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

h2g2 has never allowed hardcore swearing, yet the use of swear words on h2g2 remains one of the most common reasons for complaints. We have taken the decision to instal a 'profanity filter' which will now automatically prevent any contribution (entries and postings) that contains an unsuitable word from being posted.

We've scheduled the profanity filter to be switched on at some point on 3 April, 2006. We will make a further announcement should this plan change. More information on how the filter works will be available nearer the time.

Oh dear

****ing good job too

Will we get a list of the unsuitable words, so that we'll know which ones to avoid ? Will the smiley vanish ?

Does this mean will be retired?
Or that the mods can get back to their dog-eared copies of Beano?

A f*****g spell checker might be a useful piece k*t!

I can see that I'll have to spend the whole of April 3rd typing rude words to see which ones will get asterisked.

Christ?

So will it preven me typing f*cking Or fuc*ing or f***ing or *ucking?

or is it only the who word that will get blocked?

This post has been removed.

well, I hope it's not as stupid as the old Leisure District one...

Gardeners couldn't mention 'hoe' and poor old couldn't say 'ho ho ho' (American for whore I believe)

You couldn't talk about things like shopping at Peacocks or buying cockles and that's just the odd few I remember, there were loads, it was really stupid!!

Hopefully technology has advanced enough for profanity filters to pick out *real* swear words, not slightly offensive words included in innocent words.

And won't adding this filter add more strain to already stretched servers?

Emmily

At last! Now I can stop f'cking worrying!

Actually, it's the other terms I'm never sure of, not the swear words. You know, racial slang and the like. Will these be filtered too? I'm never sure what I'm not allowed to say.

*sigh* I'll never be able to say work again.

This message has been blocked as it contains a word which other users may find offensive. Please edit your message and post it again.

Traveller in Time knowing only one swear word
"Your message will be bounced as if you only gave a preview.

Besides this routine is already active (not for swear words) for more then a year, so we will not generate extra server load. "

Speaking as a Scunthonian, this worries me.

B

I was just about to ask if you'd be able to put Scunthorpe or Arsenal, but looks like I was beaten to the punch.

I don't mind at all so long as we can retain our smiley -that will do me fine. As this site is open to anyone to read I would prefer not to see some of the words mentioned above anyway.

I swear, but not on the WWW. What people say and do in private is one thing but there is no need for it here.

Websailor

I expect it will be these words that get filtered. A1017839

"As this site is open to anyone to read I would prefer not to see some of the words mentioned above anyway."

All I have to do is go down to the local Walmart to see them on t-shirts... being worn by parents with small children... What a world, what a world!

I'd actually like to express my displeasure at this measure. Swear words are part of the languageand it's really just censorship to ban them or star them out.

Of course, as others have pointed out, you run into a bit of difficulty with other, non-sweary words. I posted on a board with a profanity filter on which we were discussing Moby Dick. It wouldn't even let us post 'Moby D*ck', so we had to say 'the book with the whale'. Rather annoying.

Oh, dear, I see what you mean - that is going a bit far. We shall have to see how clever HooToo is at configuring it so things like that don't happen!!

Websailor