Tip.It's Response to RuneScape Profanity Filter

[tripsis]

Tip.It's Response to RuneScape Profanity Filter

 

As most of you probably know, Jagex has now given RuneScape players the option to turn off the in-game profanity filter. As a result of this change, it will now be more common to have profanity visible in RuneScape screenshots/videos that are posted on Tip.It. Previously, such profanity was not allowed under any circumstances, as not only was it censor evasion in-game but also, in a sense, censor evasion on Tip.It. However, for the sake of convenience, we have decided to make a few changes to our policy, as outlined below:

 

Profanity will be permitted in RuneScape screenshots and videos posted on Tip.It only under the following circumstances:

 

• The image/video is placed in hide tags and the title of the tag must warn the user of profanity. As an example:
   
  [hide=Warning: Contains Profanity]Image or video here.[/hide]
   
  

  [hide=Warning: Contains Profanity]Image or video here.[/hide]

  
  

• The profanity is not excessive. Moderator discretion will be used here, but please just use common sense! A few bad words are okay, the entire chat box being flooded is not and should be edited out. The point of the screenshot/video may not be to display swearing.
  
• It is not negatively directed at any person or group of people.
  
• It is not in a signature, avatar or anywhere else on a profile. No profanity may exist in avatars, signatures or profiles, regardless of whether or not they are placed in hide tags.

We hope that these rules are fair and more convenient than our previous rules :) If you have any doubts about whether or not something is appropriate, you should edit out the bad language in an image editing program or contact a Tip.It Administrator or Moderator to seek approval before posting.

 

Remember, the above rules apply to RuneScape screenshots and videos only. Profanity is still disallowed in all text in forum posts and non-RuneScape images/videos (exception: see below).

 

In other profanity-related news...

 

We have also decided to lighten up our rules regarding profanity in music. We understand that profanity is extremely common in all genres of music and we do not want to be overbearing by strongly applying our word censor to music. As such, profanity in music will be permitted under the following circumstances only:

 

• The video must be placed in hide tags with a profanity warning (see above section on RuneScape screenshots/videos for example).
  
• Only moderate amounts of profanity are permitted. Moderator discretion will be used here, but please just use common sense! If the profanity is so little that you barely notice it's there, the video is fine. If the profanity is so frequent that it becomes painfully obvious, it is not permitted.

 

If you have any questions regarding these rule changes, please feel free to post here or PM an Administrator privately :)

 

- Tip.It Staff

[Triquos]

Ok thanks for the news :)

[Jimmyw3000]

cool :)

[Sam]

Hopefully this'll make posting a little less restricting :)

[stonewall337]

Still not sure why we should care if someone swears or not. It is possible to set up our own OPTIONAL filter.

[tripsis]

It is possible to set up our own OPTIONAL filter.

Actually it's not. Or if it is possible, it would be pretty difficult to do. On IPB words are censored before the message gets displayed (I forget the exact terms Peter used to describe this :P). But that's what would make it extremely difficult or even impossible to make the censor optional. The code would have to be entirely rewritten to make words be censored after the post goes through (censored in the display, not in the post itself). To better explain what I mean:

 

In phpBB this was not the case. If you made a comment with a censored word, it would appear censored when you looked at it. But when you went to edit your message, you would see the bad word. Because the words were censored in the display only - after the message went through. This made it possible/easy to toggle the censor off and on for specific forums and probably would have made it much easier to make the entire censor toggleable.

 

On IPB if you make a comment with a censored word, it appears censored when you look at it. When you go to the edit screen, you do not see the bad word you typed. You see the censored version. Because the word is censored before the post actually goes through.

[D. V. Devnull]

Maybe I'm just crazy, but this makes me [bleep] angry. Personally, I was happier with how it was before, and I really think it should not have changed. You're letting yourselves slip, Tip.It Staff!!! :angry:

 

Like, it's not bad enough that I (and anyone else with a well-raised, sensible mind) already have to deal with more profanity now on RuneScape, and that I have to keep that filter always on even though it can mis-censor a number of non-awful things?!? Couldn't Tip.It have stuck to their heavier policy, and kept really foul language out of this rather fine site and its' forums, even in screenshot/video form?!? :blink:

 

In my opinion, when Jagex changes something, that honestly should never bring an end to a cleaner/heavier policy on places like Tip.It's Site and Forums. Bending to peer pressures and changing policies only makes it easier in the future to let things devolve, and I know you can imagine where that's gone... <_<

 

~D. V. "Feeling like I've run into a wall filled with devolution... Heavier, cleaner policies were better..." Devnull

[tripsis]

We do our best to appeal to the majority and to convenience. For anyone who takes screenshots with the RuneScape filter turned off, it would be a major PITA to have to open them all in PhotoShop and edit out the bad language. But rest assured that profanity is still prohibited in non-RuneScape images and in regular forum text. And you always have the option of viewing profanity or not. All images containing profanity must be placed inside hide tags. If the profanity bothers you, simply do not open up the image inside hide tags.

