The 'no cursing and swearing' rule.

[MrDawn]

1. Trash talk, cursing, or product bashing will not be tolerated on our forums, and is strictly prohibited. This includes any remarks that are deemed to be racial, personal, gender biased, or anything even remotely offensive, including typing in all caps as it's considered shouting. This also includes any cursing or abbreviations of curse words. If you choose to break rule #1, you will be warned once, then subsequently banned permanently the second time this occurs. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Isn't someone just asking to have this rule broken?

For the rule in general. The only issue I have with it is the cursing part of it. Also I don't mean cursing at someone in a negative or trolling way. But if you're getting marked up for something that was hardly offensive at all and you were trying to describe or explaining something and used the wrong words.

I'm pretty good at following rules and I don't have a problem until I see how things are being dealt out.

I copied and pasted this rule from another forum, and not to be trolling. But I do notice they do hand out a lot of warnings and bans over it. Which in my opinion is silly. But generally speaking. I'm seeing this rule less and less in effect.

A lot of forums now a days don't even bother with this rule....unless they want to discourage members from posting and being active.

I've seen forums with this rule and people bend it any way. Their argument is mainly this. I'm an American and I have the right of freedom of speech as quoted from the Bill of Rights. Also there is the argument that even as an administrator or member of staff that it isn't wise to censor or suppress the members. Even in a feedback section, people are likely to argue over this rule.

People from over seas, or Europe have similar rights. Some times the administrator will argue that they pay for the software so therefore you should respect a rule such as this.

I'm not very fond of this rule and am glad Off Topix doesn't really have it. But that also doesn't mean that I'm going to go crazy and make them want to have this rule or something similar.

My over all honest opinion. I think this rule keeps people from freely expressing themselves. I've noticed on forums that display this rule. Some times have staff members that will either delete your post or topic if they don't like what is said and some times I feel that forums with super strict rules and I feel this comes down to control issues with the owner(s) and their staff affiliates.

I try to respect those rules, but the more I see people getting marked up for it, the more it pisses me off and I was irritated that I even contributed posts to their forum at all.

So I tried deleting all of my posts and got marked up for that with a warning from a forum with this rule because they gave a member who I was buddies with a warning for saying the words damn and hell. To me, Hell isn't even remotely a curse word or swear word. The words damn and damn it, to me don't really fit in that category. There are kids in middle school and high school who use worse than that.

But, yeah, I have a problem with this rule when it concerns seeing my fellow members getting marked up for stupid shit that doesn't matter. Forum owners who support this rule don't think that other members care about each other if they're getting warnings over this rule. They are sadly mistaken. Especially if you see a member getting lectured or their post edited with a small message from the mod right out in the public area of the forum for the world to see.

So that is my story and feelings towards this rule. I believe all members should at least have the freedom of speech and expression in any forum.

 

[Jazzy]

While I may or may not agree with the rule, the forum owner has a right to have the rule in place. If you don't like the rule, then don't join. That's my two cents worth.

 

[DrLeftover]

Then you could never discuss the US Federal Government.

 

[Darth-Apple]

Administrators have every right to make their own rules, and politics or "freedom of speech" have nothing to do with the rules that are put in place on a forum. My personal feeling is that if you feel a forum is too restrictive, there is nothing obligating you to join. I personally don't join forums that are overly restrictive, although to be fair, it's pretty rare for me to register anywhere at all nowadays.

 

[Sinon]

Their house, their rules. I have no real opinion on the rule. I wouldn't use it myself, unless I was for some reason running a forum aimed at younger users.

 

[#assassin]

I don't have it at my forum simply because having it in place would deter more people from joining and isn't necessary at all, because.. well, my forum isn't intended for little kids.

 

[Nebulous]

I generally don't use swear words in my posts so it wouldn't bother me too much, however admins who let little things like that bother them are usually strict all around and that's never good. I'd rather feel comfortable and not be constantly walking on egg shells.

 

[Wonko]

I am a member of one forum that has very active and over zealous moderators who rarely explain the rules to a newbie just lock the thread chuck it in the graveyard as they call it. I have been told off for asking the wrong questions and had posts deleted just because I question a moderators actions in a polite and humours way, I have only posted a handful of times and now won't post at all ever again the only reason I will go there is to download the mods I want.
You would possibly get a ban if you tried using a swear word on this particular forum.

 

[DrLeftover]

lily livered turnips

 

[Sylar]

stupid rule
even for kids
kids swear so much these days, having such rule up won't make a difference

just depends on what the swearing is going at
if people swear at another member and insult them....thats no good but that should apply on a different sorta rule, a behaviour rule or whatever i guess​

 

[Aronath]

I've always felt that swearing is OK dependent on the situation. If it's pointed at a situation, that's fine. However, if you're pointing it at a person, then that's wrong. On a forum it's a little bit different, since you obviously want to seem professional and able to be viewed by most if not all people.

 

[Mercedes01]

The courts ruled here that the "F" word isn't offensive.

I say bloody.

 

[Nebulous]

The courts ruled here that the "F" word isn't offensive.

I say bloody.

Really? So they don't bleep it out on daytime TV?

 

[Mercedes01]

Really? So they don't bleep it out on daytime TV?

Some times they do because they know children maybe watching.

 

[death180]

Nah, I would rather just be myself, and I like forums that let me do that more.