Automatic Word Substitution / Censor Function

[chanchao]

Someone wrote the following in the Chiang Mai section that I help moderate:

I know from experience that some missionaries do a very good job. In comparison to many other development workers, missionaries stay longer, take their time to learn the language and also stay closer to the people they are trying to help (I suppose if you actually believe that people who don't believe in God will go to ###### when they die, you will feel compelled to "help them see the light"....

The board's automatic profanity checker censored this word (H€ll) automatically, even though it's use here was really not a profane expletive. I think it shows that an automated function cannot properly evaluate which is profane and should be stricken, and which is legitimate use of a word. Unless of course we are so ultra religious that any use of the word should be avoided at all times? (I think there are religious groups like that?)

I think it's better to limit the list to the more obvious 'dirty words' that can absolutely never be used in regular language to make a legitimate point. Also there are perhaps other words and abbreviations that SHOULD be in the list but are not.

Also more experienced board members would know which words are in the dictionary and just go around them by substituting other characters. I guess what I'm saying is that the function just doesn't work, and it would be better to leave it up to members themselves as well as moderators to make sure that no real profanity is used.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[tuky]

I agree with chanchao.

Sorry to bring this back up again but here is a

Perfect Example

It is rather silly really to be bringing this subject up, but even though many of us use certain words in our everyday living, There are probably a few os us who do not need to be reading them too in an information/community forum. I am not a prude or anything but it would be nice to keep the board clean.

Having no profanity checker would make all our lives harder as Moderators and Admin, but what is the point of even having one if the above example is indicitive of how it works?

Food for Thought!

[Jeepz]

Heh, my favorite is p00f (okay, I had to use zero's for the o's) because if I typed it out normally it would display as: homosexual

Now I realize that it's a big world out there. P00f in Aussie talk is a gay sorta individual, but it is used in the States as a indicator for something occurring instantaneously. "With a p00f the magician disappeared, leaving whisps of magenta smoke and a faint odor of french potpourri." Or maybe "Having terrorized the noobies with threats of imminent disconnection, the l33t haxordude left the chatroom with a hexadecimal p00f."

Jeepz

[george]

We use the standard profanity filter that came with this software to block words out that could penalize the sites ranking in the search engines. It's called theming and is very important for search engine ranking.

Currently its only about 10-15 words blocked if I remember correct.

If you have suggestions of words to be added to the list, just send and email to admin(at)thaivisa.com

Thanks for keeping this place clean!

[Jeepz]

"Every New Registration Gets a Can of Sanitizer, Now With Scrubbing Bubbles!"?

Okay, I can understand thinning down words that might get you ranked lower in the search engines. But really, are they dropping your ranking because someone occasionally types d-a-m-n? I would find that hard to believe. Oh, now if it was a Christian Search Engine, or Retired English Teachers Search Engine, maybe. But Google and DMOZ are adding penalty points for expletives?

I have noticed that I am seeing the occasional "sexual conjugation" word show up by some users without being snuck in by misspelling it. What's with that? Censor on break? Not a biggie in my book, it is your website of course. You can ban multiple periods ... if you like, some places do. I don't really give a tinker's uhmm ... never mind.

Jeepz

[TizMe]

You can ban multiple periods ... if you like, some places do.

I have allready banned my GF from this practice.

She is only ever allowed one period per month.

[PlanetMan]

You can ban multiple periods ... if you like, some places do.

I have allready banned my GF from this practice.

She is only ever allowed one period per month.

and absolutely no less!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You can ban multiple periods ... if you like, some places do.

I have allready banned my GF from this practice.

She is only ever allowed one period per month.

You are a toughie Tiz.

[Pink Mist]

You can ban multiple periods ... if you like, some places do.

I have allready banned my GF from this practice.

She is only ever allowed one period per month.

What about one every 9 months Tiz?

[aaaaaa]

I agree with chanchao.

me too!

once in this automatice censor has changed the very innocent word - country (or countries) in one of my posts...