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- This topic has 20 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 11 months ago by Doris Kenney.
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May 9, 2008 at 6:37 pm #28764Jeff HesterKeymaster
I just wanted to raise the question about the use of off-color language, humor, etc.
Sarah sent me a couple funny pictures (including the “how about a nice cup of…”) and asked if it was ok to post. I’m personally not bothered by it, but I know that some may be. And I know that in the past, we’d probably have moderated that.
Most sites today are pretty liberal about their use of language, as long as it’s not inflammatory, etc., and I’m ok with that.
But I thought I’d raise the issue and see what the rest of the staff thought about it. In the past, we had one staff member quit over the use of the word “pissed” so I suppose “shut the **** up” would be considered even worse.
Should we relax the language issues or not? All suggestions, ideas and comments are welcome.
May 9, 2008 at 7:50 pm #169190sarahtownyMemberAs I posted it, I did not see any harm, it was what I called a punch joke. If someone posts every other word with f this and f that, then yes it’s not right.
Gosh I feel I have opened the doors of naughtiness now but I did think we have been a bit prudish in the past, and I know the person you were referring to, it was a one any one time anyone has said anything. And sorry in this day and age anyone getting upset with the word pissed needs to take a chill pill!
Can I also mention we have also been informed we are too strict, or rather to a post that we were very politically correct, in the past remember Jeff?
Anyway, as I say there is a time and place, but no I do not want the word f used too much but then I have never needed a chill pill :0)
If you want me to delete I have not problems.
May 9, 2008 at 7:57 pm #169187Jeff HesterKeymasterI don’t want you to delete it, I’m only raising the question to see what the rest think. Please don’t take offense. I told you it was ok to post and think it’s ok for us to relax a bit about the language rules.
May 9, 2008 at 8:10 pm #169195imported_Ven0mMemberBlah, I wanna see this. 😉
May 9, 2008 at 9:53 pm #169205Doris KenneyParticipantI’m well aware of the person who quit over “pissed” too. Knowing the person quite well, as I do, I can say the person’s reaction is not out of character given this person’s moral sensibilites are higher than average and are much more readily pointed out when they are breached. (There how’s that for politically correct and diplomatic??)
One must assume that from time to time there will be things stumbled upon (regardless of the site) which one may not find palatable. It is inherent to web surfing that you will find things which are sometimes distasteful to you. Any user has a choice to visit any site – or not. No website can be all to everyone.
I don’t offend easily, but I do think there is a fine line to be walked. Profanity is almost as common as LOL these days. Most people don’t take offense to it (after all it’s all over the movies and television.) However, it needs to be in the appropriate forum, where people are aware it is allowed and won’t be heavily moderated. I for one don’t feel it’s acceptable in posts where users are requesting assistance, or when we give advice. That said, when it comes to bashing repeatedly over and over, be it women, men, race or nationality, and jokes of a sexual nature, I think we need to make sure they are lighthearted and in good fun and be a bit more discerning of them. If it’s just plain vulgar it needs to be removed quickly.
Unless we’re going to restrict the ages on certain forums, we don’t want younger people seeing anything a parent might take offense to. Then we have an angry parent who may bad mouth us and a user who will likely not be allowed to come back. It might be “suggested” in the guidelines that posts containing profanity or anything explicit be noted as such in the title. This transfers the responsibility to the individual user to determine if they want to read on. I for one will definitely read on if I see (profanity) or (explicit) after a title ROFL! (Hmmm…guess that’s why I spent hours cleaning up my son’s desktop last night, maybe at 13 he reads on too!) I’m all for loosening the strings a little. After all, we DO want our members to enjoy visiting here and if they feel we are too strict then an assessment of the situation is definitely called for.
What I’d be most concerned about is while we want people to enjoy the “lighter side” of BBB, we don’t want to become just another trash site either. Not having done a lot of moderation on posts, is there a way if a staff member feels something is borderline they can temporarily suspend the post and then get additional opinions and repost if it’s deemed ok? Or is it an all or nothing kinda thing? Just curious what the options are beyond just deleting something after who knows how many people have read it….
May 9, 2008 at 10:28 pm #169188Jeff HesterKeymasterCurrently if you delete a post, it can be “undeleted” after discussion. And it’s still available for staff to see.
I’m not suggesting we let it devolve into something trashy, either. Just wondering if loosening up would be nice (or not).
May 9, 2008 at 10:46 pm #169206Doris KenneyParticipantI do think loosening up would be nice – just need to establish the loosening guidelines LOL.
