Big Brother (UK): Forum Guidelines [UPDATED 29/7; Censor Bypassing-Please Read & Acknowledge]

Since I'm editing alot of posts day by day on members swearing, I've copied this from Gislef's blog in regards to censoring and why I've moderated some posts;

The bold bits are espiacially relevant to this board.

gislef wrote:

The first thing to understand is that some "naughty" words are allowed. On any given day we get users reported for using words that in fact aren't censor bypassing. Hell, damn, crap, and ass are all permitted words. We don't recommend people use them, and if they use them in another context (like flaming) then that's still a TOS violation. But in and of themselves using them is not a Censor Bypassing violation and we don't moderate their use.

So if someone typed the word exactly how it is spelled, and the system lets it through so you can see it... it's an acceptable word.

Oddly, some people will try to censor bypass acceptable words, even though they don't need to. We don't moderate people for doing that, either.

If you're not sure if a word is permitted, create a post with the word(s), check Preview, and see if the system automatically censors it. If it doesn't, then the word is permitted. Then just cancel out rather than post your test message.

As moderators there's nothing we can do about the "system hack" naughty words like "c1ass." However, we won't moderate you for bypassing around those words.

Censor bypassing to quote from shows is allowed, as long as it's suitable in context. Discussing what Tony Soprano said last week in syndication and providing a quote to illustrate is fine. Posting something like You know what Tony Soprano would say about a jerk like you: [Quote here]." is not. Common sense prevails.

Yes, the TV.com filter has some... odd ideas about what words should be censored. Although we have no control over what is censored, we try to keep that in mind. Again, if the word is suitable in context when discussing TV, we won't moderate.

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Those are the things you can do. What is it you can't do?

Censor bypassing on blogs isn't allowed. That's gone back and forth a bit, but currently we're consistent with Gamespot's policy. Typically we'll give you a warning to remove, rather than delete the blog.

Use of abbreviations to get around the filter isn't allowed.

Using a hack to get around the filter isn't allowed.

Even one censor bypass will get your entire post deleted. We don't want to get into the habit of going into people's posts and editing stuff. Most folks don't want us editing their posts.

We'll go by the most common and most common sense interpretation of a censor bypass. You'd be surprised at the # of people who say, "Well, that * is an 'o' and I really meant 'Who gives a shot?'" Uh, right... If you had typed "shot" in the first place, the censor bypass wouldn't have kicked in and you wouldn't have tried to find a way around it.

If you can't get out of the habit of typing "naughty words," or you're not sure of the best way to make them unrecognizable within the permitted rules, your best bet is simply type them like you would normally and let the system automatically make them unrecognizable. believe it or not, most people are smart enough to figure out what you meant from context.

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Why is censor bypassing a TOS violation? Several reasons. We have users of all age groups, with access to all shows. Believe it or not, some parents don't want their kids hearing "naughty words." It may be a minority view, but it's one that CNET respects.

"Naughty words" drag down the discourse. You swear, other people swear back. Some people end up swearing more than actually saying anything meaningful. Believe it or not, you can make yourself understood without "naughty words."

Using "naughty words" doesn't make you a grown up. The fact that most of the people on here who use them are junior and senior high schoolers rather than adults should tell you something.

It's understandable that someone might blurt out something naughty in a conversation. It's not understandable that you uncontrollably typed a censor bypass. Why? Because the system won't let you. If you accidentally type a "naughty word" in the heat of the moment, the system will make it unreadable automatically. You have to deliberately go back and make it a little less unreadable.

Big Brother (UK) Forums

Forum Guidelines [UPDATED 29/7; Censor Bypassing-Please Read & Acknowledge]

Tom_Southwell

Tom_Southwell

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