Should Atlas stop censoring "bad words?"

[Alben Barkley]

Constantly, everyone around here uses workarounds like "f--k" or "s--t" to get around the site's antiquated filter against "foul language." Literally everybody knows what people mean when they do this, and literally nobody cares. It's just ridiculous that we have to constantly censor ourselves when we all know damn well what people are saying. And it's weird and arbitrary that certain words like the one I just said -- "damn" -- are immune, while other words like the horrible "F bomb" are completely censored if you try to write them, and others like "s--t" are simply filled with stars if you forget to self-censor.

I don't know why this rule was put in place. Is it some kind of pretension that this site is a "family place" or something? Well, we all know damn well that is not the case either. Little kids and traditionalist families rarely if ever come here, let alone post and engage in conversation with one another on the forums (rather than just browse the atlas itself or something). Why doesn't this site just let the users say whatever the f--k they want, like basically every other internet forum does?

[Alben Barkley]

The main site is used as a resource by school children as I recall hearing from the moderators and administrators the last time the issue of censorship (then it involved nudity and porn) was brought up. So long as this remains the case, we should not expect the status quo to change.  

OK, but the "main site" (as in the actual atlas itself) has never been more disconnected from the forum. They literally have different names/URLs now. What is the point of renaming this place to "Talk Elections" if there won't be any distancing from the atlas?

Moreover, I think nudity/porn is in a totally different league from saying the word "s--t." (If only because the slippery slope to changing the site's content and character it could lead down is far steeper; nobody here posts porno pics, while almost everyone here already uses these words in one form or another.) I also would bet societal standards have changed since these rules were adopted, to the point where words that once would have caused shock and consternation are now completely glossed over. It seems, in my experience at least, that there has been a RAPID desensitizing to profanity in US society, a trend that often gets overlooked but is nonetheless very real. Just seems unnecessarily uptight and fuddy-duddy to keep up censoring these harmless words.

I mean, for Christ's sake, about the most profane man imaginable was president for four years. It's just absurd to even pretend that saying "s--t" is somehow shocking or vulgar compared to that. We've all seen it ALL now.

Also, I don't know about you, but I for one was swearing like a sailor by the time I was 10, as were all my friends. Even if a 10 year old were to stumble across this forum:

1. He probably already knows and uses all these "bad words."

2. These words wouldn't be even remotely close to the most disturbing or objectionable things he'd read here!

[SevenEleven]

Does using curse words make the forum a better place? Not really, the place can barely handle the free speech rights already afforded (see: terrible repetitive memes). Besides, if you want to curse just go on discord or twitter, we should try to maintain some standards of decorum here, meaningless or not.

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

Yeah, it's a f**king sh*tty rule.

[Alben Barkley]

Does using curse words make the forum a better place? Not really, the place can barely handle the free speech rights already afforded (see: terrible repetitive memes). Besides, if you want to curse just go on discord or twitter, we should try to maintain some standards of decorum here, meaningless or not.

I would argue it does make it a better place, if only so I can stop having to put stupid dashes in words. I have posted here over 7500 times, and probably nearly half or more of those posts have swear words that I was forced to stop and "correct." Saving me those milliseconds adds up over time!

Also, I reject the idea that profanity is somehow incompatible with "decorum." I think swear words are among the most honest and direct words people can use; I respect those who use them bluntly far more than those who tiptope around them, who I usually perceive as pretentious.

[The Houstonian]

Alben and I can finally agree on something. I would like to add that the list of banned words contains a double standard, in that it prohibits the "c-word" but permits "dick" and "cock." Are one sex's genitals more vulgar than the other's?

Does using curse words make the forum a better place? Not really, the place can barely handle the free speech rights already afforded (see: terrible repetitive memes). Besides, if you want to curse just go on discord or twitter, we should try to maintain some standards of decorum here, meaningless or not.

Not having to self-censor does make the forum a better place.

Yeah, it's a f**king sh*tty rule.

Well said.

[Alben Barkley]

Alben and I can finally agree on something. I would like to add that the list of banned words contains a double standard, in that it prohibits the "c-word" but permits "dick" and "cock." Are one sex's genitals more vulgar than the other's?

Does using curse words make the forum a better place? Not really, the place can barely handle the free speech rights already afforded (see: terrible repetitive memes). Besides, if you want to curse just go on discord or twitter, we should try to maintain some standards of decorum here, meaningless or not.

Not having to self-censor does make the forum a better place.

Yeah, it's a f**king sh*tty rule.

Well said.

I don't even know who you are, but I'm glad we can agree on this!

