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Circuitsoft · 2012-02-10 16:10

So I generally try to avoid swear words, but occasionally there is on in the name for something I want to refer to. Other forums I've been on have a tag you can mark things with that will hide the text unless someone clicks on it. I think I've seen an [NSFW] tag for that purpose, and wonder if this forum has anything like that, or if it might ever be implemented.

Moderator Monkey · 2012-02-10 17:13

Generally speaking we would want to avoid sending any visitor to the Parallax Discussion Forums to a site that may otherwise detract from their user-experience, yet at the same time we can understand the need to warn someone before they unwittingly happen unto a site filled with material that may be deemed offensive should the link be a necessary part of the posting.

It won't become a feature/policy/tag available on these forums to preface something with [NSFW]; primarily because of the potential for feature abuse. We would also have to check those links or rely on reports to properly manage the links made under an [NSFW] banner should there be something other than just a swear word, and offering an option to encapsulate or tag the material can be considered akin to allowing it to exist. We're against most things [NSFW] on these public forums; we're a business and the forums are for the Parallax community, electronics, programming, DIY, and all else that falls under those categories.

The best way to deal with this issue, should the need to post to something off-site containing offensive material is to make a polite warning about it in plain text to anyone interacting with that link.

Examples:
This link is NSFW something people may consider offensive.
NSFW - offensive material
Not for the faint of heart: seriously bad stuff

Ultimately we'd like to keep all material shared on or linked from these forums to remain 'PG', we have many young forum members.
Thank you for the concern on this issue.
- Moderator Monkey

Circuitsoft · 2012-02-11 00:27

In the case that just came up, it was a reference to an esoteric programming language that has a swear word in it's name because attempting to do anything useful with it will <expletive deleted> your brain.

My own personal policy regarding swear words around children is that, they will come across them anyway and shouldn't be shielded, but that I make a point of only referring to them and not using them myself, unless they are really warranted (usually due to severe frustration where other adjectives are insufficient), though this gets into a much longer philosophical debate that this probably isn't the forum for. I do usually invite discussion, though and am willing to quote them and repeat them.

I didn't link to a site, but if I had, said site only had the swear word in the title. All other content on said site was family-friendly.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2012-02-11 08:49

That programming language has been referenced here before, with links to the originating site. Despite its name, it's become a standard part of the scenery when minimalistic languages are discussed. In polite circles (including here in this forum), its name is obfuscated as "brainfsck" or just "BF", but everyone knows what it really is. So I wouldn't worry about bringing it up again.

-Phil

Cluso99 · 2012-02-11 14:57

Just because children are exposed to (and do use) swear words doesn't make it right.

My preference is the way this forum is, and this is not allowed. Personally, I don't use them, and I don't like seeing or hearing them.

Maybe I am old-fashioned bt that's just me.
FWIW I have just reached the "young" age of 60. My kids (28-31) don't use them in our presence, nor their kids.

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