I nixed the swear filter

While I definitely think that both of those words should be restricted from using, I am not sure that the word filter is the way to do it. Lets put it this way. Lets say we have the kind of person on here who would use those words. The filter covers it up-- are they really just going to put up with it, or are they going to find another way to be racial/bigoted? Furthermore, do we even want that kind of person on here? (With a word filter, people who are bigoted like that will go undetected-- you won't realize they are using those terms because they will be getting filtered. And as they invest more time and interest in your site, it will get more and more poisoned by their presence.)

So, in short, I think those words should definitely be outlawed on your message board, and maybe that should be spelt out somewhere. But I think that if people are going to use those words, we are going to want to KNOW they are using those words so we can ban them. Again, just my take.

I personally think it's silly to have, since as you've demonstrated, there are obvious workarounds. I think on a forum such as this, which encourages debates and freedom of expression, having word filters on only makes using appropriate expressions more difficult to use. Case in point: on one particular thread, a discussion regarding the Westborough Baptist Church and their funeral picketing practices came into light. Now, for people who don't know, they actually do carry signage slandering homosexuals. In discussing this, people either had to use a workaround "f-a-g-s", or allow the word filter to water down the subject matter, in my opinion giving the argument less punch. In addition, pics were posted that actually had the uncensored verbiage in plain view, making the word filter ineffective.

It really boils down to personal responsibility and respect for one another. If someone comes on here and starts spouting slurs and epithets, not only will they not last long, but the situation will be handled on a person-to-person basis.

I personally am against PC-ism and all it's trappings, which is just another way to prevent being personally offended by neutering another person's freedom of speech pro-actively. What people should be working on is making people accountable for what they say, and teaching them to be more sensitive to others. I know *tons* of terrible words, but in a mature, adult discussion, refrain from using them, because I know using nasty words is the absolute best way to steal credence from one's own argument. At the same time, I understand that in talking about adult subjects, talking like a baby for fear of offending one group or another out of context is a waste of time and effort.

I know there are those that disagree with me, so allow me to exemplify.

I'm quite certain that right now, there is no language filter in place for the word "cracker." Now cracker is a popularly used racial slur against white people used by other races and if someone came in this forum and started throwing that term around, I would be offended, but I would not be protected under the language filter from getting my feelings hurt. I would have to deal. So right away, we have a double standard that is not easily fixable without starting down a slippery slope. In addition, people are perfectly capable of hurting other's feelings without using the so-called "hot-words" by calling someone an idiot, a dummy, moron, retard, stupid, saying they never should have been born, hoping they walk in front of a bus (which is not a direct written threat, only an expressed wish), calling someone a failed abortion, etc....So it is plainly clear that if you are filtering words to keep someone's feelings from being hurt, you have a ton of highly ambiguous words to consider filtering in the interest of "total coverage."

So, long story short, if you are really interested in treating your forum members like adults and expect them to act as such, a language filter is counterproductive. You are effectively saying "I don't trust you enough to act responsibly so I'm going to babysit you."

Just my opinion.

I think it's funny to set the swear filter to something like for the word f@ggot. But then we ourselves have to step around the filter, so I guess I could go either way.

Ess said everything I was thinking. But I must ask, why did you have "cocksucker" convert to "a very happy person"? That doesn't reflect plenty of people.

Did you notice when AH (asshat) said ni**er it changed it to [Black Power!] ? I can't wait for him to say faggot. He can't edit any of his posts, either.

Wow, shut down. Shut down with arrogance, but still, shut down. He was owned by the admin, multiple times.

I'm not normally that big of a d*ck, but he posted something really nasty about a friend of mine on his forum. It ticked me off so much that for a while there I considered taking very drastic actions. But then he mysteriously retracted it (still not sure why) so I lightened up a little--believe it or not.