Computer Hope

Ok, so I was cursing more than I should have, I suppose, said sh** a few times and then it kicked me out after 3 times. It was showing up censored so I didn't understand why the fuss anyway, but I was told I would be banned if I messed up again so I was super careful with not saying anything more. Didn't realize "*censored*" became profanity so then I got banned and I was in the middle of solving something, too. Is there any way I can get back on or does my "*censored*" give me a 2 week+ ban now?

Quote from: yahoowizard on November 15, 2014, 04:37:42 PMDidn't realize "*censored*" became profanity

What do you think those letters stand for? Basically, the chat does not need idiots. That's the real reason you were kicked.

I'm sure you can get away with saying that in elementary school, it's not even close to profanity. Yeah if you sit there and think about it, it could be profane, but I've been on a lot of places with profanity filters and that's the first I've seen that word be censored. I'm also not sure why you're connecting that with just saying "chat does not need idiots." Saying sh** isn't considered profanity on this forum, but just saying f is profanity, I mean, I just don't get it.

But all in all, I understand it's your community and your rules and you can add the word "pumpkin" to your profanity filter if you wished to and ban anyone who used it, and it's completely in your rights, I'm just trying to make sense of what their purpose is, especially when the word gets censored anyway. I understand I'm not getting unbanned and I don't think I'm too concerned now anyway, but just trying to get some reasoning here other than "the chat does not need idiots."

Quote from: yahoowizard on November 16, 2014, 12:55:00 AM
I'm sure you can get away with saying that in elementary school, it's not even close to profanity.

The acronym "*censored*" expands to include profanity. I would be troubled if I heard it from anyone in real life primarily because people tend not to use unnecessary acronyms while speaking; it is "chatspeak" for people who can't be bothered to learn to type at a reasonable speed (and, more generally, things with crappy typing ability such as smartphones).

QuoteYeah if you sit there and think about it, it could be profane but I've been on a lot of places with profanity filters and that's the first I've seen that word be censored.

"*censored*" is three words, really. And your experience elsewhere on the internet is irrelevant anyway.

QuoteI'm also not sure why you're connecting that with just saying "chat does not need idiots." Saying sh** isn't considered profanity on this forum, but just saying f is profanity, I mean, I just don't get it.

The chat and the forum are different and the rulesets are also different. That is why some words are not censored on the forum but might be detected as curse words elsewhere. (And the forum's "censoring" can be disabled, as I have mine) Hopebot's filter is fairly conservative IMO but that is neither here nor there.

QuoteI understand it's your community and your rules and you can add the word "pumpkin" to your profanity filter if you wished to and ban anyone who used it, and it's completely in your rights, I'm just trying to make sense of what their purpose is, especially when the word gets censored anyway.

Most channel bots (including hopebot) will detect "*CENSORED* as profanity. on the mibbit network channels can opt in to use Mibbit's built in profanity filters. If so, than any message sent to the channel will be "filtered" before being broadcast to other users in the channel, replacied with "*CENSORED*" so hopebot and other channel bots pick up on that and flag it as profanity to issue warnings.

As for why that (as well as the added word flags in Hopebot) take place it is for several reasons:

1. It's difficult to help people with poor language skills. Example:

Quote
<User> I can't *CENSORED* get this stupid piece of *CENSORED* to *CENSORED* *CENSORED* HP *CENSORED* laptop *CENSORED* Homework *CENSORED* CENSORED* Windows!

Is a bit trickier to help than

Quote
<User>Hello, I can't seem to get my laptop to work, It's an HP running Windows, and I really need it for homework!

Obviously the first is a exaggeration but the fact remains that where people use profanity can be replaced by actual relevant information. Helpers in chat really aren't interested in your ability to illustrate colorful metaphors comparing your hardware to bowel movements or the demonstration of carnal knowledge, they would typically be more interested in actually getting information that can help. Arguably, the same is true in the forum. Additionally, it's usually easier to deal with individuals who don't appear to need to be calmed down.
[/quote]

2. The site and chat are for all ages.

3. The site and chat are run fairly conservatively. This is probably the biggest reason and it is of course the perogative of  the admin to decide these things, and is likely why Hopebot considers a lot of words not covered by mibbit's profanity filter as profanity as well. It doesn't help that mibbit's filter excludes arbitrary words either, as you've learned with the mysterious *censored* appearance. That cannot be changed though since it's dealt with by mibbit.

