A clarification on swearing (all please read)

This has been added to the site rules, but the no swearing rule applies not only to text but also to other posted material (including images and videos). If you are in the habit of posting images or videos with swearing, then break the habit as it can lead to the same warnings as regular swearing. A reminder as well (though this has been in the site rules for a long time) is to not quote people that have been swearing, as quoting material can be as bad as the original post. If you need to quote a post with swearing in it then edit it out please (whatever for the swearing was in.)

@razzatazz: Can we edit images with swearing materials and photoshop the word out?

@victorgrey: Yes, if you want to go to the trouble

Do words like h*ll and d**m count? Or only words like the f-bomb or s word and so on?

@razzatazz: What if it's a scan of a certain character saying damn or shit? Or if we didn't notice it? Like a discussion or respect thread about The Walking Dead or Marvel MAX would contain some dialogue that may not be appropriate, but is apart of the story nonetheless.

Also I have a tendency to say badass. Like, "Wolverine was a total badass while fighting Sabretooth." Or "Wow Spider-Man was kicking some ass in his newest movie trailer." Is that a problem there?

Also how about Kick-Ass? It's his superhero name and the name of his franchise.

(No I'm not trolling or trying to be annoying, I'm just trying to avoid any future conflict.)

I think ass, damn (as long as god isn't in front of it. For some people that makes a difference) hell, and crap are fine. I still don't understand why they think something like sh!t is any different from the original word, but I guess that's just the rules.

@gor724: Awwww so no more jokes about "The G*damn Batman" D:

I've always guessed thats been a rule. Maybe ask a mod or something if thats allowed. Just in songs and on TV they have to block it out so I just assumed.

i'll just leave this here...

Krl, vice fool there, qiso vei....vapa put keep are you. >_>

@gor724: @transformers1024: All those words you both use are fine, Badass, Kick-Ass, even the one commonly used with Batman, but with the latter one, its really just don't abuse the word/term offensively.

As far as comic scans go, if it includes the four letter short hand term synonymous with fornicate for example or the other expletives around that caliber then its required that posters use whatever digital software/programs to edit over it, blur it or put a black bar over the word if they wish to post it in the forum. Understandably some posters might innocently post some scans without realizing there is a small line of dialogue breaking the rules, so can depend on the situation, some lenience may be afforded but repeat offenders should be more careful and may be given warnings.

I personally like The Boys series, which has a lot of swearing. When I upload my favorite parts of it to the forum I am going to have to censor it quite a bit with black bars, blur, etc.

@sc: What's the point of censoring swearing with comic scans when this is a comic forum dedicated to readers who read comics scans, which has swearing? It seems pointless to me. A waste of time to enforce too.

@pyrogram said:

This is a forum dedicated to readers who read comic scans? No wonder the arguments about comics are so bad if no one is actually reading the comics heh heh. ^_^. So a lot of comics out there have hardcore and graphic depictions of sex, but that doesn't mean because ComicVine is a website for and around discussion of comics that that material can be posted in the forums. It can be discussed to a point, but CV is a child friendly website. So the point is that certain words that can't be said by users also can't be used in images and gifs and videos. This has always been the case, some posters have been slipping recently.

Its actually pretty easy/non time consuming to enforce so no worries there either.

@sc: C'mon we both know arguments like "Graphic depictions of sex" are a completely different ballgame and cannot be compared to petty swearing such as sh!t or f*ck used within a stories context etc...I understand the intentions for such a rule, but saying this is a child friendly site does not excuse the fact this is a comic site, for comic readers, so why censor comic dialogue?

So what if I am posting a video and it contains a F-word in it somewhere? Like a AVGN episode or a GTA video for example. Is this a bad thing too now?

Fack.

BB

@pyrogram said:

No appeals to 'come on' or sharing the same knowledge as I will work with me I'm afraid. If so I would say "come on, we both know that things are relatively as different as they are similar, so no one should try to make an absolute comparison between graphic depictions of sex or expletives, but thats not the point, come on who would think that", "come on comparison is relative, not absolute, all things can be compared, its not an attempt for identical parallels naturally" and "come on, if you actually understood the intentions for a rule then there would be no but" and "come on the same rules that apply to forum posts apply to images how hard is that to understand?" except if all that were true this wouldn't be a point of contention would it?

if you personally feel that petty swearing within a comic panel is okay, thats fine, the owners and original rule makers of this site just believe differently. The comparison is very succinct, some comics exist for adults and adults only, but this is a comic book site for more people than just adults. Incidentally conversion and discussion about adult orientated comics can still be had, just that it has to be more subtle and abide by the rules of the forum. You can try to make an appeal to staff if you wish.

