Forum "censorship" is broken...!

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captaincranky

Posts: 19,648   +8,795
I've noticed that pretty much all language which is considered "profane", now is permitted by the software. Yes boys and gurlz...even the "F bomb"!

So, this begs the questions, has censorship been downgraded?

Is profanity permitted?

And for the truly paranoiac such as myself, is it being allowed as a leverage to warnings or outright ban?
 
It's my feeling that the language filters that were in place before have not yet been implemented with the new software although I don't have any inside knowledge about it. When I notice it, I will xx it out manually or if too extensive or extreme, I might delete the whole post. That's a lot of extra work that I'd just as soon not have to do in the first place. Hopefully, filters can be implemented without much trouble in the near future. I've noticed that a lot of work has been done already to fix various issues.
 
That's right, we've determined the only way to ban people is by encouraging them to curse more... :confused:

Profanity has never been entirely forbidden, just not permitted in excess. Even the uncensored "F bomb" returns 300+ hits on TS, with many just before the forum change. Certain words were filtered before, but I'm not sure which ones or how that's changed since the upgrade. Can you cite some before and after examples?
 
CC, your quite capable of getting your point across without resorting to profanity. ;)

Personally, I like to think we're all adults here, and are capable of writing without resorting to continuous swearing. It's better to moderate ones self than have filters continually interrupt legitimate words in my opinion.
 
That's right, we've determined the only way to ban people is by encouraging them to curse more... :confused:

Profanity has never been entirely forbidden, just not permitted in excess. Even the uncensored "F bomb" returns 300+ hits on TS, with many just before the forum change. Certain words were filtered before, but I'm not sure which ones or how that's changed since the upgrade. Can you cite some before and after examples?
I can certainly ****ing try.;)

CC, your quite capable of getting your point across without resorting to profanity. ;) .
Why yes, I believe I can. Perhaps even have at times,

Personally, I like to think we're all adults here, and are capable of writing without resorting to continuous swearing. It's better to moderate ones self than have filters continually interrupt legitimate words in my opinion.
Oh well, having the software get in the way would be at times, very frustriting. For example, when you just wanted to pay someone a high compliment by telling them, "oh, you're such a **** Cheney"...........(LOL)....:p

OK, so if you see my point here, it didn't censor the F bomb, but still censored our former vice president's first name. That's sort of inconsistent at best.
 
I think d*ck was censored before, though. I agree that's a bit silly, but it hasn't changed.
But it also censored, "if you cee kay" before, and doesn't now. That has changed.

My point in starting this thread is not really to effect change. It's more a simple query , and observation. This is what it used to do, this is what it's doing now. Is this what you want? Believe it or not, I do actually go with the flow now and then, admittedly infrequently.
 
Click the link in my first post (here it is again). Plenty of f*cks to be found weeks, months and years ago. Completely uncensored, too. So I'm not sure you're right about that. I don't deny that some words may have been added or removed to the filter during the forum change, but I'm saying I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that's the case. Perhaps Julio can chime in and clear things up later.
 
Click the link in my first post (here it is again). Plenty of f*cks to be found weeks, months and years ago. Completely uncensored, too. So I'm not sure you're right about that. I don't deny that some words may have been added or removed to the filter during the forum change, but I'm saying I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that's the case. Perhaps Julio can chime in and clear things up later.
OK, I did click on one of the search links you provided, and got nothing but asterisks where the profanity allegedly should have existed. I kind of suspect that the search engine is picking up the unedited text, before submission. You could type streams of profanity in the submission box, it simply wouldn't appear in the post.

As far as it goes, my approach was always to self censor my profanity, so that some letters of the intended word still remained. For example, I would write something like, "are you s**tting me", as opposed to allowing the software censorship to alter the post to something like, "are you ******** me", and losing all context in the process. I might say something like, "DILLAGAF", an acronym which does indeed contain a reference to intercourse, it's again, in a fairly dilute and obsure form.

So I confess, I never actually tried to post the undiluted F-bomb, and I didn't find in in the little bit of your links I perused.
 
Gotcha, I also see the blocked words when clicking through. I was admittedly just looking at the search results, my mistake. However, the forum censored my use of "f*ck" in a test post five minutes ago, so it's still being blocked as it was before. In which case, again, I don't really see evidence of the filter being changed. Can you link where you've seen the word uncensored?
 
So complicated...

The censored words were not part of the automated import to Xenforo (along with many other customizations that build up over the years). I manually added a couple dozen entries but what I'm finding so far is that XF doesn't allow for absolute word censorship (e.g. a$$ vs a$$hole), so until we figure something out there's some leeway that I hope doesn't get abused just because.
 
I think the f word was censored both on VB and on XF. I remember Papa moderating it manually earlier on XF though. However, spoofs like "back assward" or "Luck Fiverpool" would pass uncensored, while effectively delivering their message.
 
Just revised how the censored words work on XF, I was wrong, it did come with advanced filtering so it should be all well now.
 
I don't know if anyone will agree, but a long time back when I was one of five co-administators to an old Star War Jedi Outcast clan, we had our own forums, nearly as nice as TechSpot's. We had "bad word filtering" and used it. But we did have one little area set off to the side that was totally exempt of the filters and moderators were ordered by the administrators to allow any and all bad words that we said inside the area. I think we named the special area "The Vent", where people could go inside and blow off some steam and vent, vent, vent, oh my God could those people vent!

I don't know, maybe something to think about, back in the day "The Vent" area did have some conditions for entry, like the forum member had to have over 100 posts to gain entry, not everyone was allowed and so forth.

"my 2 bits"!
 
