Profanity/Vulgarity/Word Filter/Circumvention Guideline

[Blue Devil Legend]

This particular guideline has been in-place since I joined in May '03, and while this is not the "Official Announcement", this will clarify what the guideline does equate to.

You may not use profanity. We encourage you to use our community as a forum to debate topics, but please use proper vocabulary to express yourself. We have word filters in place for the most vulgar terms. Circumventing those word filters is considered a violation of these guidelines and the offending terms will be removed.

The misconception is............."well, I can use vulgarity as long as the word filter is in place".

That's a huge misconception. It's like saying..........."well, I can drive over the speed limit, as long as the police don't see me."

Both instances are violations.

Fact of the matter is.............

Some members of the community have been asked by the staff to refrain from using vulgarity. Some laughed it off. Some continued to "push the envelope".

I have members contacting me asking, "Why didn't so and so get suspended for using profanity?", and when someone does, I have members asking "why did so and so get suspended for using profanity?, it was word filtered."

"Well your honor, I was speeding because I was late to work, so it's ok?"

"Well, I was calling him/her an ########, but it was word filtered, so it's ok?"

Would you all feel better if we only reprimanded repeat offenders? WAIT!...........that's inconsistent.

Lastly, the FST only follows what they've been asked to do, by me..........so it would be appreciated if you could direct your anger, questions, concerns, and whatever to me. The FST does a tremendous job for you, the member. They don't deserve the abuse they get.

We could go on forever, but it would prove to be redundant.

And yes.........comment away.

[bawker]

See the post in Stef's thread.

I understand your rationale, but:

1) What brought this to a head?

2) If we depend on members (CE especially) to be "self-policing", why can't the profanity filters do the same "self policing"?

#### can mean a variety of four letter words...I'd say this place is at least equivalent to a "PG-13" rating system in its setup...why, if preset barriers are in place...should we change this instance of "cursing" to a "G" rating?

Realistically, if you're going to do that...you need to start curbing the sexual and drug use innuendo here, along with any other "negative" behaviors. If you don't apply those same guidelines to other areas...yes, you're going to be considered "inconsistent".

Finally, there seems to be a feeling here with this post...one that the FSTM's are being picked on by the community. How so? Have their been discussions concerning this within the FSTM?

I don't want to see folks "leave" or "drama" take place about this, but these issues are of paramount importance with the guidelines as they stand now.

[Blue Devil Legend]

See the post in Stef's thread.

I understand your rationale, but:

1) What brought this to a head?

2) If we depend on members (CE especially) to be "self-policing", why can't the profanity filters do the same "self policing"?

#### can mean a variety of four letter words...I'd say this place is at least equivalent to a "PG-13" rating system in its setup...why, if preset barriers are in place...should we change this instance of "cursing" to a "G" rating?

Realistically, if you're going to do that...you need to start curbing the sexual and drug use innuendo here, along with any other "negative" behaviors. If you don't apply those same guidelines to other areas...yes, you're going to be considered "inconsistent".

Finally, there seems to be a feeling here with this post...one that the FSTM's are being picked on by the community. How so? Have their been discussions concerning this within the FSTM?

I don't want to see folks "leave" or "drama" take place about this, but these issues are of paramount importance with the guidelines as they stand now.

1. That will be covered in our announcement, look for it tomorrow, or Friday at the latest.

2. Please explain how that relates to using wordage that is prohibited by rule. Legally, when a show/movie is given a "PG" rating, it guarantees that certain "R" rated material won't rear it's head. Conversely, a "PG" rating here, doesn't guarantee that someone with a keyboard at their fingers won't use "R" rated material.

Come on now, you haven't seen negativity towards the staff in your time here? I find that hard to believe. I noticed some comments in the OT Forums regarding this.

That said, NO ONE want to see members leave. Which guideline(s) are in question. I'll be happy to clarify any that you mention.

Currently, the Word Filter issue is being targeted.

[bawker]

1. That will be covered in our announcement, look for it tomorrow, or Friday at the latest.

2. Please explain how that relates to using wordage that is prohibited by rule.

Come on now, you haven't seen negativity towards the staff in your time here? I find that hard to believe.

That said, NO ONE want to see members leave. That said, which guideline(s) are in question. I'll be happy to clarify any that you mention.

1. Cool. :)

2. Consistency (IMO) is more than a guideline...its about creating a mindset in the user here that lets them say "This is a community I enjoy spending time at" rather than somewhere that comes off as semi-Draconian in its execution. Not to say that's wht you're doing, but it's going to feel that way to some down the road.

For the most part, most DCP posters probably won't feel it...but what if someone reacts to a family crisis, a problem at work, and so on in a certain way. We bill each other as being family here, so sometimes emotions will run high.

Should we really ban someone lamenting a lost relative, a frustrating day on the job, or for joking with a fellow poster in a knowing way?

If we go down this path of banning people as soon as a ### appears, or an implied word appears, it skews inconsistent with the sexuality present in the "Club DCP" thread, "Man" and "Woman" thread and elsewhere. Not only that, but DCP proper has implied sexual and drug usage threads there as well...a more causal poster (say under 50-100 posts, someone who really doesn't have a stake here, or for the guidelines in general) that gets banned for an off-the-cuff #### is not going to be pleased with it, and DCP gets one more disgruntled person.

