The online racing simulator
Language Filters
(20 posts, started )
#1 - nihil
Language Filters
Not a fan of such things generally, but understand their use on STCC. Just suggesting that a few words from languages other than English might be added.

Was playing with the UF1s today and some of the language from our Latin friends was fruitier than was necessary. I mean, you don't need to be bilingual these days to understand the words 'puta' and 'merda'.
I have some foreign swearwords but im not exactly fluent in many languages. I only speak Bad English as a second language, my main language is Computer.

I'll add these two to the list

EDIT: I feel quite offended having just had the badwords text file up in front of me. It's like following a conversation on demo.
Quote from Becky Rose :I have some foreign swearwords but im not exactly fluent in many languages. I only speak Bad English as a second language, my main language is Computer.

I'll add these two to the list

EDIT: I feel quite offended having just had the badwords text file up in front of me. It's like following a conversation on demo.

=( Some people think it's cool and macho to swear and as such they try to make every other word a swear word. Then there are others that just don't care.

I could see a big debate start up about free speach and all that chatter now... This is my personal opinion BTW =)
Becky, would a real driver get DQ'd for colourful tirades at another driver after the race? Doubt it
I dont give a hoot what anyone thinks about free speach or realism. STCC is family entertainment and language not suitable for children isn't welcome. That's that .
#6 - nihil
Quote from Becky Rose :I dont give a hoot what anyone thinks about free speach or realism. STCC is family entertainment and language not suitable for children isn't welcome. That's that .

I'm all for free speech, but within the rules of STCC I can't see a way of putting the word **** (for example) into a sportsmanlike exchange.
Quote from nihil :Not a fan of such things generally, but understand their use on STCC. Just suggesting that a few words from languages other than English might be added.

Was playing with the UF1s today and some of the language from our Latin friends was fruitier than was necessary. I mean, you don't need to be bilingual these days to understand the words 'puta' and 'merda'.

I understand those words perfectly...
If you want any help translating some to add to that language filter just send me an PM
I'll be glad to help!
Sounds like a good excuse to have a rant really, pour all the filth and nastiness into one text file and email it to someone. Where did I put the email addresses for my old housemates....
I support it, even though I did get caught out once If people can't express themselves in an acceptable way without resorting to foul language then they should stay quiet. An added advantage is that any ontrack arguments don't seem to last very long as acceptable expletives are exhausted very quickly
#10 - SamH
I should have been caught a hundred times, although I have never (I don't think) let fly at any individual with any foul language, tempted though I may have been.

I'm not a fan of swear filters, at all, since it's difficult (read: impossible) to capture the context, prevent abuse and let through the ribbing or for-fun blue language. The STCC filter is geared more to prevent the abuse than anything. Though I'm not a fan, I have to admit that the only times I've ever seen anyone get kicked by the filter, they've been in the middle of a torrent of abuse at another player and were better off hitting the showers anyway. If it sometimes catches people who aren't actually being abusive and are having a laugh, it's tough I guess. It's still a family environment, and there's no such thing as a watershed in the world of LFS. It's 24/7 and 26,000 miles around.
Quote from Becky Rose :I dont give a hoot what anyone thinks about free speach or realism. STCC is family entertainment and language not suitable for children isn't welcome. That's that .

Then you should create a grammar filter. I'd rather have my kids exposed to allegedly "foul" words than "proper" words used incorrectly. I would also give my right arm if children around the world could be safeguarded from marketingspeak.

It is YOUR server and you can do whatever you wish. I can either respect the rules and your wishes or go elsewhere. That is non-debatable. However, if you deem to post your reasonings publicly, then you must have a better argument than the one quoted above; its silly and nonsensical.

Personally, I join the STCC servers exclusively and will follow whatever rules are imposed. I'm a guest and guests must respect the host or get the !#$% out.

Cheers.
Quote : However, if you deem to post your reasonings publicly, then you must have a better argument than the one quoted above; its silly and nonsensical.

I disagree. I think it's a perfectly valid reason to outlaw swearing on the servers. I know that some drivers are very young, and frankly half the time drivers use foul language as a first response and it lowers the mood of the server - when a better selected comment might help things move forward.

Swearing just leads to counter swearing and then nobody wins except those who are only capable of a conversation at the Foxtrot Uniform, Papa Oscar level.

If that's a better reason you can use that, it is silently improving your play experience and helping to prevent people get offended, then aggrevated, then lowering their driving standard.

All the same, the reason I dont want swearing on the server is because I know some drivers are young, and I think they should be allowed to play online without getting the impression that it is not physically possible to construct a sentense without saying foxtrot uniform.
Ain't any difference between "darn" and "damm" (intentionally misspelled). There is also absolutely no contextual difference between "oh rats, I over shot the corner!" and "!@%#'ing corner" other than the number of characters in the sentence. Both mean exactly the same thing.

