The male reproductive organ

[Bicycler]

Would it be possible to allow the correct anatomical term for the male member (the 5-letter p word) without it being automatically edited to "[unpleasant word removed]"? Whilst colloquial terms for the article in question are used in many vulgar expressions and insults I have never heard the correct term used in this manner. I note that 'vagina' being permitted hasn't resulted in any incorrect or inappropriate use on the forum. Being able to use the correct inoffensive terms just removes the need to use alternate terms which may actually be offensive (but not automatically filtered) or resort to some kind of Frankie Howerd-style double-entendre.

Also who gets to decide that they are "unpleasant"? Half of the world's population are quite attached to theirs

[georgew]

^^^^^^^^^ Absolutely right.

Not only is this policy calculated to bring ridicule to the forum, I personally find it offensive.

[Mick F]

Having tried to describe a female dog we once had, I used the B word, and it was refused!
We had a discussion about one of our armed forces. The ones that fly. You can say RAF, but not type it out longhand.

I understand that the forum software automatically takes out some words, but is able to be edited manually.

The Mods will read this section, so I expect one to come on, but it will need Admin to change something.

[Si]

Yeah, I think that our spell checker dictionary is American and so allows certain words that it shouldn't but gets unhappy about some that ought to be OK if used properly.

[661-Pete]

Oh dear, let's not get into tangles over profanity filters that saw me falling foul of the Mods (all 58* of 'em) on the astronomy forum which I used to post on, but where I am now presumably persona non grata....

It was over several words, but the main bugbear was "tits". Have just checked - it's OK here! Trouble was, lots of astros are also keen birdwatchers, and not being able to refer to several of our most familiar garden visitors was a bit of a pain-in-the-proverbials**. Some of us took to using the Latin names: Parus caeruleus, P. major, etc. - just to confuse the Mods even more...

*Actually I tell a lie. Of the 58 Mods, I know two of them personally and they're perfectly decent guys. And one of the others is deceased. I don't know whether it's the only internet forum with a dead Moderator on its lists, but I'm guessing here. Anyway I don't think he took exception to my posts while alive, let alone while deceased.

**I avoided the 4-letter word (3-letter in USA) beginning with 'a', just in case.

[gaz]

You can say RAF, but not type it out longhand.

[pantomime voice]Oh Yes You Can[/pantomime voice]
Royal Air Force

[Mick F]

Well done Gaz.
I forgot that that anomaly was sorted.

Royal Air Force.

[Audax67]

If you use accented characters you can write anything you like - the dictionary doesn't recognise them.

[661-Pete]

If you use accented characters you can write anything you like - the dictionary doesn't recognise them.

Or Суrіllіс characters - even better since many of them are indistinguishable from their Western lookalikes.
Try searching for the word "Суrіllіс" in this post - you may get a surprise!
Note: I probably shouldn't be telling people all this - might give them the wrong idea! But surely we're all grown-up now!

[Audax67]

But surely we're all grown-up now!

The problem is that the prudish can't differentiate between biology and porn, and Americans provided the dictionary.

[Bicycler]

Yeah, I think that our spell checker dictionary is American and so allows certain words that it shouldn't but gets unhappy about some that ought to be OK if used properly.

Is it used as a profanity in America then?

The only inappropriate use I can imagine being regularly encountered is in spam. Ideally this gets deleted anyway. If spam went unchecked I'm not sure deleting the word and having a board filled with "How to enlarge your [unpleasant word removed]" would be any improvement.

Also, why is this word singled out as "unpleasant" where others are "inappropriate" or "rude"? My years spent living with a feminist made me aware of the need to be very careful about how we portray others' bodies and parts. They are what they are. They are natural. They are not embarrassing. They are neither rude, inappropriate nor unpleasant

[breakwellmz]

Oh dear, let's not get into tangles over profanity filters that saw me falling foul of the Mods (all 58* of 'em) on the astronomy forum which I used to post on, but where I am now presumably persona non grata....

It was over several words, but the main bugbear was "tits". Have just checked - it's OK here! Trouble was, lots of astros are also keen birdwatchers, and not being able to refer to several of our most familiar garden visitors was a bit of a pain-in-the-proverbials**. Some of us took to using the Latin names: Parus caeruleus, P. major, etc. - just to confuse the Mods even more...

*Actually I tell a lie. Of the 58 Mods, I know two of them personally and they're perfectly decent guys. And one of the others is deceased. I don't know whether it's the only internet forum with a dead Moderator on its lists, but I'm guessing here. Anyway I don't think he took exception to my posts while alive, let alone while deceased.

**I avoided the 4-letter word (3-letter in USA) beginning with 'a', just in case.

Equus asinus

[Audax67]

Nice bit in Neal Stephenson's Baroque Trilogy when he mentions Charles II's raising of a particularly prudish character to the peerage as Lord Penistone, just so that he would have to write The Word every time he signed his name.

[Graham]

Ah yes - that rigorous and systematic procedure that we used to setup the word substitutions on this forum.
. . . . there wasn't one !!!

I just sat in front of a screen and thought them up. When I thought I had run out I asked a couple of other CTC staffers to think up some more.

We sat there chuckling and gaffaw-ing like small children uttering the naughty words ! Ah, happy days.

Complete & consistent ?? Nah !

And then the spammers came along and provided more creative opportunities.
?? How to warn our users and ridicule the spammers . . . . Use ridiculous word substitutions !!

Nike "Air Force" trainers created a bit of a kerfuffle though.

Few spammers make it through to public view these days, so after one forumite threatened to go-nuclear about the "G u c c i" substitution, I cleared them all out.

Should I be removing the naughty-bits word-substitutions now ??

[gaz]

Could you please bring back the [polystyrene hat removed] substitution.