And you can always change them back if people seem not to like it. That’s the great thing about change – you can always try something else if it doesn’t work out how you expected.
May 10, 2008 at 12:58 am #169203PhilipModeratorThis is a tough one. And to some people (for example EK) it CAN be extremely sensitive. Granted, we don’t want to be so strict that we’d put a lot of members off, however, we don’t want to loosen the reins so much so that it’s raining profanity here in BBB.
Call me a prude or a faggot, but what I’m a little worried about is that if we loosen the use of the f-word (or profanity) in our posts, there will be members who’d take advantage of this (I can just see it coming). And where would it end? If I were to post a joke or picture featuring sexually explicit language, it is surely going to offend someone. They might get turned off, stop visiting our site, and tell others about it.
I agree with Doris. I watch R-rated movies, I sometimes cuss out aloud (especially while I’m driving-however, I don’t do it when my son is in the car), and heck, girlie pictures don’t even make me flinch.
But we have to remember that BBB is after all, an IM site. If I were a first-time visitor I wouldn’t like to see f-words or profanity being hurled willy-nilly around the posts.
Bottom line: we need to be very careful about where we’re going with this.
May 10, 2008 at 1:00 am #169199PolarBearNPRParticipantMeh – now that my kid is older, I don’t really care. When my 12-year-old was reading and posting like a wild person here (of course you all thought he was 14 then) I would have come unglued. That word is nasty. It isn’t naughty. It’s an ugly, ugly word, but I do say it so . . . I guess we just have to figure out who our customers are. We don’t seem to have the pre-teen crowd we used to, and even those youngsters have grown up if they’re even around much anymore. So . . . Jeff, this is your site. Ultimately it is you who are represented here and I have no issues with that. I do know that many people are offended by harsh language (even “pissed”) but can also see the humor. In school, a kid would get a detention for using that word, for example. Doris does have lots of good observations, but the decision rests with you darlin.
May 10, 2008 at 1:46 am #169193NessaParticipantHeh, I remember when that happened….. at first I thought it was the other p word with 2 s 😮 but come to find it’s only the word pissed. I for one wouldn’t mind loosening up the site a little as long as we don’t go crazy on it. I think there is a boundary between being funny and using words properly from using those kinds of words just for the hell of it. We can’t ever go too excessive and yes we can never please everyone.
Plus we can always change back to the old rules if this doesn’t work out! Thank goodness things are deletable and editable. 🙂
May 10, 2008 at 2:22 am #169204PhilipModeratorOoh, this topic is begging for a poll, so here it is.
May 10, 2008 at 3:03 am #169194MrOatsMemberI voted: “Yes, but keep an eye on things”.
I think it is all a matter of how said member uses the profanity.
Light and just-for-fun use of it [should be] alright…but we got to check in and make sure members aren’t going hog-wild with this is all.I agree with Nessa. Lets try it out…And if we don’t like it, we can always go back to our old ways. 😉
May 10, 2008 at 2:39 pm #169200PolarBearNPRParticipantExactly, Andrew! It’s how the word is used. I still think in polite, professional society those “seven words” that George Carlin made famous are no-nos, but the piece that Sarah posted is funny – really. It’s when folks use it gratuitously or just throw it around willy nilly that there is a problem. And of course, when people use it angrily – that’s not gonna be tolerated. Just as any sentiment wouldn’t be regardless of if profanities are used or not.
So – this really comes down to – as with ALL posts, Yea – it’s fine, but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and we all know what that line is. I think the best measure here is to think, “What would Mom think of this?” And there you have your answer.
Good topic for discussion here! It’s one that society is struggling with now as well. In the schools we don’t accept any of those words from kids, but come down even harder on them when they are used in a hurting manner.
May 10, 2008 at 2:41 pm #169196imported_Ven0mMember@PolarBearNPR 229585 wrote:
those “seven words” that George Carlin made famous are no-nos
As George says, it’s all bulls**t, and it’s bad for you. 🙂
May 10, 2008 at 3:25 pm #169191sarahtownyMemberhehe I still do feel like the naughty kid, ready to be sent to detention! :0)
I voted Yes, but keep an eye on things, I also agree with Heather, there is a time and place and as I said initially, if the word was used in a normal conversation then it should be amended.
Well at least I got you all having a good ole banter! Going out now top day in England been sunbathing all afternoon with a good book, now going to a lovely place for dinner with my hubby. See you all tomorrow, and whilst I am gone no swearing haha
S :0)
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