If you truly value the wee little tots, then I urge you to create a grammar filter like I facetiously suggested in an earlier post. Incorrect grammar, bad spelling, and improper word usage are far more detrimental to society than any "foul" words. This applies to all languages and not just English.

Next we can speak of all the words that are not considered "foul" today but would cause great consternation just a few decades ago. Languages are living things and change over time. This is the reason few people say or write "thy" anymore.

(I reiterate again that you can do anything you wish on your own server and I am not complaining. I will happily follow whatever rules you wish to have on your servers.)
In a technical sense, any language filter is doomed to fail. You can take the 4-letter word of your choice, distort it a bit, bind it to a key, and go about swearing merrily without being caught.

In a practical way though, a filter may have some use. It can serve to signal that respectful behaviour towards fellow racers is expected. It's a barrier, however slight, for gratuitous use of bad language. But there are two things to note.

First is that the filter shouldn't be the only measure, else it will be an empty shell. It should also be mentioned in the rules, and there should be a place where you can complain about someone's conduct (same as when you report a wrecker).

Second is that the filter must not be too blunt, else it will backfire. If someone is banned at his first 'wtf', he may be tempted to come back for revenge (since dodging the filter is easy).

(Personally, I see no use in language filters. I prefer to look at the intention, not at the form. My kids, 4 and 6 years old, hear me swear often. I don't mind; I don't think it's "language not suitable for children". And I also don't mind if they swear. But I'd hate it if they saw me being mean to someone else, just as I won't allow them to intentionally hurt someone.)
I like what [FM] do when you say "boobs" in their Oval server.
Quote from avellis :I like what [FM] do when you say "boobs" in their Oval server.

What do they do?
#17 - SamH
Quote from animal1313 :Ain't any difference between "darn" and "damm" (intentionally misspelled). There is also absolutely no contextual difference between "oh rats, I over shot the corner!" and "!@%#'ing corner" other than the number of characters in the sentence. Both mean exactly the same thing.

Depends where in the world you are, really. In the UK a dam is a reservoir, darning is what you do to socks and damn is just not considered a rude word in the slightest any more. Not really the point though..
Quote from animal1313 :If you truly value the wee little tots[..]

It's been pointed out already I think that the primary objective of the word filter is not to prevent people swearing, but to manage the tempers a little in the server. It's nobody's responsibility but the parent's/parents' what their kids are exposed to, at the end of the day, including grammatical and/or lexiconical education and exposure. It's not even the schools' responsibility. It's their function, but not their responsibility. Parents bear the responsibility. And so it is in LFS.
Quote from animal1313 :This is the reason few people say or write "thy" anymore.

In the town I went to university, "thee", "thy" and "thou" are still in common usage today. They're heavily dialected, but still present
Quote from SamH :In the town I went to university, "thee", "thy" and "thou" are still in common usage today.

Prizes for guessing where?

Without entering too far into the debate about whether the language filter should be there or not (and what form it should take, as the term 'language filter' could be anything from grammar to swearing), if I may point out a couple of issues with the current system?

There are some ways of getting around the filter that can easily be stamped out. For example, if one types the F word, one will be kicked. Fine. If one types 'f**king', replacing the asterisks as seems likely, one will be kicked. Also good. However, if one types 'f**kin', making no change to that actual taboo word but only abbreviating its suffix, there is no reaction.

The same goes for plurals. If one types the C word, which I shall not even attempt to hide behind asterisks, one is kicked. Adding an S to the end of it, though, means that nothing will happen. The system ignores all plurals, as far as I've seen. Perhaps this could be sorted out?

It's not changing the way the filter works, just improving it as it is.

DE
Once upon a time the British government banned the populace from swearing. I know it sounds crazy, but we had puritans in charge and they had more guns than the then deposed King. Anyway, swearing became illegal and did so by the banning of specific words.

What happened is the population started using new swear words, and then they got banned too. Eventually they took words like the one for "a dank leafy lane with over hanging trees" and they made that your C word. It wasn't originally a rude word at all, but it's intonation was changed.

Eventually the government gave up trying to stop people swearing and got rid of the law, although they never gave us May Poles back again and sent round guys in big black hats to make sure that we didn't get them out behind the dictators (Cromwell) back.

So you see, I could add permutations to the badwords filter, and commonly used ones I will, but on the whole it isn't worth chasing every instance of a swear word and removing it.

The point isn't that any given word is banned, but that a swear filter exists.

I will consider adding the plurals though, as they strike me as something of an ommission.
I find the language filter rather useful, it's nice to read a chat that's not infested by swearing (been to WoW).

As far as a filter on grammar goes, how on Earth is that supposed to work? Here we have people from all over the world racing the same servers, far from all know proper English, fewer know to type it.
One of those I race against regularly on 1a can barely be understood, but it works. A grammar filter on those sentences would either not let it through at all, or distort it even worse.
The idea of basically muting someone for not being English/American is ridiculous.

Language Filters
(20 posts, started )
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG