topic Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter? in Community Site Feedback

Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

God — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 09:54:32 GMT

I fell foul of the word censor when previewing a posting the other day, the word was pretty innocuous and frankly one you could hear on a children’s BBC program. Don’t ask me why but I found it really annoying that I wasn’t allowed to use the term.
I actually added to the post and asked with a bit of judicious spacing if it was possible to get the word removed from the filter, the only response was an admonishment from a moderator for attempting to avoid the word censor!
So I am asking again. Is it possible to look at the censor database and update it to the noughties rather than have it stuck in the fifties?
Clearly I am not allowed to use the offending word in this post so I will just finish by stating a few words that I feel reflect my view on banning of it.
Completely
Ridiculous
And
Pointless
Anyone at Plusnet care to comment over and above saying I am circumventing the censor rules?
Peace be with you all, even overzealous moderators.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Spider — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:10:28 GMT

I really suppose it depends on the definition. Both taken from the Concise Oxford Dictionary:

Quote
crap¹ vulgar slang
· n.
1 nonsense; rubbish.
2 excrement. Ø an act of defecation.
· v. (crapped, crapping) defecate.
· adj. extremely poor in quality.
– DERIVATIVES crappy adj.
– ORIGIN ME, in sense ‘chaff’: rel. to Du. krappe, from krappen ‘pluck or cut off’, and perh. also to OFr. crappe ‘siftings’, Anglo-Latin crappa ‘chaff’.

Quote
crap² N. Amer.
· n. a losing throw in craps.
· v. (crap out) informal make a losing throw at craps. Ø give up; fail.

oh, and the problems with the quotes are due to the word censor. The actual 'post reply' section is fine

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Spider — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:14:59 GMT

To take a different word that is also listed as 'vulgar slang' in the Concise Oxford Dictionary:

Quote
fanny
· n. (pl. fannies)
1 Brit. vulgar slang a woman’s genitals.
2 informal, chiefly N. Amer. a person’s buttocks.
· v. (fanny about/around) Brit. informal mess around and waste time.
– ORIGIN C19: of unknown origin.

Does not seem to be censored, so their is an inconsistency in the use of the swear filter.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

God — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:24:28 GMT

Fanny is also a sporting term: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pétanque
To fanny (mettre fanny in French)
To beat one's opponents 13 to 0. The figure of a bare-bottomed lass named Fanny is ubiquitous in Provence wherever pétanque is played. It is traditional that when a player loses 13 to 0 it is said that “il est fanny” (he's fanny) or “il a fait fanny” (he made fanny), and that he has to kiss the bottom of a girl called Fanny. Since there is rarely an obliging Fanny's fanny handy, there is usually a substitute picture, woodcarving or pottery so that Fanny’s bottom is available. More often, the team which made "fanny" has to offer a beverage to the winning team (see the French popular expression "Fanny paye à boire !").

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Strat — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:23:55 GMT

It is,of course the 'Christian' name of a well known TV cook.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:13:01 GMT

The only thing I'd point out is that Plusnet don't control the word censor, the community do via us (the mods).
I remember replacing the word in your post, and regardless of whether a word should, or shouldn't be included, if it is, you must not avoid the word censor.
Glad that you've brought it into a seperate debate to discuss the though.
RE: The words that should, or shouldn't be included - we're happy to listen and do as the majority want - but we must also err on the side of caution on occasion.
Trouble is, I'm not sure how we can easily debate the word censor, since the words that might need to be discussed, are censored.
Ideas?

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

pierre_pierre — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:19:36 GMT

careful James or you will end up with a lot of B.. PM's

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:49:02 GMT

I don't mind a lot of PMs, so long as folks remember that it might take me a while to get through them all
We are looking at progressing further with our re-arrangement of the forums (more news on this later) but a possibility that I'm thinking of is adding a hidden board for discussion of the word censor, which is accessible to anybody who wishes to join in the discussion, and accepts that there will be words which might be considered offensive therein.
So long as we have enough people to give some sort of a balanced view, it might work - does this sound sensible, and would some of you be prepared to give it a go?

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

pierre_pierre — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:00:38 GMT

I forgot, no use sending PM's as the Censored censor wont let use say what we think so it will have to be e-mails

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Santiago — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:09:31 GMT

I agree that a sensible review of the swear filter would be appropriate and would be happy to contribute to the discussion accordingly.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

God — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:44:35 GMT

Yup, having complained about it I am happy to take part as well.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Oldjim — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:10:16 GMT

Me too

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

geewizz — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:23:57 GMT

I'm a fan of the current catch-all facility. It's link:censored entertaining.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Santiago — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:37:24 GMT

You awkward bugger

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:39:02 GMT

I'm often tempted to add random words to the swear filter, just to see the effect it has on posts.
As an example, I took the liberty of changing the word "mildly" to link:censored in geewizz's post above, just to show you how it can make the most inoccuous posts take on a whole new meaning.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

geewizz — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:55:00 GMT

That's cunning.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:24:42 GMT

An of course, by default we replace most words with a link to the relevant section of the link:rules, and because its a hyperlink it appears very obvious - we can just change the words though.
For example, a common typo[?] of a visitor in the past was to miss the o out in account, the word censor corrects it to account though without appearing hugely obvious that its changed.
We also use the word censor as a tool to help us inserting all the links we use, so for example, link:rules is replaced by the word censor with the link to the rules, link:censored adds the url and formatting we use as a default for most of the words in the censor. link:pug adds a link to the Plusnet Usergroup, and so on.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

geewizz — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:37:39 GMT

link:sausage
Worth a try.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:46:40 GMT

link:freemoney doesn't appear to work either.

Re: Plusnet - Please overhaul the swear filter?

geewizz — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:49:30 GMT

Sorry, I just realised that link sausages are not common outwith Scotland. I'm not used to an international audience.
From wikipedia :

Quote
In many areas "sausage meat" for frying and stuffing into poultry and meat, is sold as slices cut from an oblong block of pressed meat without casing: in Scotland this is known as Lorne Sausage or often sliced or square while the usual form is sometimes called sausage links.