[Robert California]

Does using curse words make the forum a better place? Not really, the place can barely handle the free speech rights already afforded (see: terrible repetitive memes). Besides, if you want to curse just go on discord or twitter, we should try to maintain some standards of decorum here, meaningless or not.

I would argue it does make it a better place, if only so I can stop having to put stupid dashes in words. I have posted here over 7500 times, and probably nearly half or more of those posts have swear words that I was forced to stop and "correct." Saving me those milliseconds adds up over time!

Also, I reject the idea that profanity is somehow incompatible with "decorum." I think swear words are among the most honest and direct words people can use; I respect those who use them bluntly far more than those who tiptope around them, who I usually perceive as pretentious.

I believe we call that a "'you' problem".

[Zohran "The Sword of Islam" Mamdani]

You're not prepared for what this forum would look like if people didn't self-censor. And I'm not talking about swear words.

[YE]

F**k.

[Del Tachi]

That Atlas does have rather rigorous standards against profanity helps keeps the discussions more elevated than what you would expect to find on r/politics and other Internet hell holes. 

[ProgressiveModerate]

No, there are a lot of younger children on this site. Besides, if everyone is just dropping these words left and right, they lose their power.

[The Dowager Mod]

Being unable to make a reasonable intelligent point without the use of "bad words" says more about the intellectual capacity of the poster than anything else.

[Virginiá]

There are only 5 distinct words that are censored, and the other censor entries are just different variations of those words.

If anything, it just shows that there is a troubling lack of diversity in cursing. America needs to put aside their differences and come together to remedy this problem.

[The Houstonian]

You're not prepared for what this forum would look like if people didn't self-censor. And I'm not talking about swear words.

That just makes me even more supportive of not having censorship.

Being unable to make a reasonable intelligent point without the use of "bad words" says more about the intellectual capacity of the poster than anything else.

I am perfectly capable of making an intelligent statement without the use of bad words. I just do not think it is particularly necessary.

There are only 5 distinct words that are censored, and the other censor entries are just different variations of those words.

If anything, it just shows that there is a troubling lack of diversity in cursing. America needs to put aside their differences and come together to remedy this problem.

Atlasians should use every bad word not included on the dumbass list in order to ridicule it.

[Sopranos Republican]

Of course it should, but it won’t.

[Zohran "The Sword of Islam" Mamdani]

There are only 5 distinct words that are censored, and the other censor entries are just different variations of those words.

If anything, it just shows that there is a troubling lack of diversity in cursing. America needs to put aside their differences and come together to remedy this problem.

The Five Dirty Words You Can't Say On Atlas

[GeneralMacArthur]

No, I actually kind of like it.  Having it be irritatingly difficult to write those words, and having them stand out in a paragraph, discourages their overuse.  Certainly other political forums frequently devolve into people swearing at each other or swearing every other word like teenagers.

And I say this as someone who swears more than most on here.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Oh you can avoid the censoring, but the post will most likely be deleted if you do.

[Joe Kakistocracy]

What's never made sense in nearly twenty years is why the f-word is completely deleted, while the s-word and c-word instead have (the wrong number of) asterisks inserted.

sh**t  ... shout?
c**nt  ... count?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

What's never made sense is why the f-word is completely deleted, while the s-word and c-word instead have (the wrong number of) asterisks inserted.

sh**t  ... shout?
c**nt  ... count?

You stupid count!

[Joe Kakistocracy]

What's never made sense in nearly twenty years is why the f-word is completely deleted, while the s-word and c-word instead have (the wrong number of) asterisks inserted.

sh**t  ... shout?
c**nt  ... count?

You stupid count!

Don't start with that bullshunt.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

What's never made sense in nearly twenty years is why the f-word is completely deleted, while the s-word and c-word instead have (the wrong number of) asterisks inserted.

sh**t  ... shout?
c**nt  ... count?

You stupid count!

Don't start with that bullshunt.

Mods! Help!

[Хahar 🤔]

A large proportion of Atlas posters are either physically or mentally teenagers. That's fine and I have no problem with this (I of course spent my entire teenage years on this forum), but characteristic of teenagers is a strong tendency to substitute profanity for wit. It's best that the filter exist to at least give them pause.

[SWE]

No, I actually kind of like it.  Having it be irritatingly difficult to write those words, and having them stand out in a paragraph, discourages their overuse.  Certainly other political forums frequently devolve into people swearing at each other or swearing every other word like teenagers.

And I say this as someone who swears more than most on here.

I agree with this. Even if it's kind of dumb and arbitrary, I like limiting swearing as a stylistic choice, because discouraging swearing makes it more impactful when you do evade the filter. Like in Bojack Horseman, they limit themselves to one f-bomb a season and it creates some of them most devastating scenes of the show.