TECH, please can we have a facility to hide posters who...

I like a good old swear word, so, no I don't see the need.

Of out interest, would it be okay if 'cuntwhacker' was a man?

I thought this place was for everyone. And who decides what's normal?

For God's sake.

I can't believe people are getting their knickers in such a twist over seeing a few swearwords on a screen. Freedom of speech is sacred. Being offensive and using swearwords are not the same thing. I get offended by the likes of Richard Littlejohn, Kelvin Mackenzie, Nick Ferrari et al's fascist ranting because of the message they are putting across, not the particular words they use. But I defend their right to express their views, just as I value my right to express my own.

If you really are so over sensitive that you can't handle seeing odd shit or fuck perhaps you would be more at home on a different site.

MN, please don't censor.

hear hear daftpunk.

it's not alot to ask to have a name that isn't offensive...this is mumsnet...if you can't have a normal(ish) name on here then maybe you should move up to a site that's abit more "adult"

When people stop self moderating, then censorhips because on the agenda, but only then....

We already moderate our names - we don't have racist names, or names that make rape jokes or jokes about domestic violence - is that a terrible slippery slope?

"And you can't hide posters anyway. Entire threads wouldn't make sense."

So no change there then

I thought it was something to do with wanking! Oh well, there you go, just shows how complicated communication is, and you can't assume a shared meaning.

Well I suppose so Lulu

Most of the sweary-names I find a trifle embarassing, I think, more than anything. And I can't include any of them in the Roundup or it won't get through the spam-filters

Cuntwhacker is grim because IMO it's normalising a violent sexual act against women - the same reason the film Donkey Punch was offensive I suppose. I find the motivation behind such a name rather suspect.

From what I can see nobody is suggesting that language should be moderated within posts - I find poster names with swearing in offensive, I am neither old nor I think a 'prude' - I don't understand why people would want to choose a name that would clearly cause offence to a number of people - it feels a bit 'look how big and clever I am'

Dragonbutter is different. Neither Dragon or Butter has any offending qualities whatsoever. If you google it, and find out what it is, you may be enlightened to its rather disgusting nature. But as a name highligted in blue on mumsnet, it does not bother me.

But MP, can't this be a place where people can be a bit grownup and naughty? Real life can be repressing enough!

Ah yes 'In which case maybe this isn't the right forum for them?' I wondered when that'd be offered as an option.

Depends on whether we partake, QS

The point is that offensive names HAVE been objected to - e.g. racist names - and people have said 'sorry, didn't realise it upset so many people/meant that' and name-changed.

Offending for the sake of offending is a bit tedious.

Not necessarily, but DragonButter is certainly part of the esprit de whatsit now, don't you think?

"Shared language creates a shared identity"

and do we all agree that cunt whacker is part of our shared identity?

I'd far rather have a facility for checking that your name doesn't infringe on an existing poster.

Shouldn't we google you Hully? Are you offensive?

Maybe something along the lines of 'You can choose any user name you like, but please try not to offend other users'. A guideline more than a rule, just to make people think twice before choosing a name.

Of course, if they still choose something that offends people, well that's life. As others have said, we're all adults here and if you can't stop your child reading what's on here then that's your own problem not MN's.