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Censored Words

CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
edited February 2020 in Forum Ideas & Feedback
The phrase rinky [Removed by EA_Mai] is censored when [Removed by EA_Mai]. Can I get an Eyeroll. But to my knowledge the proper phrase is [Removed by EA_Mai]. Can we remove the (some) crazy filters for some common, everyday, normal speech.

"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
Post edited by EA_Mai on

Comments

  • Bluebeard45Bluebeard45 Posts: 3,889 Member
    Welcome to the New Crazy World. Thanks to certain folks we now have to watch what we say or the crap will hit the fan. Sad thing is it's going to get worse.
  • EA_MaiEA_Mai Posts: 1,800 EA Staff (retired)
    edited February 2020
    The phrase itself is not part of the filter, but the second word is and it's going to remain as part of it.

    We know it might not always be clear why a certain word is part of the forums word filter, but that doesn't necessarily mean it shouldn't be part of it.

    I'm happy to review any words you feel it doesn't make sense they are part of the filter. However, I need to remind everyone that circumventing the forums word filter is against the forum rules no matter if you agree with a word being part of it or not. If a word is filtered out, respect that and don't try to explain what word it was, or circumvent the filter in any other way. I can see the words you write even if they are replaced by the 🌺s so I'll be able to see what you are talking about. You can also send me a DM.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited February 2020
    Thank you. I never mean to break rules on purpose. Now, it just looks like I cursed or something when the filter wasn't blocking it and now it is. thank you. I wouldn't want people to think I use foul language, when I don't. But I guess we live with it.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • AnthonydyerAnthonydyer Posts: 1,197 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    Thank you. I never mean to break rules on purpose. Now, it just looks like I cursed or something when the filter wasn't blocking it and now it is. thank you. I wouldn't want people to think I use foul language, when I don't. But I guess we live with it.

    I am in the same boat. I once used a word that I was surprised got blocked. Does it not say plum anymore? I keep seeing those flowers everywhere.
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited February 2020
    Yes, flowers are the new plum.
    EA_Mai wrote: »
    The phrase itself is not part of the filter, but the second word is and it's going to remain as part of it.

    We know it might not always be clear why a certain word is part of the forums word filter, but that doesn't necessarily mean it shouldn't be part of it.

    I'm happy to review any words you feel it doesn't make sense they are part of the filter. However, I need to remind everyone that circumventing the forums word filter is against the forum rules no matter if you agree with a word being part of it or not. If a word is filtered out, respect that and don't try to explain what word it was, or circumvent the filter in any other way. I can see the words you write even if they are replaced by the 🌺s so I'll be able to see what you are talking about. You can also send me a DM.
    Since you can see what’s behind the censor: I’ve noticed some Dutch words get censored. That’s ok of course, I only sometimes write in my own language through PM and I understand that when a perfectly decent Dutch word means something unacceptable in English, it’s censored. What however is wrong with the word lezen? (for the record, it means reading)

    My point obviously isn’t that I want this particular censored word to get uncensored, this is an English forum. I’m just curious what’s wrong with it, why is it censored? It means nothing in English, nor parts of it. So it’s rather curiosity as to how does the filter works.
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  • NushnushganayNushnushganay Posts: 9,418 Member
    ot6I run into this all the time, using perfectly innocent words that seem like quite a stretch to imagine are vulgar or offensive, for instance, I used the word one normally uses to describe what happens when a horse gets "Scared" right before it bolts. But that word for scare, that also is used in a Halloween sort of way, like Spooky night, wasn't okay in the past tense.

    A nearly inexhaustible supply of ordinary words could all be targeted if context doesn't matter. Context really needs to matter.

    House rules of course. But I do wish there were a list we could access somewhere, or download, so we'd know in advance which words are on the "not allowed to use" list, and which, if any, are context-dependent.
    Racism is EVERYONE's fight #BLM #StopAsianHate
    Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.

    xicwqMCm.jpg
  • NushnushganayNushnushganay Posts: 9,418 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    The phrase rinky [Removed by EA_Mai] is censored when [Removed by EA_Mai]. Can I get an Eyeroll. But to my knowledge the proper phrase is [Removed by EA_Mai]. Can we remove the (some) crazy filters for some common, everyday, normal speech.

