h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just a question, really.

Surely if the profanity filter is an in-house tool, and there are differences between the sites (for example message boards not having U-Spaces) then it is not beyond the wit of Jim and his team to create tailored lists, one for each site?

I can appreciate that there may not be the money to do this, and I can appreciate that there may not be the political appetite to do it, but surely it would be technically possible. As I say when I *really* want to tease techies: "How hard can it be, it's just ones and zeros, right?" (I am quite surprised none of them have tried to reboot me into the middle of next week when I say it, to be honest).

What I am asking, specifically, is:

Would this be possible given the architecture of the sites and the toolset within the filter?

Is this seen as a desirable thing to do by the hosts that run the various sites, (even if there isn't the money to do it)?

Are there in fact any plans to do this? And if so, what are the time-scales?

Ben

We can't answer that, I'm afraid, Ben. It has too many potential repercussions for other DNA-based communities.

Hence our silence on the whole issue.

Thanks for your honesty, Jims. I appreciate the straight-forwardness of your answer, and I also understand that there are things that you cannot discuss.

But of *course* I am going to speculate....

... My guess is that it is technically possible and some hosts want it to happen while others don't care, that there is a political stushie going on about it which is probably fairly low down on the list of other stushies. The costs of such changes would have to be borne by all the sites that use the filter, and getting agreement from all the hosts is like herding cats - very fine, intelligent, elegent cats of course. Therefore, although some hosts would like it, it isn't going to happen any day soon. Is my guess.

The two other alternatives are that no-one cares about the issue, and I find that hard to believe (though I am sure your collective patience is wearing a little thin), or that discussions are underway and no-one can announce anything until you have a firm date. I love the idea of a bunch of BBC employees sitting in a room discussing French Connection UK, the Danish spelling of King Canute, the Mayor of Carmel and Subbuteo.

I wouldn't be you guys for quids, but I would *love* to be a fly on the wall, sometimes.

Take care, and keep the faith.



B

Feel free to speculate, but we can't comment on anything you've written here.

Sorry.

I didn't for a moment expect you to comment, Jimster. You have already said you can't.

It amuses me to speculate, and I make the most of the freedom to do so.

It occurred to me that it might amuse you if I was wrong, and I know from past experience that I regularly get it wrong when I try to second guess the BBC.

Good luck.

B

I have nothing good to say about the filter, but to be fair, it doesn't have anything against the *Danish* Danish spelling of King Canute!

Knud


*runs away*

And I can still post the name of my local NPR station, which is a very, very rude word in Dutch

http://www.kut.org

Well if the Danish "Danish" version of King Canute is Knud, I'll stop objecting to the Enlgish "Danish" version being banned.

BH, I still chortle quietly at the knowledge that little goatee beards are called "prater kut".

B

Ah no, don't stop objecting to the English Old Norse version being banned, it's much better than the English Latin version!
The Edited Guide wouldn't be the same without the entries mentioning him.

I had a sudden vision of King Canute wearing clothes from French Connection UK.

B