Coarse Language

[jamesglewisf]

SitePoint is a community of professionals. We would like to have that reflected in the language used in the forums. Please help us eliminate coarse language from the threads. These words might make it past the TV censors, but they do not really add anything to the discussion.

If you are wondering whether or not a certain word should be eliminated, please just don't use it.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Elledan]

Sure, Jim

We won't change SPF into yet another Jerri Springer show

[CJ]

mmm something typical American.. TV censors... I have yet to see a European show where they censor certain words...

Those 'words' are part of life and are used by EVERYONE, not only the less intelligent people.

But ok.. I will be very gentle starting from now

[Nicky]

Originally posted by freesources
mmm something typical American.. TV censors... I have yet to see a European show where they censor certain words...

But ok.. I will be very gentle starting from now

You obviously don't live in the UK, here they even change the names of films if they are deemed "not appropiate".

[jrap]

freesources, agreed

"SitePoint is a community of professionals". No it isn't. It is a community full of people with different levels of webmaster experience, where some could be considered 'professionals'. I hate when a site censors it's community for the sake of professionalism.
Sure, some words definetly should be banned, not don't go overboard. I read a post were someone used the word ****.
http://www.dictionary.com/
3. Worthless nonsense; rubbish.
I see no problem with this word.

I have no interest of sparking a huge debate over this, but I just wanted to say that.

[Edited by jamesglewisf on 11-19-2000 at 08:57 PM]

[BC]

Rob, while I partly agree with the assessment that SitePoint has webmasters of different levels, I should point out that minors do occasionally wander through the forums, so it's in SP's interests to keep the language down to a minimum. There are plenty of ways to vent without swearing.

SitePoint's also a company too. We have a professional image to keep

[Nicky]

I think that starring things out is just as bad as using the real word. I people can make out what you mean from your stars then what is the point?

[jamesglewisf]

Nicky,

I starred it out, not Robp. I thought that would be less offensive than deleting the entire post.

[WebKat]

Professionalism doesn't mean 'suits' have entered the building, but that discretion and respect has.

I also like ~James~ edited a recent posting with the same word, although using the text <edit> when replacing the words used in the message, as I found it inappropriate to the thread.

Granted we have a wide range of opinions regarding this issue & it could be debated forever with no conclusion. But allowing certain words "just because" everyone does it, is a very weak argument to make. We should all reach for good taste while enjoying fun interaction in the forums...and it can be done!

SitePoint is a business, first and last, and as an Advisor I will respect their position as I have in the past, but will also follow my own sense of right & wrong...WebKat

[mad-onion]

Ricuculous nonsense,

NO SWEARING!!! Sorry SitePoint but i think you have made a big booboo.

SitePoint is a community of professionals in that most of us are earning (or striving to earn) money from our internet operations.
Having said that good profesionals have two identities.
They have the polite, kindly spoken individual that attends to clients wishes.
Then they have the other identity. This idendentity is the one that they use when they are doing some serious work. Most of you have probably seen professionals swear to other professionals. I dont know if is speak for everyone on this but i consider SitePoint as kind of like a social club for webmasters. It is a place to let your hair down, bounce ideas off people etc. I must say that is the image SitePoint tries to produce.

I am not for people using serious bad language, but the odd blue word often does not go amiss.

I hope you can understand my post, i was a bit unsure as too the best way to word my opinion.

Thanks

[CJ]

Originally posted by BC
Rob, while I partly agree with the assessment that SitePoint has webmasters of different levels, I should point out that minors do occasionally wander through the forums, so it's in SP's interests to keep the language down to a minimum. There are plenty of ways to vent without swearing.

SitePoint's also a company too. We have a professional image to keep

Ah you put you kiddos guns in their hands to protect theirself and you are afraid because minors come here the bad language should be kept to a minimum? Nonsense... The only people who can educate me are my parents and friends, but certainly not some commercial site...

Much too Christian... And I don't consider <edit> as a bad word.. My 60-year old biology teacher (a she) used <edit> and another dutch swear in today's lesson. And I consider her being very very katholic...

[Edited by jamesglewisf on 11-20-2000 at 06:57 AM]

[jamesglewisf]

As Advisors, we have found vulgar language creeping back into the forums. We have asked for your help because it is more fun to chat with you than to edit your posts.

The Guidelines say:

3. Vulgar language and offending material is not tolerated and you will lose your posting privileges immediately. You will NOT have the ability to refute this.

It is very hard to draw a line about what is appropriate and what is not; that is why we are asking for your help to eliminate the coarse or vulgar language. Then nobody has to worry about where that line is. Using vulgar language in the examples of your posts in this thread is not appropriate either.

Please don't test our resolve to uphold the SitePoint Guidelines. That is our responsibility as Advisors, and it is the least fun part of the job. And it is why I started this thread by asking for your help. I'm asking for cooperation.

[Elledan]

Actually, except for a few threads, I never thought that people were using 'bad' words all the time.

[CJ]

you edit the word 'cr*p' ?!?!?

Who are you? Some kind of pope????? Sorry but this is REALLY stupid, in my opinion... It's not that you are a company you can't be human... Sheeees....

Again sorry it might offend you...

btw: nothing that I have against Wayne, but I've seen SEVERAL posts of him using the word 'cr*p'...

[CJ]

ANd maybe you guys could start with getting those REALLY annoying spelling errors out of your posts...

Posted by jonese in the SitePoint Network forum
Ok there is a lot of talk of people wanting to help out and get involved in SitePoint.

