Andywg....what do you propose?
SH
Well, always responding to individual complaints from a minority and then banning what they don't like is not the best way to go. There are people who are offended by everything from black people to swear words to the acceptance of dictators into the UN. One cannot please everyone, and must draw the line somewhere, or else we will have a swear list so large it is visible from space.
1) Let everyone put what they want. The only people to get really upset by swear words are those that are not desensitised to them as youngsters. Indeed, many words would lose their shock value if they were used frequently. What is speech if not the vibrations of thoughts now passed? Has anyone ever stopped to think
why word x or y is so rude, other than them describing actions that society has usually demanded be kept to the bedroom (though the scientific equivalent is fine). Both the F bomb and sexual intercourse describe the same act, why then should one word be so bad other than we are told it is bad?
2) However, many people have problems with the above, so instead of this piecemeal approach currently going on, the mods/admin should have just added words which are now a problem to the swear filter and be done, bringing everyone's attention to it makes people become aware and opinionated.
I would add though, that this board could also do with a bit more understanding about what the members can expect from the moderators when they step out of line. First and foremost must be the mod in question actually linking to the post and informing the member exactly why there is a warning. Threatening posts of bannage are no good. I am sure we all agree that the message below is no good:
A mod who shall remain nameless said:
Hi andywg,
I am giving you an official warning about by-passing the swear filter on the forum. If you value your membership, you will not continue to break our rules.
As many would do, I responded by asking exactly what I had done wrong, and received this:
A mod who shall remain nameless said:
Hi andywg,
If you follow the General Rules, all will be well.
Below the above text I was sent a copy of the general rules (available from under the forum title banner). Still no actual explanation of what I have done wrong. I asked for a response, but none has come after nigh on a week now.
We need clear leadership from the mods on things like swearing, don't open it up to debate, just do it and be clear about it - OR - make it more democratic and find out what the majority of the more active members want from the board and go from there. One cannot plough an easy path in the middle as seems to have been tried here.
Also, we need explanations from mods, or at least clarity in actions. If someone does something wrong, tell them what it is, don't give cryptic clues or general "obey the rules" posts. Too often people unfairly accuse the mods of shortcomings, but I do not feel I am anywhere near out of line asking for an explanation of what I did that was wrong.
Poor old S c u n t h o r p e . Banned from the board
