Attention: How far do Racist Comments go?

[Conzul]

I think admins should ban on first use of racial slur, one strike rule applies!

Sure. As long as the use of cracker also gets an instaban.

Please, think of the children that play this game so happily! Duck should not be exposed to this language.

Did you know that the Tyrant used to be called the "Big Mofo"? Oh, and learn to type in proper sentences before imposing your singular views onto the forum populace.

[CreatureofHell]

I think admins should ban on first use of racial slur, one strike rule applies!

Sure. As long as the use of cracker also gets an instaban.

You can't ban names of TV shows. Cracker is quite good.

[mooseberry]

Sure. As long as the use of cracker also gets an instaban.

You may be joking, but I figure I may as well address this since I don't think this has come up yet. There is a 'scale' of pejorative terms which on the whole are bad, obviously, but there is a difference in treatment for them. Let me first say I obviously don't support instaban for any term, mute works fine, unless the repeatedly get themselves muted game after game. One or two uses of nigger should be warned, after that muted. Cracker, and things like that should be warned, probably muted if they are using the word to harass somebody, but I do not see it on the same scale as nigger, not even close, because of the history attached to the word nigger, and what was done by the people who first used it.

[Aelita]

You mean how the word wasn't even an entirely negative connotation at first? Nigger simply meant somebody of black skin colour. Sure, it's evolved into a racial epithet but that's not what it was originally.

[A Spork]

And a cracker is a food item.

[Conzul]

Cracker is also a "racial epithet" used to describe a white person, or someone who is "behaving white". Regardless of its severity, something is either a racial slur, or it isn't. Cracker is.

[mooseberry]

Cracker is also a "racial epithet" used to describe a white person, or someone who is "behaving white". Regardless of its severity, something is either a racial slur, or it isn't. Cracker is.

Sure, it can be used as a racial slur. But it also doesn't have the history behind it, was never used as a term to subjugate a group of people into slavery or diminished rights. Based on this fact, I don't feel cracker is as harsh a word as nigger. There are different levels of all kinds of "swear words", some of which are worse than the other. If you feel just as insulted by cracker (I am assuming based on your arguments you are "white") as you imagine Black people are by nigger, than fine, mute or ask an admin to mute when someone is using it. I'm only stating what I will do based on my knowledge of real life situations. You are still free to do whatever you wish.

[F50]

Eh, cracker *can* be a racial epithet, but only when used as a subject or predicate nominative referring to another player. But it can also not be a racial epithet when used in other contexts. That said, I had never heard that one before.

[Tremulant]

I can quite imagine legitimate uses for the word "cracker" on the official servers(admittedly odd uses but it is a peculiar place and threats to carve up the nearest granger for consumption with cheese and savoury biscuits are not entirely unlikely), "nigger", not so much.

[A Spork]

it is a peculiar place and threats to carve up the nearest granger for consumption with cheese and savoury biscuits are not entirely unlikely

lolwin

[ziplocpeople]

it is a peculiar place and threats to carve up the nearest granger for consumption with cheese and savoury biscuits are not entirely unlikely

lolwin

[Aelita]

Code: [Select]

\*nigger = \*granger;
i have directly modified the symbol table. fear my aliasing powers

[Undeference]

Code: [Select]

\*nigger = \*granger;

try

Code: [Select]

nigger    grangerhttp://betaserv.tk/censorship.txt

[Norfenstein]

I would like a higher view from admins, perhaps from a L5 or L6?
I just don't see why if people use sucha tone in general chat, using offensive words can basically get away with murder. People complain in the server, and want the guy muted; yet L4 admins tell me its not a mute able offensive? Could you please advise me on US TREM SERVER rules about mute?

I'm disappointed you were told that. Obvious bigotry deserves instant muting, and if someone keeps doing it multiple times anyway you can start kicking them (iabz knows I'll do this, and I think he has gotten better). You can use your own judgement though; sometimes people are just trolling and it can be better to ignore them.

Let me be clear what the point of this rule is: it's not to have a list of "approved speech" or to keep everyone from getting their feelings hurt, it is to maintain environment in which no one feels unwelcome. I let "fag" and "bitch" slide a lot, but if they were to become common, approved-of speech (like on, say, 4chan) then any gay or female person is naturally going to feel like an outsider, and I don't want that. Harsh language is allowed, but please keep it demographically neutral.

Sure, it can be used as a racial slur. But it also doesn't have the history behind it, was never used as a term to subjugate a group of people into slavery or diminished rights.

Well said. "Nigger" brings down the full weight of centuries worth of oppression. "Cracker" is a snack food. I have no concern that the privileged majority is going to be made to feel unwelcome on a public America-based server.

[Silence]

So where does the line stop? Is Negro proper or derogatory? Chink? Beaner? I'm just saying. If we're gunna start pulling these sort of things, then where is the line and how far can we push it? There should be a decent standard and not let it be up to whomever is on at the current point. This is just my view on it. Take it or leave it.

[mooseberry]

So where does the line stop? Is Negro proper or derogatory? Chink? Beaner? I'm just saying. If we're gunna start pulling these sort of things, then where is the line and how far can we push it? There should be a decent standard and not let it be up to whomever is on at the current point. This is just my view on it. Take it or leave it.

Maybe you could try to avoid saying any type of demographically insulting slurs? Just a thought. Encourage others to do the same. I think I also answered your question anyways. The purpose of this is "to maintain environment in which no one feels unwelcome" to quote Norfenstein. Idiot or noob is fine, saying fuck! or what have you is fine, but words that specifically target and insult people of specific groups is not wanted.

[Silence]

So where does the line stop? Is Negro proper or derogatory? Chink? Beaner? I'm just saying. If we're gunna start pulling these sort of things, then where is the line and how far can we push it? There should be a decent standard and not let it be up to whomever is on at the current point. This is just my view on it. Take it or leave it.

Maybe you could try to avoid saying any type of demographically insulting slurs? Just a thought. Encourage others to do the same. I think I also answered your question anyways. The purpose of this is "to maintain environment in which no one feels unwelcome" to quote Norfenstein. Idiot or noob is fine, saying fuck! or what have you is fine, but words that specifically target and insult people of specific groups is not wanted.

Yeah, personally I try to stick away from things as such, but what about others? I know for one I like to try to flex the rules as much as possible without breaking them. Im just saying if you're gunna put down a rule about it, make sure it defines what is and isn't because otherwise we're gunna have a lot of arguing. And if we're trying to make everyone feel welcome then wouldn't calling one an "idiot" or "noob" be unwelcoming?

[Tremulant]

Let's just use a little common sense, and not get too upset when using unpleasant language lands you with a brief mute, how does that sound? There really is no point over-analysing this, obviously-bad-words=bad, simple enough i'm sure you'll agree...

Hmm, then again, trem's playerbase does consist of a fair few idiots, so allowing the use of "idiot" as a casual insult might well upset them, they can't help being idiots, afterall.

[Lakitu7]

Tired of deleting posts in this thread. Everything worth saying about this has already been said:

Use common sense.
Admins have the right to mute without warning for such words, but do not have to.

We're not discussing what races are more oppressed than others on a forum about a goddamn video game.