The censorship on ATS is strange at times...

I am mainly thinking about the automatic censor on curses such as #, #, mother#er and so on.

I mean, what the hell, those are just words, stupid little words. What is the fuzz?
If it is for the reason to counter bad language I don't buy it. If I want to wirte crappy, I will. There are plenty of other words that can be used instead and those who are just an alternate version of the word.
Writing bad enlish is just as disturbing, like leaving out dots and commas; not using capital letters in beginning of names, sentances and companies; bad spelling (I am guilty of that too!); bad structure of text... Those are all way more disturbing that if I would like to say that something is "#ing sick!" (because alot of things you read and write about at this forum is pretty #ing twisted and sickening).

If it is to keep a good manner and nice atmosphere at the forum, I don't buy that.
If I am not allowed to write something insulting using the "banned" words, I might just as well write something else even more insulting. I mean, an insult using complicated and sophisticated english is even more insulting. If I really wants somebody to know how much I despise them, I can tell them without the use of "you piece of # mother#er I'll # you!". I would rather say "you total of a moron! I hate you and I think that you are an inbecil with an underdeveloped mind you stinking waste of air!"
Not that I would ever write such a thing (...or maybe sometime) but the purpose of not being allowed to use the common f-words is lost.

Just let us write what ever combination of letters we want. Fighting curse words is silly. If you let go of this ban there will be no avalanche of cursing, don't worry. But I feel that sometimes I really would like to use the f- and/or s-word. Why the hell not let me?

I use/used to hang out at the metal-archives forum and there you could use whatever phrases you wanted. If you started to systematically insult and threat people you would get removed, of course, but your language was free from all limitations. This did not affect the quality of the posts, it just reflects how the poster would normally express himself. I mean, come on, you guys never curse when you talk about conspiracies, oppression, war, injustice and corruption? Come on!

So, to wrap it all up:
Let go of this stupid ban. It is nonsense. It is just some words. Nothing more. To say that curse words are an indication of lacking knowledge in the native laguage is an old, absurd left over from the 18th century. I can express myself in almost any way and the curses (who are not to be used all too frequently because they then lose some of their value) makes more effect at times, more power and more accurate description of what I am trying to say.

No more ban! I already have two parents, I don't need more of them here as well!

We have a large minority who are below the age of 16. Some members are about 14 or so (even younger maybe).

ATS is a family site and the owners have a responsibility to the younger members. And, to be fair, ATS would loose it's professional feel if posts were made up of F this and F that.

Originally posted by infinite
And, to be fair, ATS would loose it's professional feel if posts were made up of F this and F that.

True that. And besides, the most interesting insults are the ones that use absolutely no vulgar language whatsoever.

British people are good with that, it seems.

Yeah yeah yeah, I get that.
But it's just words damn it, words! Letters, 1s and 0s, it is nothing!

Oh, arguing over this is futile. I surrender, you win.
At least I wrote something. You can lock this thread now.

Originally posted by Raud
Yeah yeah yeah, I get that.
But it's just words damn it, words! Letters, 1s and 0s, it is nothing!

Last time I checked, 1s and 0s weren't letters? Has American-English changed again..hmmm

As for "it's just words damn it", some members find them offensive. It's called being respectful towards other people.

Oh, arguing over this is futile. I surrender, you win.
At least I wrote something. You can lock this thread now.

That's just childish

[edit on 7-10-2007 by infinite]

Originally posted by Raud
But it's just words damn it, words! Letters, 1s and 0s, it is nothing!

Don't you dare say words are nothing!

"Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world."

--Buddha


Anyway think about it. If words are nothing, would the media bother to use doublespeak?

reply to post by Raud


No way Raud...I've seen the stuff you've written on the Myanmar threads....You're trying to tell me those words are all nothing ??!!!

Nope...

I think this is a case of a post or two by someone who has decided to needle you, and its gotten your back up...

If that's the case, forget about it, keep on posting the good stuff like you do...

If its something else, spill...Let us know what's prompted you to post this..

Peace dude

Well, it's just words, it's the meaning behind them that matters. And for those who would be insulted, too bad for them, not me.

This is not only about ATS it is about curses in general and how we fear those specific combinations of "throad sounds" so bad it's stupid. That, above all is childish. But I hardly see this thread changing any of that. I just want to be able to chose my words as I please without some long-nosed representative of "morale" waving his finger saying "ooh, you can't say/write that!". Well, watch me.

It is not intended to be all like f-this, s-that, mf-bs-those all the time, I thought I made that clear in the first post. Thinking like that is old thinking, you then think like some sort of old person. Just some occational spice to the language. If that would make everything lose credibility, pah! Then it doesn't matter anyway beacuase a reader who will dismiss all credit because of one little word is not a reader you want anyway.

By the way, what we see are words but inside this little magic, electric box it's 1s and 0s.

reply to post by Rilence



Oh, hello. Peace to you as well.

Originally posted by Raud
I just want to be able to chose my words as I please without some long-nosed representative of "morale" waving his finger saying "ooh, you can't say/write that!". Well, watch me.

I want, I want...

Tell me, what gives YOU the right to come here and start demanding the ownership to change it's rules to suit you?

reply to post by Raud


Hmmmmm....OK Raud...Its a general "I wish I could be a little more liberal with my use of what some would consider profanity" kinda thing...Not much I can say to that, but the T&C are what they are so I imagine they are for good reason. Tho I would love to cuss out some people here, when I stop and think about it for a second after cooling down, its a good thing the T&C is what it is

I'd still like to know if its something more specific that has you thinking this way...Cos I've really appreciated your posts on Myanmar, they really have kept many of us informed about what is really going on there...

