Why does that matter?

Does that mean **** is OK?

Brilliant, well done. Hopefully in turn he educated you that taking a single example where someone finds something acceptable doesn’t make it universally so.

um…no if you read what I wrote its him that requires educating on this point quit clearly …

keep up 😉

…no if you read what I wrote its him that requires educating on this point quit clearly

Because you already understood it?

CharlieMungus – Member 
Does that mean **** is OK?

Only if your name is Tarantino

Obvious why **** might be on it when more offensive, rarely used words aren’t.

People keep saying this is obvious. It really isn’t. Swear words are banned because they are offensive. That’s the reason given. Because it is a family friendly forum.
We can discuss whether or not chinky or **** are offensive, but not discuss whether or not **** is offensive. It’s not obvious! I really don’t see why one set of offensive words is allowed, but another set, not.

If nothing else, it might help people to realise that the word chinky is not ok. Because clearly some people socialise in communities where it is acceptable and this might be the only place where they realise it is problematic

Because it’s not about “allowed” or not, as I said it’s not a whitelist for anything that’s not on the filter, or an exhaustive list of bad words- it’s an automated shortlist of common words that they don’t want on the forum at all, to simplify moderation. It doesn’t mean words that aren’t on the filter aren’t offensive, or are allowed, it just means they’re not on the filter. Cross a line when using a non-filtered word and you’ll feel the wrath of mod.

The obvious part is use or not. If chink was being regularily used as an insult on here I bet it’d be on the filter. But since it isn’t, it doesn’t have to be. And some of the banned words will probably have legitimate, nonoffensive uses but are still banned because they overwhelmingly get used the other way.

> “we’ve apparently established that [Oriental is] offensive too.”
Now, where did we do that?

Erm.. the points where you explained why you don’t particularly like it and think it is only used because my “local population” is too stupid and backwards to understand that it cause offence. (Bit racist that incidentally)

sounds like it is another victory for us hand-wringing lefties,

It’s certainly a funny sort of liberalism that seeks to ban words.

Yet you’re also wanting to ban “chink”, and through the links above I found scores of places where it was being used in a totally non-offensive way.

I’ve already written this a few times but you don’t seem to be paying attention – the words which are on the filter have no non-offensive use (which isn’t derived directly from the offensive meaning). And in case you want to go there, my first post on this thread was to agree with you that n**** could happily be added to the filter.

Haiku Thread summary time…….

Some bad words are banned
Other bad words are not banned
They’re still all bad words

haiku fail – with only one exception we’ve found so far, the words which aren’t banned aren’t inherently bad words.

It’s certainly a funny sort of liberalism that seeks to ban words.

Who said anything about banning.
All people are doing is informing people that people might interpret your use of the word differently to your meaning.
It’s simply raising awareness.

I used to call imported nintendo games ‘JAP Imports’, until someone from Japan asked me to use JPN instead. So I did and was glad he informed me that people might have interpreted it in a negative way.

haiku fail – with only one exception we’ve found so far, the words which aren’t banned aren’t inherently bad words.

This merely shows a distinct lack of imagination . I can think of a fair few racist terms which have absolutely no positive connotations that i’ll wager are not included in the swear filter.

but, OK – fixed

Some bad guys are banned
Other bad guys are not banned
They’re still all bad guys

aracer – Member

haiku fail – with only one exception we’ve found so far, the words which aren’t banned aren’t inherently bad words. eh? I thought someone listed about 20 ‘bad’ words which got past the swear filter – or has that post been removed?

er, CM certainly seems quite keen on it.

Go on then…

Who said anything about banning.

Charlie did.

Assuming I’m allowed to say “Charlie” now, given that it is an ethnic slur for white people AND people from Vietnam 😉

And “Mungus” is no doubt a reference to the sexual harrasment of a Black Lives Matter activist of course.

Erm.. the points where you explained why you don’t particularly like it and think it is only used because my “local population” is too stupid and backwards to understand that it cause offence. (Bit racist that incidentally)

Ok, you’re just making stuff up now.I didn’t say it was offensive, i didn’t like it . The rest is just fantasy! amazing the lengths you will go to!

edited for clarity

Go on then…

Nope. Banned….. by my own internal filter.

As it should be.

er, CM certainly seems quite keen on it.

actually what i am keen on is consistency. if you will ban ‘****’ then ban ‘chink’ . If you don’t want to ban chink, fine, but free the ‘****’

That’s not consistent at all, for reasons I’ve given so many times now I CBA typing it again. Why don’t you try clicking on one of those links I gave earlier to see the huge problem offensive use of “chink” is on here.

I used to call imported nintendo games ‘JAP Imports’, until someone from Japan asked me to use JPN instead. So I did and was glad he informed me that people might have interpreted it in a negative way.

