Censor words

[ZandraJoi]

What do you think about censoring words? Do you censor certain ones on your forum? Do you replace them with perhaps … or lines? Some people replace them with a funny expression to be light-hearted.
I don’t censor on mine. I want to trust my members to act like adults. If I feel they are swearing with every single post, then I’d have a word with them in private. Otherwise, I don’t believe in censorship.
What is your opinion?

 

[Heatman]

It's usually called obscenity filter which allows you to filer swear and abusive words when they are used by members on your forum. I have seen some forum owners use it and it's actually very good because it keeps the forum neat of foul words.

 

[Kale]

Nope, I never use it.

 

[Cory]

Yes, I use the word filter. A lot of the words I filter are just unnecessary to use and could be offensive to some people.

 

[Cedric]

We haven't had to use this feature as of yet, but I'd set it up if it would be needed when people abuse some bad words that are offensive.

 

[Kale]

I know on some forums they will censor certain ones, but otherwise it's usually never used on most forums I've posted on or was staff on.

 

[Bluezone777]

The thing about words is they aren't abusive as it is the people who use them that are the abusive ones. I never used one before as the last thing I would want to do is advertise how much power certain words have over me nor would I want people around me that are so traumatized by words that they can't bear to even see them spoken to them. You more often than not become the people you surround yourself with and that is as much true whether it is on the net or offline.

 

[Arantor]

I find it's all too easy to get into awkward situations with the censor filters. One might even make a clbuttic mistake with them.

 

[Heatman]

Yes, I use the word filter. A lot of the words I filter are just unnecessary to use and could be offensive to some people.

You're right about that. I find it very useful. I can't remember the first forum where I saw it used and I really loved it.

I found out yesterday that it's been used on Twitter now. You get a notification pop up when the words that are filtered from being used to edit them.

 

[Dilip]

I try to keep the conversation civil. It is not hard for me as I am more into the tech niche. There is not much scope for venting ego or frustration. People ask doubts and it is more of academic nature.

 

[Shortie]

I do censor words on mine but it is usually only words that I find very vulgar and abusive and also that may be used in terms of hate messages as well. I can't repeat many of what I would censor but I feel you would get the gist of what I mean. Usual curse words I don't tend to censor but I do stress in my rules that swearing should not be something that is done in excess. I really don't see a need to use excessive swearing in a forum, to be honest.

 

[Arantor]

I actually don't bother censoring.

If you're wholesale replacing words, people that intend to swear to make the point will just censor-evade - you know, * out an individual letter, or replace an i with a !. It's clear what point is being made, and censoring doesn't *change* anything, it just means you might evade a caution from Google AdSense or similar.

Meanwhile if you're in the camp of wholesale replacing profanity with other words, or just ******, it's still clear of the intent and what message the poster is trying to make and the censoring doesn't really change anything. Does it matter in that case *which* profanity is being used?

So in that respect, I find it actually better not to bother - those who are egregious are probably unlikely to become good contributors anyway and moderation/banning may be appropriate anyway. And the rest of the time it is unlikely to be necessary...

 

[Dilip]

I do not mind if they circumvent with symbols. It is comparatively less offensive.

We can always talk to them about it. Censoring gives members an idea what the board asks from them.

 

[Heatman]

I do censor words on mine but it is usually only words that I find very vulgar and abusive and also that may be used in terms of hate messages as well. I can't repeat many of what I would censor but I feel you would get the gist of what I mean. Usual curse words I don't tend to censor but I do stress in my rules that swearing should not be something that is done in excess. I really don't see a need to use excessive swearing in a forum, to be honest.

The thing is that some people look alright in person but they have serious personality problems. There are some people who find it very normal to behave like animals especially with words online. I call them keyboard warriors because there's nothing they won't say online.

 

[Shortie]

The thing is that some people look alright in person but they have serious personality problems. There are some people who find it very normal to behave like animals especially with words online. I call them keyboard warriors because there's nothing they won't say online.

I agree! There are a lot of keyboard warriors around as well, usually all tough and have so much to say behind the keyboard but if they were face to face, probably wouldn't say half as much.

 

[Cedric]

I agree! There are a lot of keyboard warriors around as well, usually all tough and have so much to say behind the keyboard but if they were face to face, probably wouldn't say half as much.

True. I see that on facebook all the time. Judging everything, being toxic. And if you’d meet them in real life they probably would be afraid to open their mouths.

 

[Shortie]

True. I see that on facebook all the time. Judging everything, being toxic. And if you’d meet them in real life they probably would be afraid to open their mouths.

This is very true. Facebook is one of the worst places for it to be honest. I know a few people who I did meet in person due to them living in my area, which proved my point when they didn't say a word away from the PC.

 

[Heatman]

True. I see that on facebook all the time. Judging everything, being toxic. And if you’d meet them in real life they probably would be afraid to open their mouths.

I think that it's worst on Twitter. I have used Facebook and Twitter long enough to know for certain they art horribly worst on Twitter. It's even recently they Twitter started censoring some word like "fuck" and the rest. You can't use such works on Facebook and not get penalised but everything goes on Twitter.

 

[Cory]

Reddit is also a social network where you see curse words in nearly every thread.

 

[Kale]

Pokecommunity has/had creative ones I recall way back. I think it is still on that forum, but I turn it off.