NSDAP… Nationalesozicialistche Deutsche Arbeiter Partei, ( National Socialist German Workers Party )is the abbreviation, and the acronynm is taken from there, NAtionalesoZIcialischte… Why is it that swastikas" on the models are ok, but the acronymn isn’t? It only means “National Socialist” when used in the proper context… I don’t wanna type “1933-45-era Germany” when refering to it. Or is there something in the software that allows a particular forum member to turn the censorbot off in his control panel? At any rate, it’s frustrating at times… Since the person typing the “banned” words isn’t aware of it, but everyone else who reads his post IS, it seems a little under-handed…
And in a related vein, no one EVER calls that comic book cop, “Rich” Tracy…
Censorship is a stupid idea. People are not corrupted by words, and if they are, then the problem is with the person and not the word.
A friend of mine works for a local winery, and they were sending out email newsletters, which were getting blocked by their own nanny program. Apparently it didn’t like the word chardonnay, which if you think about it is quite funny.
I’m not sure what the problem is. As far as I know Nazi is not a banned word. As for some of the other issues, I’m afraid the Nanybot is here to stay because too many people have caused problems in the past because they can’t follow a basic rule about offensive language on the forums.
Thanks for the reply, and I u’nerstand about profanity, but I think that it must be set on “Stupid”… I’m even getting the word C H A N N E L censored… All of it’s there except the two "n"s… When I replied to the guy via PM, my word was there on my screen, but he used it also and it was censored…
The point is that if you type some of these words, they don’t get censored on your own screen, they gett censored to everyone else who reads what’s posted… So you’re unaware if you’ve typed anything “bad”…
On the military site I admin, we came up with a specific list of words that would get censored by the 'bot (but censored for the members who elect to turn off their censorbot settings in their control panels which were ON by default).
But you can’t type the words that CONTAIN a “bad” word, like planet Ura nu s, D i c k Tracy, and other harmless words without getting whacked by the 'bot here, unless you space the letters like I did here…
I know that the nannybot is here to stay, but Hans has a point. You never know what word is going to get zapped. I was surprised to see that you were able to type Nazi in your reply, because I have seen several posts in which it seemed to get the dreaded *** treatment.
Why not just censor out the seven deadly words and leave the rest? Can you give us an idea of what words are deemed so offensive that they get screened? For example, can a ship breast the storm on FSM? And what is wrong with Dick Tracy, Dick Nixon, and Dick Cheney (well, you know what I mean…[:P]).
B reast is censored? B reast??? C’mon! It’s the anatomically correct word! What is wrong with b reast? I mean, everyone has seen one, at least (well, two technically…).
Boyd: In all honesty, penis should probably be on the forbidden list.
The truth is, if we could trust all users to use language appropriately, we wouldn’t need to have a lst of forbidden words. Unfortunately, history shows that is not the case. Too often, posters resort to swear words, even inserting symbols to get around the censor. Long-term users can probably remember some of the extreme offenses that have occurred over the years with trolls and others using language that would make a Marine blush. That’s why the system is the way it is and will stay for the foreseeable future.
I understand that, I really do. However, as you said, plenty of times users (myself included, I’ll admit) have just inserted symbols to get around the nanny-software. Or, like I did with b reast, just insert a space. So, if it is so easy to get around the software, it seems like expanding the software is not the answer. Again, I could understand having the ‘seven deadly words’ banned, maybe with severe penalties for their use. Beyond that, I think you are swimming against the tide.
At the same time, I also get that you guys are in a tough spot there at FSM, because it ultimately falls to you to sort this stuff out…
You do? Really? I mean, look, I can make ANY word offensive, if used in the right context so, where do you draw the line? If you are already willing to ban anatomical terms, what will be next. And is it just anatomical terms that are linked to reproduction? Are bunt and punt and puck and muck in dire straights since they are perilously close to offensive terms? This reminds me of an article I read to my students to start a discussion over race. The article focuses on how people have used the word ‘niggardly’ and gotten in serious trouble, even though the definition and etymological origins of this word, and the word that sounds similar but is a racial slur, are completely different.
I know this is turning into more of a philosophical discussion now, but I really am interested to understand your perspective, being that you are ‘in the business’.
Boyd, stop mucking about and coming off as a real punt! [H]
The Victorians carried this concept to the extreme, and put little dresses on their piano legs so as not to inflame certain desires, and called a certain plump (and pretty tasteless!) part of a chicken “white meat” instead of, well instead of “that” word which cannot be “uddered” here.
I can appreciate wanting “clean” language, and mostly comply (having resorted to $%^& on occasion, to make a point), and have made crude attempts at enforcing that rule, but I can’t talk about my wife’s cancer here without resorting to a trick to bypass the nannybot. Nor can I render my gun to be in an operational mode, or to go off half-roostered, if you catch my drift.
I believe that no censorship is better than censorship that prevents clear communication, but I also appreciate FSM has to err on the side of caution. I certainly appreciate that they have less issues to deal with on the forum because of the nannybot, and it’s a shame that they feel it necessary to have the program in effect, but I have also seen the negative side and don’t want that either. If I have to be unhappy about something (and I DO! [;)]) I would rather be unhappy about some misguided censorship, than be subjected to obscenity laced rants. So I suffer the nannybot, not in total silence, but pretty #$%^ing close! [:D]
I agree with you 100%… well, since it is you, I’ll go 98.6% [6]. I hate the idea of a nannybot, and I think some of the words it blocks are ridiculous. I think it actually contributes to a deterioration of our ability to communicate clearly and effectively. But, as I said to Aaron in a PM exchange, it is not something that I really feel the need to crusade about. I might female dog and complain about it from time to time, but as you say, it is a pretty minor inconvenience and, as recent history has shown us, we’d have to put up with some pretty bad ‘stuff’ if it were absent…
Censorship may appear in small fashion on forums and such, but ti wont get furthur then that, not for a while. Remember, AT&T and Verizon both tried to put a ban on 4chan so those that use their services couldnt access it, they had to remove the ban both times
Heaven forbid people be exposed to uncensored WORDS! Think of the mayhem that could occur!
On another forum I frequent, it changes “bad” words into some random phrase! For instance, the short version of Richard, starting with a “d” becomes devilsquid! No joking! So here I am trying to post the link to http://www.dickblick.com/ and it gets changed to devilsquid! Needleess to say, that doesn’t help.
For sports fans, remember the Patriots safety Randall Gay? The NFL’s censors wouldn’t let you order his Jersey with his last name on the back because it was being censored as a “bad word!”
I think this is getting silly. Let people post how they like, and if their language is offensive, or violates the user agreement, then the mods can take appropriate action.