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by Tondoteottotote on September 21st, 2005

Tondoteottotote

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Will Answerbag introduce filters so offensive language in user submissions can be automatically be removed?

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  • by mister_c on September 21st, 2005

    mister_c

    Why would this be a good thing? I don't see how a person could want censorship, could see it as a positive thing.

    Because where does it stop? And by whose criteria are we judging what is "offensive"? I might think the word "ass" is completely unobjectionable, whereas you may find it offensive. So who is right? As Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said, when asked to define what would be considered obscene, "I'll know it when I see it."

    Furthermore, if you see "f**k", what goes on in your mind? Personally, and I don't think I'm alone in this, when I see "f**k" I automatically fill in the blanks in my head. So even though I'm not reading the word I still think the word. So what is the point of blanking it?

    Also, I don't recall seeing too many swear words on Answerbag, unless they are questions that are specifically about swearing. I'm answering a question about swearing; have I had cause to use obscenities? It's not like most people's answers are littered with expletives, and the moderators do a good job of removing answers that are deliberately offensive.

    I am an adult. Seeing words with lots of "****" in them makes me feel patronised. The argument that "kids could access the site and see swear words" doesn't cut a lot of ice with me. Kids are far more likely to pick up swear words from parents and school-friends, people who influence their behaviour, rather than from a website.

    Finally, I think this question, above all others, would be fairly hard to ask and answer on a filtered website:

    http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/14318

    ("Warning: contains language", whatever that is supposed to mean!)

    (And yes, I know this is more of a rant than an answer, but this subject is a pet peeve of mine. If you don't agree with me, please don't rate me down, just think about what I've said. Thankyou.)

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  • by Anonymous on December 6th, 2005

    Anonymous

    Automatic filters of this type can be quite inhibiting, there is of course the issue of asking questions "about" swearing. But more to the point, there's a few other sites I've been on of a similar type to this that had automatic filters which allowed people to make all manner of obscene submissions provided they didn't use "recognised" swear words - because it was a US based sites British and Australian sex-slang such as "bonking" "humping" and "shagging" slipped right through, and as long as you spelt horny as horney you could make very suggestive comments in the homework category (not that I did). However there did seem to be a bizzarre censorship on asking reasonable questions about one's female pet dog and the author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Because submissions on Answerbag are reviewed by human beings, not computers, generally reasonable questions that happen to include a word that out of context might be a bit risque, will be permitted, whereas those that are not really questions and purely intended to shock or offend can be got rid of, or moved to the adult category as appropriate.

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  • by Miss. Tandra on November 25th, 2006

    Miss. Tandra

    Yes i think it should. You have come up with a very goood question. And i hope answerbag pursues this suggestion. come on keep fighting! lol

    onbe reason i feel like this is because, people who use offensive and crass language dont care if its not on here it doesnt offend them to see "CLEAN" language. But it could offend some users to seee crass language. So yea im ALL For it!

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  • by Clementunited on July 24th, 2011

    Clementunited

    The term surrounding offensive language must be defined clearly in the right context, as some offensive language like "ass" might have different meaning and are used in different contexts, so if we introduce filters, sometimes justified contents that had to use offensive language like "ass" etc. would get wrongly revoked, so having filters may not be a good thing as it may lead to misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

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