Language Petition

[DarkCloud]

About the off-topic... In a number of threads in the off-topic and this topic, the level of language is becoming quite offensive:
Examples:

The "Why Was Civnation Banned" section in Apolyton/Community... several people were using 'evil' cursewords in it, I find that quite offensive.

In various places in the off-topic, such as the "hardman" thread- several 'words' came up... (PS however I do know about the "hardman" joke- it is just that that particular thread illustrates the level of language that is happening in the OT)

Could the Moderators please enforce people not to say certain words that count as cursewords and are offensive.

Sometimes I visit Apolyton at a public site and WOULD RATHER NOT have a librarian looking over my shoulder reading those types of words and language when I am reading a legitamate thread.

Also, there has been some incidents of bad languange (not just #**# you) with the 'evil' words ***ed out, but with the real word present.

I do not appreciate this foul language.

Mark,Dan,Ming,et. al. please make sure that the usage of foul language is kept to a minimum. Thanks!

-DarkCloud

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

I think I can safely predict the direction that this thread is going to take....

[Provost Harrison]

RUN FOR COVER! It's a puritan strike!

Don't worry, he is just irritable as CGN is down and he has no one to ban. Hell, he even closed one of my threads over there, almost sparking an interforum war. Just one thread in my forum and it would have been *WHAM*

[Urban Ranger]

That's a standard HARDMAN saying so it's hard to mention him without saying that.

At any rate the nasty cuss words are censored and most people have more sense than trying to get around the autocensor.

[Ari Rahikkala]

Hmm... language petition... "Petition to make Finnish the second official language of Apolyton"...

[Bereta_Eder]

I was browsing through the posts in work, and a jewish person just happened to pass behind me when the avatar of GianCarlo was on screen...

[phoenixcager]

Originally posted by paiktis22
I was browsing through the posts in work, and a jewish person just happened to pass behind me when the avatar of GianCarlo was on screen...

Then you should probably use the 'light version' of the site at work. It doesn't show the avatars.

[Paul]

The light version does show avatars, but you can turn them off in the control panel.

[Urban Ranger]

That's just a non-issue. I don't think having the image of Rommel or even Hitler displayed on your browser means a thing.

[Bereta_Eder]

I don't think there is a problem. I am well known in my job for my ideas which have nothing to do with GianCarlo's avatar.
And I'm a friend with that person so it's ok.

Still turning off the vatars I will do because that way Apolyton will look more... scientific and work related

[Provost Harrison]

*Threadjack complete*

DC, some of us are not quite so bothered about naughty words. They are just that, words, noises. Why do you find them so offensive? Indoctrination? The more you hear them, the more hardened to them you will become...so don't worry...

[Winston]

PH, that's one of the worst justifications I've ever heard. You could say the same about observing children starving to death or totalitarian regimes conducting genocide. Numerous wrongs don't make any rights for all I know.

I agree with the message of DarkCloud's post although I don't percieve it as big a problem as he does - but his observation is correct and I for one respect it...

[Paul Hanson]

I think that tolerance is the key word here. On a forum with this many posters, representing a large number of different social backgrounds and beliefs, there is bound to be friction on certain issues, in this case bad language. The best thing you can do is to tolerate such things, or if you find them that offensive, ignore them altogether. You do have a choice as to whether you look at them or not; no-one is forcing you to.

[DarkCloud]

I do not appreciate foul language... in real life or on the internet.

However I will accept, to a point language that someone censors

Example: "shut the #*#* up"
However, its context is still angry... If posts like this happened a lot from one poster, without that poster ever saying (sorry I'm having a bad day) or (I'm just angry at you for that post- I wish we could see eye to eye later) then that poster should be warned.

I do my best not to look at the words- but they have been coming across in more parts of the forum that I read... they have even come in 'nice' threads where someone says "that's a real ****** idea." or something of that sort (without the ***'s)

[DanQ]

DarkCloud:

We have done a considerable amount of work in filtering out words that are considered "across the board" or offensive. Unfortunately, there are ways that people can get around those methods.

We are always looking for ways to improve technically to eliminate the use of offensive language while not cracking down excessively on free speech -- it is a fine line and not one that can be drawn to any kind of consensus. We monitor the forums as diligently as possible, but we may miss something.

My recommendations are as follows, and I'm sure Markos and the rest of the ACS staff would agree me: if you are concerned about the level of profanity in the Off-Topic forum and are accessing the site from a local library, be diligent in choosing threads based on subject line. If you find a thread that you find particular offensive, email us and we will look into it privately.

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Dan; Apolyton CS