to think I should not be threatened with a ban for questioning the use of offensive language?

[thefirstMrsDeVere]

I am a member of a very heavily moderated website. Swearing is not allowed at all, threads are pulled regularly if people are mean to each other, not threads about threads are tolerated and you are not allowed to mention anything said before on the boards at all. All these things will result in deletion and warnings.

I have been a member for years (before mumsnet even). There was a particularly nasty thread that was allowed to go on for pages which ended with a woman referring to children with LDs as 'being tapped in the head'..

I started a seperate thread wanting to discuss the use of disabilist language on the site and asking why words like bitch, whore and piss were not allowed yet retard, mong and spaz were.

I was told that some people might think it was ok to use those words so they couldnt filter them out, it wouldnt be fair.

I continuned to question this in a firm but polite manner and have now discovered I have been sent a message telling me that my style of posting is offensive and I have been taken straight to a final warning!

Not that I give a toss, the site is crap. I guess I am taken aback that you can be pretty much threatened into silence if you dare question the mods on this HUGE and well known site.

Its an issue that means a lot to me. If it was a site on which everything went language wise I wouldnt have bothered. But on this prissy site where you cant say bugger - you can call something retarded or monged out with no bother.

I think its bollocks and makes me glad I have mumsnet to come and tell people to fuck off on.

where it's weird and sometimes boldy, is where the asterixes are.

So it's still ok to use the offensive words but they will featured as asterisked.

Well done Netmums, perhaps now you could educate your members on disablism then perhaps you won't need the asterisks at all

Well that's a result!

Not really - the way they run their system is to say x words are offensive so you try and say them, no one else will be able to read them.

It's not how MN does things, but adding words which are disabilist at least means they are being treated as seriously as racist terms.

one of the words was chinky, which wasn't asterisked before, but has now been added.

By the way netmums - we're talking about it here, because everytime anyone tried to discuss it on your site it got deleted. Makes it really hard to have a conversation about something pretty damn important.

I do wish we had the 'like' facility though. LaWeasel, consider your post 'liked'.

Thanks nickel. :)

I agree with LaWeasel - that IS a result! Bloody good thing too.

MrsDV - have they unbanned you yet? They ought to.

...Why not? Swearing is wrong, disgusting and offensive.
Who do you think you are that you cant be given a warning....?

If you swear all the time STRANDEBEAR then you are a petulent teenager. websites have standards...... unlike you guys who think swearing is ok/fine.
OP even in one paragraph you have managed to use words like :-
fuck
bollocks
crap
toss
piss
A sign of a small vocabulary . . . .

Soooooo far after the parade it's just not funny

Fucking genius thread - sorry piano for being an adult who can, shock horror, swear should I choose to - and result for getting the issue debated and dealt with, to a point.

It's so bright over there though, makes my eyes hurt never to return

Thank god for reasonable people and reasonable intelligent chat.

piano10

A very reasonable point about what is and is not considered offensive, by whom and just how far our language should be eviscerated in the cause of "shock horror" avoiding offence.

Good Lord above!

I have not been able to get on because my work wont let me on any websites with norty words on them and that obviously makes MN very difficult to negotiate!

WOW, just WOW.

Thank you all for fighting for the cause. I am overwhelmed. I want it be clear that it doesnt matter what site it is - its not because its Netmums - its because of their pathetic and insulting response to my original thread.

I am sorry I missed the threads you have been on. I can imagine the sort of reponses you got. I have had the same sort when discussing other forms of bigotry within threads.

Guess I should head over and see if I have been barred...

the point is though piano - that we use the swearwords as swearwords, just words.
the offensiveness of the words used on NM was worse than swearing.
the point was that if they filter swearwords because young tender eyes shouldn't see them, then they should also filter out terms of offence.

Good point nickelbabe - I really loathe the idea of having posts moderated for swearing, totally different to terms of offense that are used in a vile derogatory manner.

piano's comment reminds me of:

"Oi, you, stop FUCKING swearing"

Just looked to me like she'd only read the first page...

FFS piano why dont you actually read what this thread is about?

Much more than fucking swearing.

So much fucking more...

Oh wow, well done everyone

Good work, am most impressed :)

Great result everyone

What r u on standedbear?... I have never been on Netmums. . . .