Censorship stupidity
What happened here over the weekend?
Seriously, what happened? It looks like a lot of normally rational, intelligent people took a whole heap of stupid pills.
Seriously. They guzzled those fuckers down like an alcoholic at a free bar ten minutes before closing time. Lets see if I’ve got this right:
For a few years now, if you tried to leave a note with certain offensive words, the system rejected it and you had to re-do the note. This system caused a couple of slight issues.
One of these was that, depending on the browser you were using, when you clicked the back button, you lost the entire note. (When I was on Firefox, I had this problem. Not so much now, cos I tend to use frak in notes instead of fuck. But then I do so in real life as well, to the extent that I’ve got one of my friends, who hasn’t even seen BSG, using frak [yes, I’m immensely proud of that].) If it was a particularly long note, this was extremely annoying.
Secondly, the system wasn’t perfect. People were having problems leaving notes with words like snigger in them, or phrases like ‘Don’t panic until told otherwise’ (shamelessly stolen from Krud, with thanks and apologies) due to the ‘offensive’ words in the note. The DM had received complaints about this.
So, at the weekend, he announced that the system had been refined so that, instead of simply rejecting the note, the offensive words were asterisked out. No words were added to the list. And yet, it’s NOW, when the basic system has been in place for a few years yet it’s just become more visible what’s happening, that people are crying censorship.
Are you shitting me? Seriously, this is a giant wind up and I’ll log on tomorrow to find that they were all doing it to fuck with the DM.
That’s the explanation. It has to be.
There is no difference now, except the fact that the note will ACTUALLY GO THROUGH. You won’t get an error screen. You won’t have to press the back button and hope the note is still there. How in the name of all that anyone may find even remotely holy is it now censorship?
I actually read in one of the entries complaining about this the person saying that before it was them that made the decision to go back and change the note. Really? I mean, really? You sure it wasn’t because the options were to change the note or not bother posting it to begin with?
There are also complaints that this was introduced without any warning. The first anyone knew about this was either a) when they read the DMs entry or b) when they left someone a note that was so affected. It is true that there is usually some kind of warning. But, in the entry before that one, the DM tells us about a change he has made to the bookmarks and friends pages. Again, without warning. Why no outrage about that change as well?
The bit that makes me laugh the most, however, is this. There are a lot of people who would like to make this optional, same as the type of note people can leave you. I agree with that, actually. If the capabilities are there then it should happen. However, not being a computer programmer, I have no earthly idea how easy it would be. Might be a quick job, might take a while.
But there are some of these people who are claiming that such functionality should be OD+/OD Lifetime members only. Thats fucked up. Really? Because you can afford to be on OD+ your freedom of speech, and the freedom of people leaving you notes, is protected but because I cant afford to be on OD+ (much as I would like to be again, I really cant justify the expense at this moment in time) Im fucked? Is that really freedom of speech, or was Team America right?
Besides, and purely in my honest opinion, the DMs time in this may be better spent solving actual problems, like the fact that when I was on OD+ I was told that I had the ability to upload photos and save them to the OD servers to make things easier to post in my diary. Except there was no use in me using this, as you can only post the pics in an entry using the WYSIWYG editor. And dont get me started on the fucking autosave thing.
Incidentally, the DM posted, while I was writing this entry, to say that he has now changed it so that the filter (which, as I said before WAS THERE FOR A FEW YEARS ALREADY) is optional. I, for example, have switched it off, cos I dont give a flying frak if you want to swear in notes you leave me.
Still posting this though. As the whole thing was stupid on a level that even George W Bush and Carrot Top would read it and say This whole argument is fucking stupid.
Will
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Well said! People freaked out! It was great. Crazy OD drama…
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Well said! People freaked out! It was great. Crazy OD drama…
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Well said! People freaked out! It was great. Crazy OD drama…
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I honestly believe people have WAYYY too much time on their hands to be upset about this stupid stuff!
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I honestly believe people have WAYYY too much time on their hands to be upset about this stupid stuff!
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I honestly believe people have WAYYY too much time on their hands to be upset about this stupid stuff!
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Wow, the new code must have happened while I was writing my latest diatribe as well. o_O (Because it wasn’t the case before I started, as far as I know.) Makes my latest entry a bit moot. So, I haven’t looked at it yet; is it a per-diary basis, or a “personal view” basis? Meaning if I enable swearing, will everyone see it, or if I disable swearing, I won’t see other people’s? I guess there’s one way to find out. (Well, two, if I include someone just telling me.) RYN: Thanks for the credit. ‘:)
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Wow, the new code must have happened while I was writing my latest diatribe as well. o_O (Because it wasn’t the case before I started, as far as I know.) Makes my latest entry a bit moot. So, I haven’t looked at it yet; is it a per-diary basis, or a “personal view” basis? Meaning if I enable swearing, will everyone see it, or if I disable swearing, I won’t see other people’s? I guess there’s one way to find out. (Well, two, if I include someone just telling me.) RYN: Thanks for the credit. ‘:)
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Wow, the new code must have happened while I was writing my latest diatribe as well. o_O (Because it wasn’t the case before I started, as far as I know.) Makes my latest entry a bit moot. So, I haven’t looked at it yet; is it a per-diary basis, or a “personal view” basis? Meaning if I enable swearing, will everyone see it, or if I disable swearing, I won’t see other people’s? I guess there’s one way to find out. (Well, two, if I include someone just telling me.) RYN: Thanks for the credit. ‘:)
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You’re not allowed to leave the diary master’s REAL NAME in a note, so I think I agree with you about censorship.