During WWII We fought the “Japs” in the east but only fought fully paid up members of the Nazi party in the West. 😕

That’s not consistent at all, for reasons I’ve given so many times now I CBA typing it again.

no need, i understand what you said, i just don’t agree

Well that’s helpful. Can we try this another way then since I’m struggling to think what you’re referring to – are you referring to the terms in Graham S’s list: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/is-it-racist/page/10#post-8364527

It’s certainly a funny sort of liberalism that seeks to ban words.

well, it’s social liberalism

You can argue that “oops, I’ve ****ed it up” isn’t offensive, but would you say that in front your mother? I wouldn’t.

The filter is a blunt instrument, it’s not intended to be a definitive list. It’s simply there to stop a descent into chaos. There’s nothing to stop you self-moderating words you find offensive, if you like. It would seem that we’re all quite happy to write “chinky” rather than c*****. I wonder why that might be?

Given the choice between censorship and not when something is unclear, personally I’d always err on the side of not. If we jumped on every post that contained a word that could possibly be interpreted as offensive if you really tried hard enough, this would be a very draconian place. Is that really what you want? Sounds like a slippery slope to me. Er, oops.

Self-policing is better than overbearing moderation, is it not? I thought we were all supposed to be grown-ups.

Charlie did.

oh – ok – carry on then 🙂 Just don’t tar us all with the same brush.

Charlie – give it a break! Bottom line – unlike some forums, there has been a sensible, reasoned debate about this word. As Perchy says, our own internal filters are enough.

Exactly – or would you say “I t****ed him”? I’d certainly happily say “chink of light” or “chink in the armour”.

The words aren’t equivalent in the way CM keeps trying to argue – I don’t think it’s even a matter of opinion.

Ok, you’re just making stuff up now.I didn’t say it was offensive, i didn’t like it . The rest is just fantasy!

You didn’t say my local population was too stupid to understand?

Ahem…

The fact that ‘orientals’ round your way use it reflects perhaps that some people have given up.trying to educate the local population about the differences and instead just accepted the terminology of the locals

Although really I’m not sure what “locals” you refer to as there are plenty of international businesses and establishments that use “oriental” too

I thought we were all supposed to be grown-ups.

we are, but it doesn’t stop people from trying justify use of the word ‘chinky’. If it was banned, we wouldn’t need this long arguments, people would know that it was offensive (to some)

Ok, you’re just making stuff up now.I didn’t say it was offensive, i didn’t like it . The rest is just fantasy!
You didn’t say my local population was too stupid to understand?

Ahem…

The fact that ‘orientals’ round your way use it reflects perhaps that some people have given up.trying to educate the local population about the differences and instead just accepted the terminology of the locals

Nope, still don’t see it

…of course there are also other things in the “swear filter” – though this thread was too long already when I first opened it and I struggle with long sentences so it might have already been mentioned 😉

Nope, still don’t see it

Racists never do. 😉

Also you haven’t clarified if I should be similarly offended when someone uses “European” or “Western” or “Occidental”

Isn’t that pretty equivalent to “Oriental”?

As you put it “a very generic term… a compromise term.whichbi don’t particularly like … A way of covering up.the fact.that you don’t know where people are from but look a bit like these other people who are from out that way.”

Also you haven’t clarified if I should be similarly offended when someone uses “European” or “Western” or “Occidental”

similar to what?

I struggle with long sentences

also caught by the I N R A T S filter then?

“we are, but it doesn’t stop people from trying justify use of the word ‘chinky’. If it was banned, we wouldn’t need this long arguments, people would know that it was offensive (to some)”

On the other hand Chinky in the description of food sense is not banned by STW and isn’t listed as derogatory in the Dictionary. Plus in 2002 the BBC said it wasn’t racist after it featured in am episode of Vicar of Dibley.

So I reckon it *isn’t* racist and a handful of people are falsely claiming it is.

On the other hand Chinky in the description of food sense is not banned by STW and isn’t listed as derogatory in the Dictionary. Plus in 2002 the BBC said it wasn’t racist after it featured in am episode of Vicar of Dibley.

and subsequently? …. what is the position 15 years later? c’mon tell the full story

isn’t listed as derogatory in the Dictionary.

yes, you can find dictionaries which list it as such, but also others which list it as offensive?

I checked Dictionary.com yesterday and it didn’t list Chicky meals as racist or derogitory.

I don’t have access to the OED but if anyone else does I’m happy to take the OED as definitive on the current status of the term in that context.

In the meantime I’m seeing no evidence that the word in that context is derogitory or racist, except a handful of keyboard warriors who for all I know could be making it up.

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/chinky

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/chinky

I don’t have access to the OED but if anyone else does I’m happy to take the OED as definitive on the current status of the term in that context.

The OED online defines it as informal, offensive (though granted the online edition is a pretty poor reference compared to the real thing)

They also list “oriental” as offensive. 😕

If it was banned, we wouldn’t need this long arguments,

How naive.

If it were banned, we’d have long arguments about a) why it was banned and whether it was ridiculous and heavy-handed and how we’re all PC leftie hand-wringers, and b) why a gazillion other words weren’t similarly censored when “chinky” is. Plus everyone would just start writing “chinkie” anyway.

We’re damned either way, can’t please everyone.