    Amen! Euphemisms of euphemisms now cause harm. But again, their house, their rules, and I still want to play, so I just want a list of the forbidden words so I don't fall across the tripwires all the time. :)
    Racism is EVERYONE's fight #BLM #StopAsianHate
    Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.

    xicwqMCm.jpg
  • RainesimsRainesims Posts: 901 Member
    edited February 2020
    i just wanted to test the word to see if it was what i thought it was D: did it get uncensored? because when i edited my op it showed the word uncensored and i got scared and wrote this out but i assume the forum gods can see xD never mind me. just ignore this xD
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    gallery: RainesimsUwU
  • king_of_simcity7king_of_simcity7 Posts: 25,102 Member
    edited February 2020
    Just going to leave a test if that is okay:

    Fanny

    Edit: I am surprised that the above word is not filtered but then again I am certain that I saw a Sim with that name before. A premade maybe. Amusingly her name was 'Fanny Virginia' :no_mouth:
    Simbourne
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  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited February 2020
    I apologize for breaking rules, I had no idea explaining what I meant was circumventing filters. I didn't mean to do that (break rules). I'm not questioning the censors only that it's odd we can say curse words like hell, (which would have gotten my mouth washed out) and not say some everyday words that only mean subpar or amateur in my world where I live. Sorry. Didn't mean to cause any uproar. But I agree with a poster here, it would be great if the intention of a phrase and or word would be considered by the censors before we all think someone uses foul language or bad attitudes etc. I guess we need lists so we don't get in trouble. Because some of us don't know what words are now considered bad in today's world especially when they are taken out of context.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • RainesimsRainesims Posts: 901 Member
    Speaking of censors whats the galleries problem with Devil? . i made cruella de ville once and it was like "naw thats inappropriate" until i deleted the devil part. does anyone know?
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    gallery: RainesimsUwU
  • JoAnne65JoAnne65 Posts: 22,959 Member
    edited February 2020
    Just going to leave a test if that is okay:

    Fanny

    Edit: I am surprised that the above word is not filtered but then again I am certain that I saw a Sim with that name before. A premade maybe. Amusingly her name was 'Fanny Virginia' :no_mouth:
    There’s a Sims 3 University student whose first name gets censored. Cid Serverus.

    ETA: ah, got censored apparently. Well good, because that always felt kind of strange to me.
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  • EA_MaiEA_Mai Posts: 1,800 EA Staff (retired)
    edited February 2020
    As language, the forums word filter is in constant evolution. We add or remove words as needed.

    I understand where you are coming from, but posting and maintaining a list of words in the filter is not something we can or would want to do. The words added to the filter are included there because they’re inappropriate and not suitable for the forum. And on top of that, if we shared a list of inappropriate words, the information would be misused by less well-intentioned people to identify and post words (or versions of those words) that have not yet made it to the filter. People can be very creative, sadly not always in a constructive way.
    Also, please be aware that some words might not be part of the filter, but that doesn't mean they are ok to use in any way. Forum rules and the User Agreement still apply and are a good guide if you are unsure.

    @Nushnushganay If something is filtered out from your post (now it should be easier to see as soon as you post due to the flowers), then you know that word is not allowed. You can edit your post to use a synonym or send us a DM if you feel it shouldn't be part of the filter and we can review it. Same if you see a word you feel should be part of it.
    I can't find spooked in the filter - looks like it is not there anymore.
    JoAnne65 wrote: »
    What however is wrong with the word lezen?
    I've removed this word from the filter now. Probably a good idea not to go into details on why it was there considering that.
  • NushnushganayNushnushganay Posts: 9,418 Member
    Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough explanation. I think the fact that the game is T for Teen and the site is more E for Everyone, is the source of the confusion. If it is announced that the site holds to E for Everyone standards regardless of what the game does, it would at least put an end to the debate.
    Racism is EVERYONE's fight #BLM #StopAsianHate
    Let's make Liberty and Justice For All a reality.

    xicwqMCm.jpg
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited February 2020
    Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough explanation. I think the fact that the game is T for Teen and the site is more E for Everyone, is the source of the confusion. If it is announced that the site holds to E for Everyone standards regardless of what the game does, it would at least put an end to the debate.

