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Forum profanity filter needs an update
- Thread starter the8thark
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A few years ago I worked at Sony San Diego Studio. They are responsible for all of the sports-related Playstation games.
Among other things, I was responsible for a moderation system (interestingly, not just for in-game chat, but - for example - we had one game (Mod Nation Racers) where users can upload their race track designs. Guess what? Race track designs have to be moderated! (They are retro-moderated, basically somebody has to report them) since some people think it's funny to design race tracks in the shape of body parts - not CAR body parts!
As well, I dealt with backend for in-game chat. There was some chat server, but the messages first went through our Ruby on Rails backend. And there lived a data file of cuss words...
Lots of problems with that, primarily due to mixed-language conversations. Words that are cuss words in one language are innocent in another. We had to keep tweaking the list, and was never really very satisfactory.
I'm sure some "machine learning" could (and does? examples?) do a much better job. I would imagine, though, that most such filters use similarly-naive word lists.
Among other things, I was responsible for a moderation system (interestingly, not just for in-game chat, but - for example - we had one game (Mod Nation Racers) where users can upload their race track designs. Guess what? Race track designs have to be moderated! (They are retro-moderated, basically somebody has to report them) since some people think it's funny to design race tracks in the shape of body parts - not CAR body parts!
As well, I dealt with backend for in-game chat. There was some chat server, but the messages first went through our Ruby on Rails backend. And there lived a data file of cuss words...
Lots of problems with that, primarily due to mixed-language conversations. Words that are cuss words in one language are innocent in another. We had to keep tweaking the list, and was never really very satisfactory.
I'm sure some "machine learning" could (and does? examples?) do a much better job. I would imagine, though, that most such filters use similarly-naive word lists.
You need to remember that moderation is done as a team effort. More than one moderator will usually participate in the discussion that precedes any moderation event, but only one moderator will carry out the administrative part after a conclusion has been reached. That's how the software is set up from XenForo. So regardless of which moderator hit the button that sends you the message, the message itself was decided upon by the team.
Some moderators live in time zones that coincidentally make it easier for them to do administrative follow-up on the decisions that are made, so I'm not surprised moderation messages you might have received can come from a single moderator.
We all see all moderation done, so nothing is fly-by-night.
We're not in the business of twisting users' words, so I clearly misunderstood. But I do stand by what I wrote.
I understand from your comment that you personally don't recognize the situation that I explain, but all I can do is explain, not try to change your experience.
I disagree that the waters are muddy, but I do understand that you experience them as such. Given that I've already explained as best I can, I think we'll have to agree to disagree. You're welcome to continue to report those posts you feel are over the line, and you're welcome to send us questions via the Contact Us form anytime you feel we shouldn't have rejected a post report you submitted. We're always happy to explain.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a single moderator on the "team" that is willing to take a stand against racist abuse though is there....... Its a shame.
With the caveat that I've spent little to no time in the PRSI forum, in more than 11 years of being fairly active on this site, I don't recall ever seeing a single racist remark. If you see something like that, report it.
Unfortunately, I have, and yes, invariably in PRSI, a section that I visit less frequently than I used to.
How about homophobia? Check ANY Tim Cook post during pride month and it’s absolutely disgusting. This site regularly allows hate speech while remaining ridiculously anal in moderation of things that simply don’t matter: one word posts, gif responses, curse words.
Those homophobic hate posts should be reported, and most likely will be removed.
As far as the one word posts, memes, etc...they tend to clutter up MR. have you reported them? If not how are the mods supposed to see them?
Have you reported these posts? We are pretty strict about moderating posts like you described, but if it is not reported, odds are we won't see the comment. There are just too many comments to be able to see them all, so we do rely heavily on member reports.
You mean to say that you folks in the back room don't read, literally, every single post and thread on this site, the very moment it's posted and then moderate them all perfectly the first time and appease every single member and reader of the forum?
Pffttt....
Dear Sir,
You win the internet for 24 hours. I think that comment on a very funny way sums up the entirety of the discussions about moderation of late.
In that vein:
That's one of my top favorite memes ever. I keep that one on file and handy when I need to bring it out.
That's one of my top favorite memes ever. I keep that one on file and handy when I need to bring it out.
Normally, I really detest memes, (it makes for lazy posting, and for a visually disruptive page, when I prefer stuff without visual clutter) but I make an exception for this one, which is excellent.
I like swearing. Maybe because it brings out my childhood east London accent (which people here think is cool for some reason) or maybe because in the heat of the moment a sharp guttural four letter word often hits the spot. It's more for the person saying it than any audience. Usually when I swear there is no audience. Just me!
But for forum posts, which theoretically are not typed at exactly the same time the thoughts enter the brain, one can spend some time working out the most succinct (or humorous, or technically accurate - whatever) way to express one's thoughts. As it doesn't require that lovely exhaling release of a good swear, it shouldn't include any. I'm taking the 5th on how much I may swear whilst typing, though.
But for forum posts, which theoretically are not typed at exactly the same time the thoughts enter the brain, one can spend some time working out the most succinct (or humorous, or technically accurate - whatever) way to express one's thoughts. As it doesn't require that lovely exhaling release of a good swear, it shouldn't include any. I'm taking the 5th on how much I may swear whilst typing, though.
"You do something I don't like so I am going to level baseless insults at you in hopes of hurting your feelings."
How mature.