Code of Conduct

The second item in this forum’s Code of Conduct reads:

Swearing
Can be offensive and also means that some members can't use the site from work.
If you really must use swear words please use asterisks.

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Question for the day :

… is that ‘work-around’ sufficient to not cause offence ?

… or does it demonstrate hypocrisy ?

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I am prompted to ask, by this recent ASA ruling: **LINK**

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61403280

MichaelG.

Two different things, asterisks on a forum and shittake with the last half covered in a public place full of children..

It's compromise not hypocrisy.

Ironic that the BBC quotes verbatim the words the other got into trouble over. Are they taking the pistachio?

Can't recall anyone ever swearing pn this forum, assterisked or otherwise. Far too articulate a bunch for that.

Edited By Hopper on 11/05/2022 07:43:34

Edited By Hopper on 11/05/2022 07:45:20

You've got to know the offensive words that are being alluded to for alternative words to be recognised as such in the first place. Banning their use seems like backwards logic in what is clearly meant to be an amusing and witty advert, It's a bit like the non-story that made it into the news recently about a rude word on Countdown. If you are wondering what the rude word was it was pricks. A perfectly normal English word with no surrounding context to make it rude or not. Once again you can only claim to take offence if you know there are alternative meanings to it and it has context to show how it is being used. Look out Scunthorpe, you're next for the "I am offended by this word" gang.

Martin C

The day starts well

Two ‘reasonable’ responses already.

MichaelG.

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Ancient history, Martin

”The Scunthorpe problem” probably started all this nonsense.

MichaelG.

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Ref. __ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_problem

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 11/05/2022 08:12:39

Before the World Wide Web arrived the slogan “If Typhoo put the T in BriTain who put the **** in Scunthorpe “ was often seen scrawled in various places, I think I first saw it on the graffiti wall in the gents of the Chequers on the High in Oxford.

Mike

Hi, it's a strange thing about what words are offensive to many people. I've worked with many blokes who actually found it offensive when saying words like please, thank you and even excuse me and have even been told to speak the same way as they do, funny old world, but I think it was a case that they thought, that I was putting myself above their level, maybe they thought it was a form of snobbery on my part.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 11/05/2022 08:39:17

I had better change my name then.

Hi Graham, I wouldn't worry about it too much, as my surname doesn't have any immediate expletives in it, but it didn't stop school mates and others to change one letter and add another slag word to form what could be classed as offensive if used in a serious manner, in fact my whole name has been used in such away that I could have taken offense to.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 11/05/2022 08:52:21

No need, you're banned.

I always thought prick out was a gardening term but context is everything.

Mike

I was told by someone doing research at a university it could mean man from titmarsh or tithe collector.

Who cares i had plenty of name calling at school so soon got a thick skin and the odd bruise.

Edited By Graham Titman on 11/05/2022 09:13:59

I had a friend who came from Scunthorpe.
When I met him somewhere else, he said he came from Shorpe.
He explained there wasn't one in Scunthorpe because he was not there!

Sometimes it is better to use a word which people recognise and understand.
There's the term making love - something which is very loosely defined, as Clinton used to his advantage. If he had used the four letter word, everyone would have understand exactly what he meant. After all - it appears several times a night on the box.

Surely programmers are clever enough to make something which does not just search for a string of letters, but then checks the context. OK, you're never going to find them all, but it could eliminate most of the Scunthorpe effect.

I'm making up some pipes today - just going to search for some nipples.

Edited By Anthony Kendall on 11/05/2022 09:23:23

As a collector of the silly I am reminded of the early days of web filtering in schools and colleges where such offensive words as Sussex, Essex and similar were trapped because of their sexual content and also of the late Queen Mary who was apparently able to reduce people to to tears with a snapped exclamation of 'Jam Tarts!!'

It is not the word but the intention behind it, and that is far harder to trap.

Hi All,

I once got into trouble at school in our 6th form revue for my "skit"

I slowly walked on stage carrying a galvanised pail, placed it on the centre of the stage, took two or three steps back, ran at the bucket, kicked it over shouting "BUCKET" loudly but distinctly.

Audience loved it but I got a talking to from my house master!

Cheers, Martin

Many years ago at Colchester railway station there was a sign directing passengers to the platform for the boat train to Harwich.

It said "Harwich for the Continent"

Underneath was scrawled "and Frinton for the Incontinent"

I suppose some would try to ban or be offended by that now.

By the way in case some of you were wondering Frinton is a quaint old fashioned seaside town that many people like to retire to....

All the best

Derek

Derek,

Years ago we shot a TV commercial in Frinton, all I remember is it did not have a pub!

Sorry for the small hijack Michael!

Martin

I haven't decided which gender I will be identifying as today so I may or may not be offended by this.

You have been warned!

This is just censorship which is just a form of control and dominance that is part of the human psyche. Any group from a small gathering of a club, a village community, church, religious sect, social media forum, company, has a number of individuals who wish to impose their ideas and 'standards' onto the rest and censure those who do not comply. These people can become pressure groups and activists and gather greater powers. They always have an excuse - HSE, your protection, provide you with personalised content etc.

At a wider level this is seen in institutions such as the BBC, and of course is fundamental to government which is entirely about control and dominance of the general population. When it goes 'bad' you get the KGB and the Stasi looking over your shoulder, reading your correspondence, hiding round corners and listening in to find ways to subjugate you and force compliance.
Epitomised in the book 1984 by A.Huxley even before the internet entered every home and provided an embryo of the two way screen to spy on you, the population.

Won't happen in the UK? We have just seen, in Parliament no less, that activists snooping on someone's private phone then mobilised activists to destroy their victim's career. Tacitly approved by your elected representatives. Be afraid, be very afraid.

In the early 1960s, just after Lady Chatterly's Lover, lots of people were so prim and proper that they ceased using the word tart in cake shops etc. Keeler was used instead.

Are these simple Anglo-Saxon words really that offensive? However I expect the use of the terminology male and female for screws and nuts is frowned upon in this forum.

JA

Edited By JA on 11/05/2022 11:34:30