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You’re not allowed to leave the diary master’s REAL NAME in a note, so I think I agree with you about censorship.
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You’re not allowed to leave the diary master’s REAL NAME in a note, so I think I agree with you about censorship.
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Asterix this motherfucker!
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Asterix this motherfucker!
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Asterix this motherfucker!
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RYN: I did. Several times. My extreme objection to this next phase had to do with the fact that, at least the old way, my note wasn’t altered unless I was the one who changed it. To me, the asterisks were unforgivably obnoxious.
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RYN: I did. Several times. My extreme objection to this next phase had to do with the fact that, at least the old way, my note wasn’t altered unless I was the one who changed it. To me, the asterisks were unforgivably obnoxious.
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RYN: I did. Several times. My extreme objection to this next phase had to do with the fact that, at least the old way, my note wasn’t altered unless I was the one who changed it. To me, the asterisks were unforgivably obnoxious.
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Heh. Frakkity frak frak
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Heh. Frakkity frak frak
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Heh. Frakkity frak frak
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…As to “why now?” How the hell do I know? I don’t know why this didn’t bother more people from the get-go, but it didn’t. Suddenly you add asterisks and tighten the gaps that let other supposedly banned words through for ten years, and people got pissed off. I’m glad they did.
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…As to “why now?” How the hell do I know? I don’t know why this didn’t bother more people from the get-go, but it didn’t. Suddenly you add asterisks and tighten the gaps that let other supposedly banned words through for ten years, and people got pissed off. I’m glad they did.
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…As to “why now?” How the hell do I know? I don’t know why this didn’t bother more people from the get-go, but it didn’t. Suddenly you add asterisks and tighten the gaps that let other supposedly banned words through for ten years, and people got pissed off. I’m glad they did.
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RYN: Having the option to treat your readers like grown-ups? I disagree that isn’t a perfectly reasonable outcome, but we obviously beg to differ. We also disagree on the importance of self-correction. If I want my note watered down with stars, I will do that myself. If you tell me a word isn’t allowed, I will either find a way to get it in or choose another word I’m just as happy to use.<P> I haven’t lost a note since I started (A) recording all longer notes in Notepad before copying them over to OD, and (B) using Firefox instead of I.E., so I can’t really say I have any sympathy for people who have spent years at Open Diary without figuring out its habit of eating notes and how to work around it. Maybe it’s Internet Darwinism. Whatever.
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RYN: Having the option to treat your readers like grown-ups? I disagree that isn’t a perfectly reasonable outcome, but we obviously beg to differ. We also disagree on the importance of self-correction. If I want my note watered down with stars, I will do that myself. If you tell me a word isn’t allowed, I will either find a way to get it in or choose another word I’m just as happy to use.<P> I haven’t lost a note since I started (A) recording all longer notes in Notepad before copying them over to OD, and (B) using Firefox instead of I.E., so I can’t really say I have any sympathy for people who have spent years at Open Diary without figuring out its habit of eating notes and how to work around it. Maybe it’s Internet Darwinism. Whatever.
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RYN: Having the option to treat your readers like grown-ups? I disagree that isn’t a perfectly reasonable outcome, but we obviously beg to differ. We also disagree on the importance of self-correction. If I want my note watered down with stars, I will do that myself. If you tell me a word isn’t allowed, I will either find a way to get it in or choose another word I’m just as happy to use.<P> I haven’t lost a note since I started (A) recording all longer notes in Notepad before copying them over to OD, and (B) using Firefox instead of I.E., so I can’t really say I have any sympathy for people who have spent years at Open Diary without figuring out its habit of eating notes and how to work around it. Maybe it’s Internet Darwinism. Whatever.
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RYN: *cracks up* I’m not spending any more time on this. I got what I wanted, and I got it without having to deal with you. That alone is a massive victory. Enjoy your evening.
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RYN: *cracks up* I’m not spending any more time on this. I got what I wanted, and I got it without having to deal with you. That alone is a massive victory. Enjoy your evening.
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RYN: *cracks up* I’m not spending any more time on this. I got what I wanted, and I got it without having to deal with you. That alone is a massive victory. Enjoy your evening.
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Ive seen you’ve been round my diary and firstly I wanted to say: Love the name, Im a big buffy (and spike) fan. Secondly, all I wanted out of this was the optional thing which the DM so reasonably gave us. I am a lifetime member and do wonder where my $100 went to, its a lot of money so I think we are justified to know what exactly those dollars are going on and if we can have anything in the say of where they go. However, I never felt the OD+/Lifetime crowd should have exclusivity of the toggle. Laura 🙂
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Ive seen you’ve been round my diary and firstly I wanted to say: Love the name, Im a big buffy (and spike) fan. Secondly, all I wanted out of this was the optional thing which the DM so reasonably gave us. I am a lifetime member and do wonder where my $100 went to, its a lot of money so I think we are justified to know what exactly those dollars are going on and if we can have anything in the say of where they go. However, I never felt the OD+/Lifetime crowd should have exclusivity of the toggle. Laura 🙂
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Ive seen you’ve been round my diary and firstly I wanted to say: Love the name, Im a big buffy (and spike) fan. Secondly, all I wanted out of this was the optional thing which the DM so reasonably gave us. I am a lifetime member and do wonder where my $100 went to, its a lot of money so I think we are justified to know what exactly those dollars are going on and if we can have anything in the say of where they go. However, I never felt the OD+/Lifetime crowd should have exclusivity of the toggle. Laura 🙂
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