Board Thread:Site Discussions/@comment-3416945-20150112204618/@comment-25212528-20150112234227

Pastrami on Rye wrote: So wait, what am I hearing? That we should introduce censorship on yet another site just because it's about a videogame series meant for kids? Now if we do end up prohibiting foul language, I personally won't have a problem with violating the new rule, as I don't swear much, (in fact, in real life, I only swear by accident, or when quoting something, whether it be a book or a person) but in this post, I'm speaking for others (if not everyone else).

...Anyways, I have a number of reasons why this isn't a good idea:

1. It makes us look like hypocrites - Don't we remember Shadow the Hedgehog? Or the Japanese versions of Sonic X and the OVA? We cover those, even to the point of quoting the swears that are present in them. Simple as that!

2. It won't do anything in the long run - Just because WE prohibit swearing doesn't mean that the rest of the internet will. In fact, I've even seen parts of Wikia that allow it, (though most of said parts place a limit on it). One site not allowing foul language doesn't make the internet any more kid-friendly than it is now.

3. Something, something, something maturity - So you people claim that sweraing is immature? Are there better ways to express ourselves? Yes. Does that mean that it shouldn't be an option? No. In fact, on the subject of being mature, it's really the newbies/younger users that should be mature! As stated above, most people here should have the common sense to not swear excessively, and if one is really that uncomfortable with swearing, then this isn't the site for them. Becuase, like I said, this is the internet! The internet won't change just because of some people who are uncomfortable with swears. Why should we change our policies just to fit the needs of certain users? Does that mean we should stop blocking vandals and trolls because it makes them angry? Just because someone uses a swear word in a sentence that is aimed at you does not make it a personal attack, nor does it denote hostility or anger. Now obviously, we wouldn't allow offensive slang for body parts and religious/ethnic groups, but other than that, swearing is mostly harmless.

4. Besides maturity and professionalism, why else should we remove it? - To avoid teaching swears to little kids? People, this is Wikia, where you're not allowed to edit unless you're at least 13 years old. Most people at that age know the words anyway. To try and censor mature themes for certain users? Not everything can be kid-friendly! As I said, just because we censor ourselves doesn't mean that younger users won't learn some mature things. I've seen a fist/knife fight break out in a restaurant, and I was only six at the time! And I even learned the most common swears before I was TEN, due to hearing them in public. Censoring everything won't help, and if anything, it removes substance from messages.

With all of that said however, I don't mind placing a limit on swearing. While I have yet to see anyone here do this, I have heard some people drop upwards of five f-bombs in one sentence, or say "sh**" right after saying "f**king". Maybe we can simply limit the use of foul language without prohibiting it completely. And maybe we can allow individual users to decide if they want to allow swearing on their own talk pages or message walls, (I honestly couldn't care less if someone swears on MY talk page, btw).

In short, I disapprove of censoring ourselves, but I wouldn't mind placing a limit on swearing or something like that. This.