This topic is to start that. This is what we'd like you to do, just copy this next part and fill in the blanks. (If you don't want to share this info here then e-mail it to eric@sitepoint.com /w subject "Project Help Out")

------------cute here-------------

1. Name (last, first)
2. Best E-mail to contact you at
3. Current site's you maintain
4. Years experiance in internet stuff (not just surfing folks)
5. What you are experianced in
6. What you are an "expert in" (loosly used)
7. What you can offer SP
8. What you want to get in return (no money)
9. You're greatest talent in this industry is
10. You're worse talent in this industry is

-----------cute here---------

thanks in advance.

Come on... This was posted by the director of these forums... And you are whining here about us using coarse language here at the forums for professionals??? *sigh*

ps: this is not a personal attack to jonese, I just used this example to make myself clear...

[Lorina]

Refraining from using course language is simply showing respect. In real life, I swear like a sailor, but I'm not going to do that in front of my mother and my fiance's mother, around propective and current clients, and when I'm around those I respect who do not want me to use such language. This forum belongs to sitepoint, and they can make their own rules. I make my own rules for my forum, too, and I have a no swearing rule on my site as well.

Something else you might want to keep in mind is that sitepoint is supported by ad banners. Many advertisers do not want their ads displayed where course language is used.

It seems a pretty even trade-off to me. I'll type "darn" when I want to say something else, and sitepoint will be able to earn money and keep these forums active, which benefits ALL of us.

[James]

I don't think you can make a big deal of a few spelling/grammar mistakes and compare them to 'coarse' language...
I also agree with Lorina...if SP don't want bad language on their forums, then we need to respect that. We don't need bad language to get our points across or ask questions so why is there a problem with banning it?

[CJ]

Originally posted by Lorina
Refraining from using course language is simply showing respect. In real life, I swear like a sailor, but I'm not going to do that in front of my mother and my fiance's mother, around propective and current clients, and when I'm around those I respect who do not want me to use such language. This forum belongs to sitepoint, and they can make their own rules. I make my own rules for my forum, too, and I have a no swearing rule on my site as well.

Something else you might want to keep in mind is that sitepoint is supported by ad banners. Many advertisers do not want their ads displayed where course language is used.

It seems a pretty even trade-off to me. I'll type "darn" when I want to say something else, and sitepoint will be able to earn money and keep these forums active, which benefits ALL of us.

In BigBrother there are nothing else than swears, and almost every advertisers wants to get a spot in the commercial breka so your point is making no sense at all...

[CJ]

And it's not like we are swearing ALL the time...

[av1998]

Personally, I believe that as long as this forum is kept within the PG-13 classification, then we should be fine.

I mean ..... the amount of filthy/coarse words allowed would be reasonable in this classification. At the same time, certain words that the majority of people would consider bad are filtered out. I see that as a mid-point resolution because we sure wouldn't want to go to an R-rating with all the offensive swearing/cursing. Nor do we want to stoop down to a G-rating whereby everybody here are forced to speak in 'Disney' language.

I hope this gives the mods some helpful directions to proceed.

[Lorina]

I'm not talking about TV shows. I'm talking about internet advertising which (unfortunately) does not go by the same rules. I know sitepoint sells their own ad space, but if you look at the requirements for Burst, AdFlight, Advertising.com, etc. it all says the same thing - no vulgar language. The ads on sitepoint aren't the same ads you see on South Park. They're targetting professionals.

When did I get so old? I'm about to quote my eighth grade science teacher. "There's a time and place for everything, and this is not the time nor the place." Swear all you want on your own sites. No one is stopping you.

[CJ]

But why categorise

'cr*p'

as swear?

It's a word like 'stupid', 'dumb' or 'Ameri...oops or 'idiot'

sheees

And our teachers don't mind us using swears... As long as the swears are in the dictionary!!!

[Lorina]

Originally posted by freesources
But why categorise

'cr*p'

as swear?

Personally, I wouldn't. And I think it's a shame that you can't say the nickname for Richard that begins with a D. But they have to do what they think is right for their website. It's nothing to get worked up about.

Besides, I think "poo" is a much funnier word.

[mad-onion]

On your advertising ****...argh **** i just swore...Lorina advertisers wont want to advertise were there is no activity.

I think SitePoint need to realise that they are not the greatest thing since sliced bread. Without us, the users, they would be nothing.
Sure they do all the work, but do you actually think it is an act of goodwill, the truth is they are just trying to make a profit.

And as they seem to think of themselves as professionals, then they would agree that the customer always comes first.

It is similar to imposing a no-somking ban on a shop. You run the risk of loosing customers. Sure you might gain a few that hate smokers, but on the whole you will lose customers.
I think SP are running the risk of falling victim to the same fate.

[Hierophant]

You are right, the customer does come first, but we won't listen to the voices of a few over the many.

The fact of the matter is that this is a professional forum and we strive to attract mature responsible individuals. It is for the exchange of ideas and knowledge, not a virtual hangout.

I don't see certain words as being wrong or their use bad but others do. The line has to be drawn somewhere. In the past we have tried to work with people over the use of vulgar and inappropriate language. In the Future this may not be the case. At ths bottom of this post is a link to a list of words and phrases that are not allowed in these forums. Anyone found using these words or tripping the built-in censor function on a regular basis will be banned, simple as that.

A simple request shouldn't have been turned into a fight or an argument. If you don't like the policies and guidelines, then I request that you go elsewhere to find the knowledge and information you seek.

As of right now this topic is closed to further discussion.

WARNING: The following link is quite offensive
Vulgar Language

[Edited by W. Luke on 11-20-2000 at 09:57 PM]