It will become a case of "poster x gets banned for just ####, but why isn't poster y banned for making a comment about my breasts/##### size/sexual prowess/fill in the blank."

Of course I see that some people have issues with the moderators here, and there is negativity in some places. Part of that may come from their behavior, part from the regular posters...but do we really know where the community stands with itself on this?

Have we ever asked DCP posters how they feel about the moderators we have?

I realize that there's an open door policy with the Customer Service forum, but maybe forcing the issue into some sort of thread like this is good to do once in a while.

If people air their greviances with the FSTM, things may get a lttle uncomfortable...but if that's part of the larger issue here, I think we should encourage people to do so.

I dunno...I just post here. :P

[Blue Devil Legend]

1. Cool. :)

2. Consistency (IMO) is more than a guideline...its about creating a mindset in the user here that lets them say "This is a community I enjoy spending time at" rather than somewhere that comes off as semi-Draconian in its execution. Not to say that's wht you're doing, but it's going to feel that way to some down the road.

For the most part, most DCP posters probably won't feel it...but what if someone reacts to a family crisis, a problem at work, and so on in a certain way. We bill each other as being family here, so sometimes emotions will run high.

Should we really ban someone lamenting a lost relative, a frustrating day on the job, or for joking with a fellow poster in a knowing way?

If we go down this path of banning people as soon as a ### appears, or an implied word appears, it skews inconsistent with the sexuality present in the "Club DCP" thread, "Man" and "Woman" thread and elsewhere. Not only that, but DCP proper has implied sexual and drug usage threads there as well...a more causal poster (say under 50-100 posts, someone who really doesn't have a stake here, or for the guidelines in general) that gets banned for an off-the-cuff #### is not going to be pleased with it, and DCP gets one more disgruntled person.

It will become a case of "poster x gets banned for just ####, but why isn't poster y banned for making a comment about my breasts/##### size/sexual prowess/fill in the blank."

Of course I see that some people have issues with the moderators here, and there is negativity in some places. Part of that may come from their behavior, part from the regular posters...but do we really know where the community stands with itself on this?

Have we ever asked DCP posters how they feel about the moderators we have?

I realize that there's an open door policy with the Customer Service forum, but maybe forcing the issue into some sort of thread like this is good to do once in a while.

If people air their greviances with the FSTM, things may get a lttle uncomfortable...but if that's part of the larger issue here, I think we should encourage people to do so.

I dunno...I just post here. :P

Let me say this, about that. PLEASE, and I repeat........ PLEASE keep in mind that alot of the current guidelines were in-place when I took this position, it's been a work-in-progress situation trying to build "consistency" amongst the membership. Unfortunately, there are ALOT of issues that are dealt with daily, so it takes time to morph "what was", into "what is". Most coaches get a "5 year plan" to turn things around, I've only had 16 months so far. :P

One day, in the near future, we may all get what we all want, a home that we feel we can relax at, and enjoy each others company, but until then, it's going to take effort from ALL of us to make it come to fruition. Staff, Members, Lurkers, etc are all accountable in this process.

[bawker]

Can you give us a sense of what the long term goals are for the DCP community...is there indeed a "plan" in place, new areas to open up, and so on?

Having a "roadmap" now might get more people on board with this...(although I am speaking presumptuously here, but I think we can figure there's going to be be some disagreement :P ).

I'm not trying to be a pain here, but as just a "regular poster", I guess I'm just trying to give you what may be the "everyman" reaction to some of this.

Okay, all done. :)

Edited February 1, 2007 by bawker

[Blue Devil Legend]

Can you give us a sense of what the long term goals are for the DCP community...is there indeed a "plan" in place, new areas to open up, and so on?

Having a "roadmap" now might get more people on board with this...(although I am speaking presumptuously here, but I think we can figure there's going to be be some disagreement :P ).

I'm not trying to be a pain here, but as just a "regular poster", I guess I'm just trying to give you what may be the "everyman" reaction to some of this.

Okay, all done. :)

Let me make this clear..........discussion is a good thing, even though sometimes it can be VERY frustrating.

Trust me when I say, there has been a "plan in place" since John Donovan bought DCP. John and I have the same "visions" for what we would like to accomplish regarding the DCP Community in-whole. The membership has seen much change since Feb '06, and there is ALOT more-to-come.

In my position, building a cohesive community is at the forefront, but as I've said, it takes time.

[MikeM]

Consistency is a joke around here.

You say you're enforcing the guidelines by this (stupid) enforcement of cursing, which is all ready filtered out.

Yet, real violations, personal attacks, et. al, go unpunished, except for those for whom you have a personal agenda against.

Pretty sad, if you ask me.

You tie the hands of the FST's, telling them they can ONLY do what they tell you, instead of allowing them to be people, to use their best judgment when it comes to a violation.

Your job as Community Administrator, IMO, sucks. But you're the boss.

So, why don't you enforce the rules evenly, instead of either picking on those you don't like or going after the petty little stuff, like you usually do?

Oh, this self-policing of CE? That's a joke.

Have a nice day.

[Krista]

Mike, the notion that we pick and choose who gets punished offends me.

I've recommended people I consider friends as well as people I don't know for suspension of violations, and I play no favorites when it comes to that. I'm also confident in saying that neither do the other moderators.

A violations is a violation, no matter whom it comes from.

[MikeM]

My comments aren't directed at the FST's.

They're directed directly and squarely at 1 person.

See your PMs.