If its sparse just put a warning or disclaimer of some sort that video may have some swearing. Video can't have uncensored swearing in its title though and moderator discretion may vary here but contents of video can play a role. Some posters have posted videos with excessive constant swearing and slurs in it with no real reason to post such a video. Naturally thats going to get a warning where as a 20 minute Lets Play video with a few random curses uttered won't especially if there is some sort of disclaimer.

The owners and original rule makers of the site are truly out to improve Comicvine in the best way they can, are they? They pull out updates that nobody ask for out of the door that cause a insane amount of glitches and bugs, now they have to put a tighter leash on what we are supposed to post or not. I think that is why the activity's feed was updated to show what are users posting so that everyone can see clearly. I guess if we don't put a disclaimer saying this video contains f-words, Zero Punctuation's videos are banned, as well as rap songs where the artist uses the word mutherf***er with the same frequency as a comma. Hell 70% of content on Youtube is banned in this case. Its alright then, its their site and their rules anyway... Doesn't make any less them shortsighted and/or that they don't acknowledge a world outside of Comicvine, but there you go.

Oh, you can make a case that kids might be watching and its true, but you think that just the poster putting on a disclaimer saying this video contains bad words will stop them from clicking in the video? This is ridiculous. Of course you can say, but these are the rules and regardless you may feel about them, you have nothing to say against them and you must obey. If it was not for the friendships that I made here in this site, I would have long since left since last's years relaunch. But then again, not like my departure would make any difference as I've seen how dismissive other are to users who put a insane amount of effort into this site, only to be spat back as if they are nothing. If I said "screw it, I am abandoning ship", I would have being met with scorn and sooner forgotten by the community in 2 hours max.

Go on defend the owners and original rule makers all you want... Just a heads up, I hope you guys are more tighter on trolls that have being getting away with impersonating users, posting unnecessary sex threads in the boards or perhaps you know, hackers, if you are willing to go down in something as frivolous as this.

EDIT: Oh my apologies, who I am to tell you how to do your jobs anyway?

@deranged_midget: LOL To be fair I don't even read comics anymore. So scan readers already have a jump on me :P All I do is download the digital and salvage em for images XD

@sc: Amidst that verbiage I somehow understood what you were trying to say :P The only thing I could say to you is this, why can the mods not use their discretion? If we see the Punisher walking down the street swearing left right and center for no reason in a scan, fair enough. But if a scan of him having his legs chopped off shows him saying "sh!t" or something simple, and in context, why should that not be allowed? Can the mods really not use their discretion?

Funny thing is how true this is. The vine has so many issues and trolls and stupid Off-Topic posts and yet this strange rule gets enforced for no reason. Unnecessary.

@dragonborn_ct: @pyrogram: Guys can we relax for a bit. I for one, am of a different position regarding this rule. Despite that, we'd ask for your cooperation for the time being.

@deranged_midget: Cool cool, no worries. I'll back off lol

Thanks dude, it is appreciated.

......

O_____O

I guess I can only post the censored of Hip-Hop songs.......

And I hate clean versions. =(

Oh, well. Rules are rules.....

@pyrogram: I am not pissed off at you, m8. Just at this stupid decision... I am already bracing for the typical responses "Don't tell us how to do our job", "Remember your place, you have nothing to say about it" or "If you don't like it, you can just leave it"... I am already guessing my post will be deleted because I pointed out the inconvenient truth, and/or I will receive a warning for saying something that they didn't like to hear rather than breaking any rules.

TBH the "No Swearing" rule is the stupidest rule on this site

And you wonder why the guys in GiantBomb make fun of us over there...

I have no problem with a rule against swearing. However, swearing in videos should be completely allowed as long as you give fair warning. It would basically mean you can't post any Let's Plays, music videos, movie clips, or anything of that manner.

What if images and videos that had explicit language were posted following a forewarning, and/or a spoiler box?

Giantbomb fo life! :P

Dude, no one's going to speak down on you, especially not the moderators. That'd be a poor example of what a moderator should represent in my opinion. All I'm asking is that you bear with us ok? This is just me speaking and I cannot speak for everyone else but I do understand where a vast majority of users are coming from in terms of the rule recently instated.

the no swearing and censoring has ALWAYS been a rule...from day one

@dragonborn_ct: I's weird because even regular Marvel\DC comics say words like b!tch and b@stard and nearly every single writer and artist in th videos/podcast swears and I've even heard the staff swear on th podcast.

@danhimself:

It has, but it has gone through different stages of severity. Usually, mods/staff didn't care about images and videos, for the most part.

