Swear Filter?

[mickle]

******

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Why leave anything identifiable then? Better to have all unacceptable words replaced identically.

I like your suggestion. It reminds me of those "expletive deleted" reports one reads. It also reminds me of Ernest Hemmingway books where he actually wrote "expletive" instead of shoot* or whatever the context required.

Edit: I didn't really write "shoot".

 

[Yellow Saddle]

******

I agree, **** all of this ****shoot.

 

[Pale Rider]

There is no need for asterisks or substitution.

If you are unable to express yourself without swearing, you should not be using the written word on here or anywhere else.

If you want to report others swearing as part of the narrative, simply writing: 'he swore at me' is sufficient.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

There is no need for asterisks or substitution.

If you are unable to express yourself without swearing, you should not be using the written word on here or anywhere else.

If you want to report others swearing as part of the narrative, simply writing: 'he swore at me' is sufficient.

At first glance, this looks like a solution but it isn't all that clearcut. Swearing is swearing by who's definition?
Is "bloody" a swearword?
It is a rhetoric question but I want to point out that for religions people, bloody refer to Christ's blood, which is apparently a swearword. Therefore, if I'm an atheist and you a Catholic, should I refrain from swearing in your presence? How should I identify Catholics if I don't know them and can't see them?
I can cite many examples but I'm sure you get the point of definition.
Then, sometimes I want to swear, for whatever reason. I want to say the real word, not "shoot."
Further, how do we judge swearing? It is easy to cite extreme contexts where it would be inappropriate but the borders become vague when we resort to everyday conversation.
I'm against censorship and think people should use it as they see fit in the situation.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Orchids (The genus name comes from the Ancient Greekὄρχις (órkhis), literally meaning "testicle", because of the shape of the twin tubers in some species of Orchis.[5][6] The term "orchid" was introduced in 1845 by John Lindley inSchool Botany,[7] as a shortened form of Orchidaceae.[8]) would go perfectly with daffodils.

 

[jefmcg]

I thought it was a contraction of "by our Lady", and thus taking the venerated Virgin Mary's name in vain.

Apparently neither, according to the oxford dictionary

Mid 17th century: from bloody1. The use of bloody to add emphasis to an expression is of uncertain origin, but is thought to have a connection with the ‘bloods’ (aristocratic rowdies) of the late 17th and early 18th centuries; hence the phrase bloody drunk (= as drunk as a blood) meant ‘very drunk indeed’. After the mid 18th century until quite recently bloody used as a swear word was regarded as unprintable, probably from the mistaken belief that it implied a blasphemous reference to the blood of Christ, or that the word was an alteration of ‘by Our Lady’; hence a widespread caution in using the term even in phrases, such as bloody battle, merely referring to bloodshed.

 

[Pale Rider]

At first glance, this looks like a solution but it isn't all that clearcut. Swearing is swearing by who's definition?
Is "bloody" a swearword?
It is a rhetoric question but I want to point out that for religions people, bloody refer to Christ's blood, which is apparently a swearword. Therefore, if I'm an atheist and you a Catholic, should I refrain from swearing in your presence? How should I identify Catholics if I don't know them and can't see them?
I can cite many examples but I'm sure you get the point of definition.
Then, sometimes I want to swear, for whatever reason. I want to say the real word, not "shoot."
Further, how do we judge swearing? It is easy to cite extreme contexts where it would be inappropriate but the borders become vague when we resort to everyday conversation.
I'm against censorship and think people should use it as they see fit in the situation.

If you annoyed me sufficiently, I might give you a bloody nose, so no, bloody is not a swear word.

It is easy enough to avoid the handful of words which can cause genuine offence.

But I suppose that solution is too simple for an internet forum on which everything has to be picked over to the nth degree.

 

[jefmcg]

Could I please suggest 'bollocks' is added in? I suggest 'bollards' as a potential substitute.

Um, why? You are clearly not personally offended by the word, or you wouldn't have typed this. Why would you want the language here further garbled than is necessary?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Apparently neither, according to the oxford dictionary

I stand corrected and bloody educated by all that. Thanks.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

If you annoyed me sufficiently, I might give you a bloody nose, so no, bloody is not a swear word.

It is easy enough to avoid the handful of words which can cause genuine offence.

But I suppose that solution is too simple for an internet forum on which everything has to be picked over to the nth degree.

Bloody hell! It seems is if "taking offence" has become a national sport. Why should I feel offended if someone else swears and it is not intended to disparage me?

 

[jefmcg]

It is easy enough to avoid the handful of words which can cause genuine offence.

Causes whom genuine offence? Who is the arbiter? I know someone who is genuinely offended by "bloody". Lots of Americans think hell is a swear word (I've seen it spelled out as "Aitch eee double hockey sticks").

Or should we just consult Pale Rider, who will let us know what words we shouldn't use.

Personally, I am offended by swear filters. Anyone old enough to read these forums knows all the words anyway, and if you don't like them, you can always "ignore" people that use them. I feel infantilised when a perfectly good, old English word for vagina becomes "daffodil". If the word happens to be used descriptively, it makes the sentence nonsense. And if it was being quoted in abuse, it makes the quote nonsense, and removes the expressive power that was in the original sentence.

That being said, these are not my forums and I don't pay the hosting fees, so if I don't like the swear filter I can take myself elsewhere.

 

[Drago]

Some people must get a real shock when they switch on the telly after 9pm, or listen to a play on Radio 4 with John Hurt at 2pm on a week day afternoon. If I don't like that I can switch it off or change channels.

Similarly, no one forces me to visit this forum, I had to confirm I was older than 14 in order to register, and I can block users who's language offends me.

 

[Pale Rider]

Or should we just consult Pale Rider, who will let us know what words we shouldn't use.

You could, but I can't be bothered to tell you what you already know.

Try asking @Shaun - he runs the place, I don't.

 

[jefmcg]

Here's one: I am deeply offended by the word pikey. It is racist, and I can't believe that it is in common parlance in the UK. It carries the same level of deep hatred as n*gger. OMG. I just tested that with the Preview button. Neither word is censored here. They are both much much worse than bollocks. Or (and I say this as a white, anglo-celtic woman) daffodil.

So, there is no general consensus on what is offensive @Pale Rider, despite what your instinct tells you.