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

Well, no, if it was there, it's gone again - plus various other posts.

Oh those the ones without footnotes. I was loathe to use footnotes as I didn't regard it as coming close enough to "potentially libellous and defamatory" or I'd have used them in the first place. I was really quite annoyed that it had been removed and came close to flooding with reposts. If 5 reposts counts as flooding then I did in fact flood. The repost with footnotes is what is back up: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F19585?thread=7860107&post=102697641#p102697641 If it gets pulled again, I'll use Ask to get a list of references as long as my arm. I'm sure there are many better ones than the BBC one I used.

Oh, OK. I didn't recall that that one was gone, too.

I think we could conclude that hardly anyone on this site would knowingly abuse, defame, or otherwise annoy their fellow posters, other than to create smiley blogs and take the mickey out of 2legs and the Prof.

If we had clearer guidelines, I think it is safe to say that we would all abide by them 100% of the time.

I repeat my request for a macro or list of the offensive words. I am a native speaker of this language, but have been labelled '64% naive' by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. So maybe I won't be able to help Bel figure out which words offend people.

It's no good saying, 'This is offensive.' The other week, a number of h2g2ers set out to prove that a subject I found rather offensive could be discussed openly. They were right.

But we're still dancing around penguins, cleanliness, street singing, and cats. I don't mind that, but we might have some words of wisdom on the political situation, and if this keeps up, we might have to resort to Pravda-like dodges or email samizdat.

Or - here's an idea that worked for Rod Serling:

Instead of discussing current events, write science fiction stories about aliens. Nobody will object, and you can discuss racial equality, economic systems, etc, without offending others, since you're only talking about imaginary people and places.

I think I have fallen foul of the moderation element on this site more in the past month than I have the other entire 10 years I've been here.

It's much too touchy a subject for me to contribute with a level head so I'll off

for Bel

Yes, we're all concerned by the current climate of censorship on the site. The upcome is, I won't write anything on h2g2 any more. It's probably no big loss anyway.

Of course it is an incalculable loss. We need our good writers.

And I suspect we need to address the issue. Any ideas how we could get something worked out without demanding something that can't be done - such as requiring more (paid) man-hours on the problem?

I agree that something should be done, because I'Äm afraid that by and by, it will p**s off a lot of people.

Bowdlerism rules OK.
When Auntie had to apologise (on all channels simultaneously) for lying about Live Aid, I gave up.
Lairs are very often the most parsimonious of creatures. Where do they recruit the moderators? From Rome?

Now that would explain a lot.

b*lg**m

No capital B there, Pierce?

Bel - for those that read this but not that, can I put here what is on the other thread;
I 'wasn't acquainted with the anecdote' and had to consult the urban dictionary.

Every time I think of thighs,
A fuzzy dimness dulls my eyes,
Rememb'ring far of times of yore,
Maidens, whom I did adore.
Underneath their lissom gait,
Forced me to dream and satiate
For their desires, to dream and sigh,
So – if that's decent – I wonder why..

Think differently.

You're most welcome, PBS.

a word like that deserves no capital, bel

oh bugger

please don't stop writing B'El


and to Dmitrispot on!

The capital is B**x*ll*s

(which sounds a lot ruder)

Cheers, Prof.

It took me a second there to see what you meant, Icy.

The real PLUS of h2g2 is that my friends always manage to cheer me up again. group

hey! I can wait for a real one

One day, Prof, one day.