So, you know that new censor feature? The birds don't like it
TappedOut forum
Posted on Oct. 10, 2015, 10:37 p.m. by FAMOUSWATERMELON
Because it affects cards. Which now don't work. Fleetfeather c*ckatrice, c*ckatrice, and others are getting starred. Can we get a fix on this please yeago?
FancyTuesday says... #4
sh*t, I have to link ThisIsBullshit every time I want to say something's sh*t. Like this censor feature, for example.
October 10, 2015 10:51 p.m.
filledelanuit says... #5
It also breaks people's usernames that have censored word. Sorry ThisIsBullshit your name doesn't work anymore.
October 10, 2015 10:54 p.m.
it's a temporary measure. sorry about that. I'll be perfecting it in the coming weeks and as usual feedback is welcome.
October 10, 2015 10:55 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #7
Well damn I better quit lyfe
Lol pls don't censor my username
Edit: omg damn doesn't get censored
October 10, 2015 10:58 p.m. Edited.
Servo_Token says... #8
I don't particularly mind it. As someone who isn't overly offended at everything (because I have better things to be concerned about than my 'American right to swear on the internet'), I see no issue with making the site a bit more kid-friendly, whether that just be one letter bipped out or what have you. Also, if you want to be rude on an online forum, try backhanded compliments or talking about people in a passive-aggressive manner right after they post. You don't need uncensored swear words to get your fix of being an asshole.
Edit, recent developments, the censor seems to need expanding. Or maybe not? Either way, take it out of card names if it does get fully implemented, I want to link to Smart Ass as often as I please without being inhibited.
October 10, 2015 10:59 p.m. Edited.
ducttapedeckbox says... #9
I think it's an interesting move, but what does it accomplish? The age at which younger individuals are being exposed to "inappropriate" language has gone down even since I was starting to experience them. What does blocking a letter or two do? Almost everyone will know what the word is. Here are a few thoughts:
As I mentioned, what does blocking a single letter do? If we're going to start censoring language, I think that it should be completely blocked out. More importantly, a detailed policy on acceptable language use should be developed in order to avoid minor disputes.
Regardless of the form of language censor, there should be a toggle on a user basis. I think a fair portion of our user base is old enough to be comfortable around the language, even when it's not unnecessary. If there are users who are not, then they have the option to not view it.
October 10, 2015 11:05 p.m.
A censor feature? On TO?
If you're going to implement these types of changes, ask your community how they feel about it first. Then, when the change is implemented, set it on by default with the opportunity for users to opt out of it. I'm an adult. The word c*ck does not offend me. C'mon on, now. This is basic stuff...
October 10, 2015 11:06 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #12
Also interesting how ass does not get censored but c*ck, c*nt, and f*ck do.
And tibs, when I first saw this, I laughed a bit too hard too :)
October 10, 2015 11:09 p.m. Edited.
VampireArmy says... #13
Meh. I don't think he needs permission to change his site. I do think it should be a setting rather than a forced thing though.
October 10, 2015 11:29 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #14
Breaking News: "Magic: the Gathering card names considered too inappropriate for children, Wizards of the Coast issues recall of all cards where a swear word appears"
October 10, 2015 11:33 p.m.
FancyTuesday says... #15
I don't know that I've said a single blipable word in my year+ on TappedOut until this thread, and I have no delusion as to my right to swear here or anywhere on the internet. It's a privately owned site; the owners make the rules, not the constitution.
I just think it's foolishness. A complete waste of time to implement and probably even damaging to its purported function to make the site more "kid-friendly." Those who may not have used strong language before may do so now knowing that it will be censored, and nobody is looking at any of George Carlin's material with a few letters missing and saying "boy, I wonder what word THEY just used!" Adding a censor condones use of those words censored, it's like handing people who weren't hitting each other a bunch of boxing gloves and saying "go nuts."
Of course I shouldn't argue hypotheticals and might happens, I'd be jumping down my own throat if I came across that as an argument. Not wishing to get into slippery-slope either, but where is the line with this? Why draw the line at barely concealed vulgarity but give the green light to lengthy arguments about rape and other sexually explicit or sensitive subjects? What about users like the one posting in this thread, what about all the fog decks named "fag"?
The reason I'm invested in this is because I really liked the old approach. I liked that people had the option to say things how they wanted to say them, that it was on them how I would see and judge them by their words. Let them damn themselves with their ignorance or their hate, and if there's no redeeming value and they're being abusive then be rid of them. Now? Now they have the censor, now they have a shield of ambiguity.
October 10, 2015 11:35 p.m.
@VampireArmy Sure, you're right. Still, it doesn't hurt to make sure your userbase doesn't hate the changes you're making. Otherwise you're threading into YouTube waters.
October 10, 2015 11:38 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #17
Im just going on faith that epoch and yeago know what they're doing
October 10, 2015 11:47 p.m.
JexInfinite says... #18
Censoring doesn't reduce toxicity, if that was the purpose. TO is small enough so that users who need to be banned and muted will be.