I've thought about something like that before, maybe a sub-section of the general forum that would let anything go. Unmoderated political and religious debates, rants and so on. That sounds awesome in theory because it lets people do whatever they want in a tiny sub-board, while others can avoid it if desired.

There is at least one problem though: how do you prevent ill will from that board carrying over to other sections? For instance, if I call you a no good, freeloading hippie in the unmoderated board, that insult may result in a negative encounter elsewhere. Should we really facilitate conflict between members?
 
The Jedi don't swear Zen, that's only for the mean and nasty Sith, such as myself.

....[ ]..... For instance, if I call you a no good, freeloading hippie in the unmoderated board, ....[ ]....
Now you've gone and hurt my feelings fer shur........peace symbol emoticon goes >>{here}<<

Come to think of it though Matthew, your post has given me a stellar Idea! Can I change my screen name to, "Ill Will".....?
 
I've thought about something like that before, maybe a sub-section of the general forum that would let anything go. Unmoderated political and religious debates, rants and so on.

I feel that'd be completely unnecessary to have here.

Plus, I don't think we actively moderate too harshly here. Besides the few words that we censor because they are typically used for hate speech, we don't condone personal attacks, and that's pretty much it.
 
I feel that'd be completely unnecessary to have here.

Plus, I don't think we actively moderate too harshly here. Besides the few words that we censor because they are typically used for hate speech, we don't condone personal attacks, and that's pretty much it.

Whoa bummer! Now we'll just have to kick back and listen to the Intel vs AMD fanbois duke it out to the death...>>(Yawn)<<....

Aw now Julio, you know I'm jus' kiddin'. Besides, I'm more into breaking someone's spirit without cursing or name calling.

I suppose I should interject a "jus kiddin', onto the end of that statement as well.
 
Sounds like a certain ex-Governor...
)
I don't seem to have the proper script running to view the video.....unless it's (and wouldn't this be ironic)...been censored.....

Let me hazard a guess, just for hahas..... Was it Arnold Scwarzenegger or George Wallace...?....I get three guesses right? Um, let's see, was it "The Rock"?

BTW, what did you think of my idea about changing my screen name to, "Ill Will"?

I guess I should be careful about what I wish for, ay?
 
There is at least one problem though: how do you prevent ill will from that board carrying over to other sections? For instance, if I call you a no good, freeloading hippie in the unmoderated board, that insult may result in a negative encounter elsewhere. Should we really facilitate conflict between members?

When I was an administrator of my old clans forums, we decided to have just a couple (((rules))) to the area.

Rules....

1. No bashing of another persons religion!
2. No racism!
3. Political statements may be attacking, but only with viable information behind the attack, as to prove legitimacy.
4. No bashing of ones possible handicaps!

That's about all the rules we set in motion, and with those rules things went fairly well. Of course once in a while you get your extremest who choose to go up and beyond the call, and tests the rules. But the area had it's own moderator force, 4 moderators in total, who's primary purpose was to monitor the area for possible violations of the rules. Also the area just wasn't open to everyone. We only allowed members that met certain criteria admittance, length of stay, post counts and so forth. For those who might have slipped under the radar and got in, or people who choose to violate the rules and had been warned, we could instigate both a "user name" and "I.P. address" ban of the area to the violating member or members.

Heck if this kind of area here on TechSpot was to come to reality, let me be the first to volunteer my services as being a part of a moderating force to help watch the area, after all, it's not like I haven't done this type of thing before!
 
When I was an administrator of my old clans forums, we decided to have just a couple (((rules))) to the area.

Rules....

1. No bashing of another persons religion!
2. No racism!
3. Political statements may be attacking, but only with viable information behind the attack, as to prove legitimacy.
4. No bashing of ones possible handicaps!
Well, that takes all the fun out of it right up front. It seems to me what you have left is just an everyday run of the mill forum. Besides, when exactly did political attacks begin to require substantiation. Hell, they don't even require that on network TV.

That's about all the rules we set in motion, and with those rules things went fairly well. Of course once in a while you get your extremest who choose to go up and beyond the call, and tests the rules. But the area had it's own moderator force, 4 moderators in total, who's primary purpose was to monitor the area for possible violations of the rules. Also the area just wasn't open to everyone. We only allowed members that met certain criteria admittance, length of stay, post counts and so forth. For those who might have slipped under the radar and got in, or people who choose to violate the rules and had been warned, we could instigate both a "user name" and "I.P. address" ban of the area to the violating member or members.

Heck if this kind of area here on TechSpot was to come to reality, let me be the first to volunteer my services as being a part of a moderating force to help watch the area, after all, it's not like I haven't done this type of thing before!
Allow me to second Julio's veto of this idea, and your moderation offers.

This is (IMO) a fail, in the same way I won't accept a PM to elicit help with a build. The information and ability to input should be made public. Plenty of material is sacked from these forums, including volumes of my own. That said, I've come to accept that as the moderator on duties's judgment call, and deal with it accordingly.

There are already controls and boundaries in place. And arguing, (in a civil context), is already permitted.
 
Well I guess "to each there own"! I was just simply telling everyone a way here to allow for more adult vocabulary, bad words, cussing and such without it effecting the regular parts of this forum.

I was just giving an example of an already successful format that is still successfully in use today on another forum!

People can "second" other people's veto votes all they want, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it!

In closing, sometimes it is a relief, and sometimes a blessing to be able to go into a place and not be so worried or concerned with trying to talk like an "executive" or an "English Professor" or a "suit"! Sometimes even the best of us have to "cut loose" once in a while.
 
This site does over-censor when it comes to some words in my opinion; The words "I_d_i_o_t" and "a_s_s" shouldn't be included in the censor I think.
 
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