Quote<User> I can't *CENSORED* get this stupid piece of *CENSORED* to *CENSORED* *CENSORED* HP *CENSORED* laptop *CENSORED* Homework *CENSORED* CENSORED* Windows!

Looking at this is hard on the eyes. It would be best for people to avoid profanity, but curious as to if the hopebot could place ... in place of *CENSORED* so that something so filled with profanity would actually be easier on the eyes to read as

<User> I can't ... get this stupid piece of ... to ... ... HP ... laptop ... Homework ... ... Windows!

Obviously it is still a good idea to keep idiots away who cant communicate without profanity.

I think the only other problem we face other than profanity is those who play games with help such as, if I request additional info and its almost like the person is avoiding getting to the point intentionally, I will not assist further because the game they are playing is a waste of time. Those of us who have been here for many years remember some of the troublemakers who try to get the maximum number of posts to solve something as simple as a monitor being dead issue in which you get..

Quote
Initial Post: Help my computer doesnt work
Our Reply: Please provide more information on what part of the computer is not working?
Next Post: I cant do my homework
Our Reply: Please provide more information on what part of the computer is not working?
Next Reply: My cat was climbing around the computer and it doesnt work.

((( At this point most of us are likely to walk away from helping further because its almost intentional that they are avoiding giving information which can come to a solution sooner than later. )))

If they actually get to a solution its 42 posts later. Most of us ditched the effort to help them after the 3rd post, and its only the new members getting baited into their game. At which point the original poster feels its time to end the game due to boredom with it and say that the monitor cable was not plugged in.

What also didn't help your case was that after being banned you then came back and evaded the ban on multiple occasions.  I was helping you at the time and would have been happy to continue if you had created a forum post about your issue as I said, however as soon as you start evading bans, I will not help you.

I do agree that the profanity filter can be a little to sensitive at times (it's warned me for saying things like SSH before for some reason) but what you did was obviously profane and would trigger the filter.  As has been said before, this chat is for all ages, we do not need profanity.

Quote from: yahoowizard on November 16, 2014, 12:55:00 AMSaying sh** isn't considered profanity on this forum

Shoe is a perfectly OK word. The bad word for dooky gets replaced with *censored* if you have the profanity filter activated. But not piss or bloody. The place where bad people allegedly go when they die is censored, which would make things difficult if you live in a certain town in Norway. Scunthorpe is all right.

    

QuoteThe place where bad people allegedly go when they die is censored, which would make things difficult if you live in a certain town in Norway.

Had a laugh at this as for one of my friends in Norway that I met at livemocha we got into a conversation once in the past about strange town names between USA and Norway and I know what you mean. I think the worst USA town name I found to share with him was in PA.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&gbv=2&um=1&ie=UTF-8&fb=1&gl=us&q=Intercourse,+PA&sa=X&ei=VsVoVN-rB4j0yAT2xYKwDw&ved=0CDMQ8gEoATAB&output=classic&dg=brw

There is a mountain in Germany...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wank_%28mountain%29

... and two towns in Spain and Germany that share a name I dare not type here.

I got lucky in that PA. town one evening...

Quote from: camerongray on November 16, 2014, 07:22:22 AM
What also didn't help your case was that after being banned you then came back and evaded the ban on multiple occasions.  I was helping you at the time and would have been happy to continue if you had created a forum post about your issue as I said, however as soon as you start evading bans, I will not help you.

I do agree that the profanity filter can be a little to sensitive at times (it's warned me for saying things like SSH before for some reason) but what you did was obviously profane and would trigger the filter.  As has been said before, this chat is for all ages, we do not need profanity.

Yeah, I'm sorry about the ban evasion thing. I wanted a way to contest the ban and I didn't believe in getting a response in a forum section that has 2-3 threads a year. I should have gone the forum route with my initial question but I was going around the house  at the time and was looking for something quicker over something that I would be asking about over a few hours or a few days. Plus, I've used this IRC many times before (without getting banned) and people have been helpful, so I used this again.

Quote from: Salmon Trout on November 16, 2014, 07:28:37 AM
Shoe is a perfectly OK word.

And *** stands for "WhyTheFace"