[RunesRath]

Thanks Tip.It! Now I won't have to worry about seeing bad words (yeah, I used the kiddy version, DEAL WITH IT!!!).

 

I'm totally against profanity in every asspect, and now I no longer have to deal with in game (people are no longer trying to beat the filter) and I won't have to worry about seeing it in game.

 

Thanks!

[Beethovens29]

meh, seems fair. one thing though....i find the 'moderator's discretion' deal a bit confusing with censoring certain music. could you possibly put an example of an appropriate usage and an abusive? or when you say 'moderator's discretion' does that mean that each moderator would have a different judgment and that -examples- wud be an impossible thing show?

[Gandorf61]

meh, seems fair. one thing though....i find the 'moderator's discretion' deal a bit confusing with censoring certain music. could you possibly put an example of an appropriate usage and an abusive? or when you say 'moderator's discretion' does that mean that each moderator would have a different judgment and that -examples- wud be an impossible thing show?

 

If something's really on the line often multiple moderators will give their inputs before a decision is made. I don't have an example off hand (perhaps another moderator or admin can post one) but I think as long as the profanity in the song isn't excessive (to the point where there's a swear word in every line of the song) I think most music should be ok. I know one thing that was brought up when we discussed this was getting moderators with interests in certain genres of music to deal with the problems related to the music they listen to. This way they could be more familiar with a certain genre and could make better decisions on where to draw the line.

[tripsis]

meh, seems fair. one thing though....i find the 'moderator's discretion' deal a bit confusing with censoring certain music. could you possibly put an example of an appropriate usage and an abusive? or when you say 'moderator's discretion' does that mean that each moderator would have a different judgment and that -examples- wud be an impossible thing show?

When we say "moderator discretion" we mean that moderators will use their judgment when deciding if something crosses the line. We use moderator discretion when we find it exceedingly difficult to lay out specific rules. By that I mean, we don't find it very realistic to come up with rules like "10 or less swear words in a song is okay, but anything more than that and it is against the rules."

 

As Gandorf said, most music should be fine. We just don't want like an f-bomb in every single line of the song, totaling to like 30+ uses of the word.

 

If you ever have any doubts or are concerned about whether or not something you want to post is appropriate, just PM it to a moderator or administrator and we'll let you know :)

[Ren]

I feel like I shaved off 15 days of my life by reading every post above me................Wtf.

[D. V. Devnull]

meh, seems fair. one thing though....i find the 'moderator's discretion' deal a bit confusing with censoring certain music. could you possibly put an example of an appropriate usage and an abusive? or when you say 'moderator's discretion' does that mean that each moderator would have a different judgment and that -examples- wud be an impossible thing show?

If something's really on the line often multiple moderators will give their inputs before a decision is made. I don't have an example off hand (perhaps another moderator or admin can post one) but I think as long as the profanity in the song isn't excessive (to the point where there's a swear word in every line of the song) I think most music should be ok. I know one thing that was brought up when we discussed this was getting moderators with interests in certain genres of music to deal with the problems related to the music they listen to. This way they could be more familiar with a certain genre and could make better decisions on where to draw the line.

When we say "moderator discretion" we mean that moderators will use their judgment when deciding if something crosses the line. We use moderator discretion when we find it exceedingly difficult to lay out specific rules. By that I mean, we don't find it very realistic to come up with rules like "10 or less swear words in a song is okay, but anything more than that and it is against the rules."

 

As Gandorf said, most music should be fine. We just don't want like an f-bomb in every single line of the song, totaling to like 30+ uses of the word.

 

If you ever have any doubts or are concerned about whether or not something you want to post is appropriate, just PM it to a moderator or administrator and we'll let you know :)

Hmm... For the purposes of this discussion, I think I can provide reasonable examples (with clickable linking) of alright and not...

 

Alright --

(The above is only posted as a helpful reference for the discussion!)

 

NOT Alright --

(The above is only posted as a helpful reference for the discussion! Yes, I did censor part of this title... Who wants to read an f-bomb?)

 

These two sound about right for examples of what you meant, tripsis and Gandorf61? :)

 

 

(Off-topic: In case you're wondering, I did have these bookmarked months prior for times when I'm in a bad mood. No intentional hunting was involved. They just seem handy for this discussion and instance. ;) ... Now, pardon me while I go back to listening to "Parker Meinecke - Tetris Remix Song B [w/ Break]" :P ...)

 

~D. V. "Just lending a helpful thought in a crazy place..." Devnull

[meili]

Ok, got it. Now I just need to learn how to use the hide tags. :)

[RlPT]

good to know