Please keep doing those posts and anything else you want to post Raud, I've found your posts great to read

Peace

Thank you. Always at your service you know! Feels like I somewhat retired from the most frequent posting on the Myanmar-thread since the uprising cooled down a bit. It was pretty rough work, but I check the thread every day and if it goes dry, I will revive it. Don't worry.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to the topic:

Yes, I want and I want, and what gives me the right? Well, how about a membership at this forum? A keyboard in front of me? An internet connection free to use?

What I am trying to say here is that if I would like to use some curses to strengthen a sentece in some way, I would like to have that option. Some things are just # [the s-word for crap] and can not be described as anything else than #. If I feel angry or very upset over, lets say the situation in Myanmar, I would really like to say "what the # is going on" (like the cremation of people, while they were alive).

It not even close to the vague hint of a bleak surprise that I caught hell over this because you don't get it. Read all my threads and all my posts and tell me that I don't know the difference of proper and bad language. The ban is silly. Freaking out over specific words that accually, literarely just means very normal, natural phenomenons is even sillier.

reply to post by Raud


Ok Raud, I understand where you're coming from now

However...I'm not sure I can agree with you dude...I have gut feeling if we water down this part of the T&C, many of the flamefests that already go on here will be a lot worse, and that can only do the site harm overall...

So I think unless someone can come up with a workable rule set to allow a relaxation of the T&C with regard to profanity (and that doesn't mean "Just because I think so"), it is a lot better to leave things as they are and hold ourselves up to a slightly higher level of language than most of the net...

Peace


EDIT - spelling

[edit on 7-10-2007 by Rilence]

Originally posted by Raud
Yes, I want and I want, and what gives me the right? Well, how about a membership at this forum? A keyboard in front of me? An internet connection free to use?

So, your logic dictates you now have a supreme right over any member of ATS (80,000 of us I think) and the ownership should do what you want?

Dropping "F bombs" achieve nothing. It brings your post down. Wanna show frustration? Explain it and show emotion insteading F'ing all the time.

The ban is silly. Freaking out over specific words that accually, literarely just means very normal, natural phenomenons is even sillier.

No, you are refusing to respect other members who wish not to see that type of language. ATS is a family site. Many forums on the internet have the same policy as here.

When I first joined ATS, 4 years ago, there was limited censorship. Some of the comments were disgusting because members just decided to use swearing as a first option in a thread.

[edit]

There use to be an political section called the mudpit, which had relaxed T&C's. It was scrapped after nothing but insults and offensive language. Countless members were banned.


[edit on 7-10-2007 by infinite]

i am interested to know why they allow minors to join this site? i know it is not a x-ratedsite and nudity is not allowed but minors should not be allowed to co-mingle with adults in an open environment. I shouldn't have to state the obvious that with as many members as ATS has surely there has to be a pervert or two lurking around. And what would it take to keep them out? simple, make it a pay site, even if it is only a couple bucks a month it is not the amount that would keep them out it is the credit card needed to pay with, most 14 yr olds don't have them.

just MVHO

reply to post by Raud


I can understand how you might consider using vulgar terms to strengthen some of the points you would like to make. Believe me, I really do. But then there are over a million words in the English language you can choose from, and it would be better in my opinion to take advantage of that option to "spice" things up.

However, if you feel you absolutely, positively, beyond a shadow of a doubt must swear, may I recommend the following emoticons:



:bash:



Like they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words"

reply to post by Raud


I have read your posts, and found them to be very good. I seriously doubt that you would have improved them with more colorful wording.

I too sometimes have a word *snipped* because the auto censor felt it was vulgar. And I agree that most words are just that, words. But words can wound, and what hurts one person might not hurt another.

Consider the N word. It was used to discribe people of a certain origin, and it's usage by some people led to it being an insult and not tolarated in polite society. True, it is only a word, but it is a word that causes divisions between people. Would you think ATS a better place if it endorsed the usage of the N word?

There must, in all social groups, be some standards, however arbitrary they may seem. That is what a social group does. The ones such as ATS, that try to keep a broadbased appeal, so as to have a larger readership, must try to never offend too great a number of those who come here. So there are censors.

I write to express my ideas to others. We all do. This is an outlet for those things that we feel need to be said.If I were writing for the Boston Globe, I wouldn't have any bigger a reader base. And I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't allow the F word either.

Originally posted by icybreeze
i am interested to know why they allow minors to join this site? i know it is not a x-ratedsite and nudity is not allowed but minors should not be allowed to co-mingle with adults in an open environment. I shouldn't have to state the obvious that with as many members as ATS has surely there has to be a pervert or two lurking around. And what would it take to keep them out? simple, make it a pay site, even if it is only a couple bucks a month it is not the amount that would keep them out it is the credit card needed to pay with, most 14 yr olds don't have them.

Some of the best posts I've seen on ATS come from younger members. We should not exclude their talent. Plus, this site is one of the best moderated on the internet.

Younger members are well looked after on ATS, i.e why offensive words and topics are censored

reply to post by Raud


Raud

Greetings. I disagree with you on the use of profanity, but that is neither here nor there.

Skeptic Overlord takes the time every couple of months or so to explain ATS's reasoning for their ban on profanity. Well written and enlightening; I suggest you dig one up and read it with an eye toward what ATS is trying to be.

reply to post by infinite


Yep, agreed Infinite...I've seen some fantastic posts on here from younger people (under 18) on a whole lot of topics...I think the ideas and views of people younger than the mainstream on this site add certain freshness to ideas, when they're well thought out...

So yea, I wouldn't want that to go away from ATS...

Peace