    I don't think that is the problem. Maybe I'm naive, but I have no idea why someone's name would be censored. Don't know it means something else somewhere else. To me it's becoming a real problem in some cases, when you are just happily going along and say a name or a phrase and find out it's bad for some reaon, somewhere. That has to be an insult to someone who knows a person by that name and or is named the name.

    It's almost to the point anymore(internet) if I said the sky is blue, that would be censored when most people know the sky is blue and what is meant by the sky is blue. Just a little more context consideration would help.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • RainesimsRainesims Posts: 901 Member
    edited February 2020
    yeah i get that, like one of my fave comic book characters (nightwing/ the first robin) is called 🐸🐸🐸🐸 Grayson and i'm gonna be surprised if his name isnt censored here because it is everywhere else, like i made him on the sims and the gallery was like .. no. but idk, and i have a simmer friend whos last name irl is Raper and she can't have her name on the gallery and possibly here (we'll see if its censored EDIT: it wasnt censored here xD) and context would be great but i can understand why they cant like i assume the censor is some form of bot and ai isnt great with context. but i totally agree that it would be a lot better if the censor could see context because it does make sentences look worse sometimes xD
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    gallery: RainesimsUwU
  • CaptainElsaCaptainElsa Posts: 226 Member
    Do we HAVE to edit a word if it is censored? I quite like my post-graduate educated vocabulary. I enjoyed the use of "plum" since I often replace offensive curse words with gentler, G-rated versions myself but to go further and requiring us to edit and reword our intent seems too much.
  • MaggieMarleyMaggieMarley Posts: 5,299 Member
    edited February 2020
    EA_Mai wrote: »
    The words added to the filter are included there because they’re inappropriate and not suitable for the forum
    @EA_Mai
    Ok but why are the names Fuchsia and Titus censored?

    The first is the name of the titualr character of the first book in the Gormenghast series which is called 'Titus Groan', the second is the name of his sister (the second is also the name of a colour and of a certain flowering plant). Both perfectly normal names.

    Given that information anyone can probably guess what the two names are and how silly it is to censor them.
  • neuroandproudneuroandproud Posts: 67 Member
    My mom's last name can mean a bad word (and I'm not even gonna test it so don't ask me to type it) so I can understand the filter thing.
    Kaydin/KayKay
  • EA_MaiEA_Mai Posts: 1,800 EA Staff (retired)
    edited February 2020
    Hi everyone,

    As I mentioned earlier I'm open to review words you consider it doesn't make sense are part of the filter, but the 'guessing words' and the 'testing of words I'd expect to be part of the filter' that's going on in this thread need to stop. This is not a game. I'm going to lock this topic - going forward you can DM me or flag your comment if you find a common word has been filtered out while using it in a way that's not against the forum rules for our review.

    I understand some words may be unknown for you in a way that would explain why they are part of the filter (personally, I take this as a positive thing) or you may disagree with certain words being filtered out because under your personal perception they are low key cursing, swearing, offensive, or similar. But I think we can agree as well in that not everyone will share your personal opinion around what's appropriate for a civic conversation and what's not. And at the end of the day, we all can express ourselves without the need to use these words.

    Same as with the forum rules or the User Agreement, you may disagree with this more or less, but the forums word filter is not something up for discussion.

    I also want to clarify that cursing, swearing, being offensive, etc. is against the forum rules, whether the filter has removed these words or not. The filter doesn't 'think' - but you can take the filter's action as a warning/recommendation to reconsider if your comment/topic is appropriate for the forums based on the forum rules and to change the words you are using to say what you want to say (and by this, I don't mean circumventing the f*lt*r).

    As usual, if you have questions about the forum rules, you can reach out to @EA_Rtas, @EA_Joz or myself by DM and we will try to answer them.

    Let's go back to discuss what's really important and the reason this forum exists: The Sims!
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