October 11, 2015 1:25 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #19
I just wanted to express my support for this change, even if the effect of a single asterisk is minimal. Thank you, those who are responsible (presumably yeaGO?).
October 11, 2015 1:52 a.m.
SimicPower says... #20
I like the change, but it should probably be toggle able. (default to "on" I guess)
October 11, 2015 2:41 a.m.
vampirelazarus says... #22
This is... Not good for the community you've developed.
But we all know where I stand on censoring.
Need I remind you why it's bad?
October 11, 2015 3:41 a.m. Edited.
Opt out feature would be nice. It's not a bad change though, we've had increasingly younger children using the site as of late. Sure you can argue that kids are learning these words younger and younger but that doesn't mean we have to propagate the same culture - as in that doesn't make it ok.
This is like the mildest censorship imaginable because it's not actually stopping anyone saying what they want to say. Like, it probably won't actually affect any of us adults, but it'll do a little bit of good for some people. No harm for us and a bit of good to others? Meh. Seems fine.
October 11, 2015 7:30 a.m.
Default view (no account) = filter always on
Make an account/account settings = checkbox for apply filter
I hate censorship of any form, but I can understand the motivations and intentions behind it. That and opt-out still allows personal control over the matter.
October 11, 2015 7:52 a.m.
JakeHarlow says... #25
It's a private site and the owners may do as they wish.
That said, I am not and never will be in favor of censorship. As I understand it, the practice is almost universally antithetical to its purpose.
I won't raise a ruckus about it, but I decided to opine all the same.
October 11, 2015 7:53 a.m.
HolyFalcon says... #26
Tbh I'm loling at the community getting upset over this
It's like one little thing people. Putting a * in f*ck is tiny and who cares. It's still cursing cause it's not like we don't know what you're saying.
October 11, 2015 9:54 a.m.
HolyFalcon says... #27
Now that I read everyone's opinion I guess I see all of them equally but I like the opt-out idea.
I can confirm as a young one that the age at which we are exposed to bad language is definitely getting lower. I'd say for me it was around fourth grade.
October 11, 2015 9:58 a.m.
canterlotguardian says... #28
My stance on censorship is a decidedly anti position. To me, censorship is you saying "Yeah, you see that thing you just decided to say? Well, I know better what you meant to say than you did. I know you better than you know yourself." That's why I'm against censorship in music and art as well.
Any arguments about making this site more younger-user friendly? I'm 100 percent on board with those. I agree that's an issue that needs to be addressed. I just don't believe telling people their choices of words aren't valid is the way to go about it.
But what do I know? I'm just a 27 year old Magic player with severe anger issues.
October 11, 2015 10:18 a.m.
Triforce-Finder says... #29
Do you have any idea how much insult can be dished out without ever using a single swear word? And this game does attract the kind of people who are smart enough to do so. I'm trying really hard to remember the last time I saw offensive use of language here. Pretty pointless feature, if you ask me.
Overall this is just ridiculous. It's not like I'm upset that certain words are bleeped. that's nothing more than an unintentional joke to me. What upsets me is seeing that time and energy are wasted on useless profanity filters while there are several functionality issues with the site that are much more of a problem. That is pretty disappointing to me.
October 11, 2015 10:16 p.m. Edited.
Ad serving ran into a problem with some profanity as well as some botspam links that snuck by. Ad revenue in part maintains this site.
I am interested in scaling back the filter to go back to more or less unnoticable from how it was before. As you can see usernames still plainly feature profanity and they haven't been banned or anything.
Come to think of it I think anyone who doesn't feel like seeing decks with certain words in them should have a filter too.
October 11, 2015 11:34 p.m.
FancyTuesday says... #31
Seeing the reason makes it a lot more palatable. A lot of what I (and from what I can tell, others) annoyance with it was that it was assumed to be a futile/toothless/time wasting attempt to shield our community from vulgarity, but Ad serving is a real thing. You do that.
Also please stop changing how the pre tag handles line breaks while I'm tightening up my tutorial pages. It's making me cry.
October 11, 2015 11:49 p.m.
Triforce-Finder says... #32
Hm, losing ad revenues is an understandable reason. Disappointment cured, or at least retargeted to the ad company.
I wonder how far the amount of profanity the ad server bot finds can be reduced at all, since quite a few cards contain it by default.
Worst case scenario, the swear word counter might even go up if some users see the bleeps as a challenge or a license. There's an abundance of oddball profanities that the TO filter will let through, but the ad server bot will find. After all, their lists are far more sophisticated, and they can afford to use very thorough filters, since they are only scanning and not altering anything.
FancyTuesday says... #2
Wait, is this a real thing? Whatever happened to not wanting to censor the community and electing only to intervene in situations where there was an obvious case of abuse? This is beyond asinine, I can't imagine a human being whose virtue was saved by a secret vowel.
October 10, 2015 10:42 p.m.