have found that not to be uncommon with just about anyone I know when they are with their family.  Another thing is that certainly here in the UK, swearing at someone is used as I kind of trigger, so you have to be very careful when you swear and at whom.

[Skadi]

To an extent everyone censors or filters themselves every day depending on the situation. I can't think of an example of anyone who doesn't. Even if you're true to  yourself, and your nature, you still put a social filter in place in certain situations. It's not a negative. And it doesn't have ot mean you're betraying yourself in any form.

[8ullfrog]

The thing is, manners are censorship. It's self censorship.

I probably swear as much as I do because of my mother. You should have heard the words from her direction when she dropped her laptop.

[laama]

Hmm...

If we censored all nasty words,kids still see and hear cursing,etc. their everyday life with their parents,friends,school,hobbies,radio,tv,internet,newspapers,etc.

So,it's self censorship as 8ullfog says and we only cheat ourselves.

[dweez]

I cheat at solitaire all the time.