Swear Filter

[Adrian]

Dave: I’m not a prude – honest - but I think it’s time the swear filter was tightened up a bit. I don’t mind a BLOODY or a SODDING (although some might even find these offensive) but I really do think the language on the boards has deteriorated this year. Some people have even defended their “right” to carry on in this way.

Some of the other Palace fora are perhaps a little less bothered about foul language but the BBS has always been a cut above the rest – I’d like it to stay that way.

I assume you’ve already thought of this but can I suggest filtering out everything where:
§ a “zero” has replaced an “o”
§ “@” has replaced an “a”
§ “x” has replaced “cks”
§ additional spaces (not necessarily just one space!) have been inserted
and so on.

Call it censorship if you like: I call it cleaning up.

[wombat]

Dave, I'm not a prude, but is there a way of filtering out moaning *&%&(*s?

[Ian of Chatham]

Adrian, I agree with your comments about the language and the request to tighten up the swear filter especially as today I saw someone use the "c" word twice in his location field.

As for filtering "§ “@” has replaced an “a”", then how would we be able to print web site/e-mail addresses on here if we filtered the "@"'s out?



[This message has been edited by Ian of Chatham (edited 20 December 2000).]

[Adrian]

Wombat - check the dictionary under "MOANING"

[Adrian]

Ian of Chatham: in that most modern pc’s recognize an e-mail address simply by its structure, then general use of a rogue “@” substituted for an “a” should be discernable as not an e-mail address.

Dave (or anyone else who’s a bit techy): is this right?

[James]

Am I alone in thinking that we should abandon the swear filter altogether?

Does anyone REALLY care that much about the odd profanity? My view is that the use of such language is harmless (although it can indicate a poor command of English).

Words are only tools after all. A means to express oneself. A word can't be evil by itself .. it is the intent (and I suppose the interpretation) that matters. Who among us really cares if they hear the word f**k these days (or sees it in print)? This is a word which has lost its power to cause offence - which I think is an excellent thing.

Why don't we try not to worry about words, whatever they may be?

That is not to say that I enjoy reading some of the mindless posts which appear from time to time on the BBS. Illiterate postings are dull and tiresome, and abuse is deplorable. Those are the things which should concern us - not the appearance of certain words, whatever they may be.

James

[Pistike]

Couldn't agree more James.
There are times when nothing other than a good f*** will do.

[James]

This use of profanities generally is being debated in a parallel thread in the General Chit-chat Forum. May I suggest that this thread is restricted to discussing the use of the swear filter on the BBS?

[TAK]

I agree that we should drop the swear filter, some of the most offensive things on this board have not involved foul language and some of the funniest have.

Obviously if some one is persistenly going overboard without reason, they can always be requested to calm down, isn't that part of what moderators are for? Virtually everyone who posts on this board is responsible enough and those who aren't learn quickly or head off elswhere, with the exception of brett http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/wink.gif

[Neil the Eagle]

Yeah, ditch the bitch!

I want to be able say ****, occasionally!

Sorry drunk posting, please forgive!

[This message has been edited by Neil the Eagle (edited 22 December 2000).]