I am okay with the "no swearing" rule, but it didn't need to include videos or images that we use to show other people. The impression I am getting is that if I post a Zero Punctuation video, where its inevitable the Yahtzee will use profanity, that means I will be swearing myself and I will risk a warning over this. I guess the next step will be banning censored swear words, or hell, even foreign words since there is no way of knowing if they might contain a profanity.

Its not as fun as when the users are do it, you see.

@deranged_midget: represent!

I won't give any names (I am not stupid), but some of your colleagues disagree with your approach in dealing with users with dissenting opinions. I've suffered this exact kind of response in the past, as well as many friends complained about it, but I kept quiet about since nothing could have being done... But I haven't forgotten it this sooner or later. But in any case I will try to keep down about my frustration over this new rule as you request.

I already put it out from my chest what I needed to.

I really don't see the problem...there are places in real life where you can't swear...you don't walk into public places loudly dropping f-bombs for everyone to hear, (most) people don't talk to their grandparents and drop f-bombs in the conversation....well this is just another place where you can't do that....it's called being respectful of other people

@dragonborn_ct said:

You are a user at this website, you have every right to point out faults and criticisms that you think are fair and valid, you don't need to apologize.

What posters are getting away with things? Its simple, if you think or believe a user is getting away with something, bring it to a moderators attention or flag it. Just because you think something is frivolous however doesn't mean that that others do or that it isn't a concern. I know a lot of staff and moderators at this site have to address, deal with a number of problems that many won't realize they have to, its a type of volunteer work, much of it goes under appreciated and under recognized. Heads up are appreciated but hoping that people are more tighter on… incidents and situations they spend a lot of time trying to fix and solve? Honestly it seems like people making unfair assumptions and not a very sincere way to solve actual problems. This site has had some really bad users in the past, should we all forget about the spammers because they are more "frivolous" than posters trying to groom underage posters?

This is where asking for clarification is more than fine, in some cases it may be okay if attempts to warn posters about content is emphasized, just that there is a limit. Think about some rules at CV that you are in favor or and imagine a user trying to apply similar arguments. You can claim that the site is shortsighted, but if CV desires to cater to some users who prefer a child friendly environment then thats for them. Do you mean to imply that parents or posters that come to CV and appreciate certain guidelines and rules should get out from here because some users think some rules and guidelines are frivolous? Thats basically what it comes down to. This isn't a users versus authority situation, but some rules and guidelines being applied for some users benefit and some users questioning or criticizing that is fine, but it would be more effective for posters to have a good grasp about a situation and word arguments accordingly.

Me personally? I am the kind of person that thinks words have no inherent connotations therefore no words are taboo to me, but I also don't nudity or sex is taboo either. Except yeah CV is for more users than just me and I can understand why as well. I want others to feel welcome at this site and I do not feel that I am being impeded by having to choose alternative words to express myself or put disclaimers now and then for material that might unintentionally offend some.

This is more about responsibilities, liabilities and choice and how and why guidelines and laws have always existed. Of course all types of people will always do things that are advised against, warned against, and that have disclaimers, but having them there provides a defense from types of liability. The sites forums and wiki has different rules for example, because they act differently. Another rule at this site is the use of images, some posers have posted upwards of 40 images in one thread, they are required to put them in spoilers or use side by side imaging. Its a users responsibility to therefore decide about material they may be offended by, and gives them the ability to consciously avoid material they may be offended by.

As far as other users, well I do know that a while ago a popular Battles user was ejected from this site, with many unaware of what they had done and some commenting about how fair it was. If they actually knew what they had done they probably would have been deeply disgusted. You as well because their actions threatened and endangered someone I know you care about, potentially in real life. I am glad that CV is safe from that user now. This is one example, naturally there are other examples where posters have been ejected and left that are extremely different to that one example, but I personally think posters should be careful about the circumstances of others departures. That and I know for fact your departure would be a huge loss for this site as well as sadden many of your friends here myself included.

The mods can and will use their discretion, that should basically be considered the default. No one will get a warning for your latter example of Punisher, but there is a character in Punisher MAX called Barracuda who is guilty of saying pretty much every swear word ever as well as every racial slur, and gender/orientation slur ever (exaggeration but yeah) so pages with that character should not be posted on the forums unless the poster can blur a few letters/lines or throw a black bar across them. So mods can use their discretion, we merely ask that posters use theirs as well, and if they are unsure then ask a moderator, and this thread exists to simply clarify that posters should realize that the rules about swearing extend to images, gifs and videos as well. Many from the looks of it don't seem to realize that, hence the need to clarify.

@jedixman said:

If there was some merit to the video or images then I would be okay with that and I imagine most other moderators would but at the same time it potentially depends on the situation. Like in a hip hop thread talking about hip hop if a user desires to post a hip hop video that has casual swearing in it, and warning is given above the video and or if its in a spoiler as well then thats fine by me. Posting a meme of a cartoon Spider-man saying various swear words randomly in a Battles thread however has less merit and the user might get an informal warning, unless they continue to repeat the same behavior.

Basically mature posters should be aware the sire is intended to be child friendly and apply discretion. Otherwise generally the rules are meant to be comprehensible to a lowest common denominator, and those who may not be able to apply discretion as well as others have the black and white rules there for them.

@jonny_anonymous said:

G-Man usually has to signal or check a box or something from what I know if/when a podcast contains swearing, so some podcasts do have it but those should come with a disclaimer and some don't, since he has made a point to mentioned that he knows many parents like to listen to the podcast with their children, and that he has mentioned during some that he'll have to put up a disclaimer (like the time he and Babs argued about Batman). At least as far as I understand.

@sc: Who decides the implementation of new rules?

I kinda agree with this.

Sure everyone on these boards know I love to post Hip-Hop videos and the bulk of them contain some sort of cursing or another.

But I could live without it, in fact I can still post tons of Hip-Hop videos because th6're thousands of rap songs that don't contain swearing *cough* Rakim *cough*.

I get where the mods are coming from and I respect their opinion even if I don't like it or agree with it. Which I don't.

No swearing? It must be the end of the world. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

FAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

Thank you for not dismissing my concerns. Its not uncommon for both users and moderators to consider dissident opinions as out-of-place whining and I was genuinely expecting a "deal with it" response from other moderators.

Well, it has being quite a long time this happened, and like I said to Deranged_Midget, I won't give any specific names, but lets say for the sake of argument I keep a friend on a private message. S/he tells me they have being harassed by a troll for quite some time and while s/he did notify a mod about, the mod said that nothing could have being done. With it, I decided to notify another different moderator, and according to him, he gave a warning to the troll to back it off, something the first moderator could have done without problem. Then in the off-topic board, a specific troll made some inappropriate threads countless times, and while all of them were locked, he didn't apparently receive any warning and he got away with making five to seven threads. He has apparently disappeared for now, I am not sure, but if he was banned or not. But still he should think twice before posting any of those threads.

Okay fair enough... I just think its a bit of a overkill as of a few users that are parents worried because of their kids being exposed to their kids when users posted it out of context/didn't knew it contain a profanity or because of . I am not saying that the majority has or that we should get more freedom in saying what we want to, I am fine with people not swearing... And you may call it worrying out of place, but I have a feeling that if they feel is something is wrong and request it to be regulated, even if they don't make sense, then rules will take a bit more freedom from us bit by bit.

I am not a frequent user of the battle boards, so I don't know who exactly this user might be, but I can probably guess who it is (if its who I think it is, then I don't know how some people would protest that her/his ban was unfair.) I am not exaggerating when I say this was one of the best communities I have being part of, and I made several good friends here (yourself among them) that I hold as in much regards as in my persona life. I am not saying I will leave the site because it would make me extremely sad doing so, but I am telling the truth, considering else that I addressed lately about the site's updates, my friends are THE ONLY reason I still visit Comicvine. Not the battles, not the reviews, not the news, only my friends.

@pyrogram said:

If you are talking about this thread and swearing? Then these aren't new rules, these have been the rules from before I was even a poster at this site. The specifics were relayed to me by moderator Xerox Kitty and staff member Red L.A.M.P. and as always being a part of CV, given that Red Lamp helped create/engineer the entire site I'd be inclined to take him at his word. This is sort of why clarification on this subject is needed, there are no new rules, nothing changed overnight, its really more that some posters have seemed to not realize this and have been posting a lot of images/gifs/memes with expletives in them. Not the damn or badass type of ambiguous "aren't they or are they" allowed types, but the stuff that most people might avoid saying in front of their grandparents or young children and or get them kicked out of various real life establishments.

If you mean in general as far as implementing new rules, then a combination of moderators/staff depending on various details.

If your posting in a thread thats about hip hop or say your ask thread and you post a link to a song about hip hop that might have cursing, you can put a disclaimer before and after the video/link and or put it in a spoiler, thats fine. Randomly posting a video in a review or preview thread thats actually a reaction video of some sort with outraged cursing and swearing as a reaction to some sort of news or other poster is what we are trying to cut down on, eliminate and prevent. Probably half the moderators would prefer the site to allow swearing as well heh heh as far as personal preferences, but sometimes its just about enforcing site rules and sometimes those site rules are designed to cater to some people at the potential expense of others.

@sc: I'd advice removing this from the original post "This has been added to the site rules".

You forgot the Spice Girls reunion.