<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Censorship --> <!--X-From-R13: "Uert [hag" <tertNhav-pbea.qrzba.pb.hx> --> <!--X-Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 14:28:08 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 000001be917f$f3403ca0$5783e6cf@amd400 --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Censorship</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00102.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00104.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00104.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00105.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00103">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00103">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00103">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Censorship</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: "<A HREF="mailto:Mud-Dev#Kanga,">Mud-Dev#Kanga,</A> Nu" <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: "Greg Munt" <<A HREF="mailto:greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk">greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 15:03:53 +0100</LI> <LI><em>Importance</em>: Normal</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> > [Ben Greear, on new additions to ScryMud] > > Added some censoring code to purge the 4 or 5 words that > I feel have no contribution to human discourse. Beats > freezing or locking their sites I think... In my experience, a global implementation (applying it to all users) achieves negligible effects. I may be misremembering, but I'm sure I've seen something somewhere that someone has written about this. Maybe some Tiny-related site, or maybe just a needle in the DejaNews haystack. Anyway. Here's why global censoring doesn't work (IMHO, of course - also remember that I'm talking generally; some aspects of that written below may not apply specifically to ScryMud): 1. Without getting into the issue of whether it's right, or whether people should do it, the mainstream of English spoken by the current generation is rife with words that would have been considered 'lower class'/'vulgar'/'distasteful' in days gone by. You may have users using censored words, who are not intending to cause offence or disruption to your game. I'm aware of some people who have been led to challenging the managers of the game, because they are insulted by the removal of their freedom of speech. (Not to mention the fact that people get annoyed at censorship of their comments about cats.) 2. Of course, you may counter this argument by insisting that those who don't like it can leave - or will be made to. On another mud, run by a conservative christian, things were so bad that the culture was excluding a lot of people, even the mention of a tampon could result in 'social conflict'. My point here, is that once you start on this road, how far are you willing to take it? By how much do you wish to restrict the number of people attracted to your game? Note that although the mud in question had strict rules concerning lingual expression, making it appear (unattractively, to some) 'squeaky-clean', the real situation, underneath the surface, as it were, was that people were still insulted, hurt, all that. Clubs will always find a way. You can divert the course of a river, but you can never stop it flowing downhill. 3. You can get around ANY censorship code. Clubs can still p1ss people off. People will always find new ways at hurting others. 4. When you put yourself in the position of protecting Hearts from Clubs, it can be a never- ending and thankless job. It will become infinitely complex and difficult. Are you an unseen and all-seeing god/mud maintainer, or you a crusader fighting for the weak and defenceless? Don't get involved in social issues with your players unless you (a) intend to spend all your online time dealing with people's problems, (b) don't mind getting into situations where you will have to make one of the two 'sides' your enemy, and (c) are adept at dealing with such issues. If you don't fulfill these criteria, you could go the way of many muds (I cite 'Island' as an example), and be brought down by politics. (Do you want these problems to make it so going onto *your* mud isn't any fun anymore?) The coder of the mud I managed did implement censorship code. The majority of administrators disagreed with it, principally because it interfered in freedom of expression. Plus, you don't need to use bad language to cause disruption. The implementation was not global, but was a flag, which could be applied to rooms or players. Public rooms were censored (private ones weren't); disruptive players were also censored (everywhere). Personally, I think that this kind of censorship interferes with the perception of the game world's reality. (This may be fine for talkers, which barely have a world, let alone a reality - but not for anything else.) If you have to have censorship, have it in the 'safe' public areas of the world, but never in the areas where you are likely to get mugged, murdered, raped, or all three. Preferably, have the use of 'bad' words controlled in-game (eg overuse/complaints get you detained by the authorities) rather than through the code. This will encourage a culture that doesn't even try to use these unacceptable words. (Assuming that this is something that you want to encourage.) You would then have culture clashes between people from the 'safe' and 'bad' areas, which could lead to NPC conflicts, etc. (I'd say war, but I may be being influenced by Babylon 5 reruns.) On my mud (eternally in the planning stages), people will be able to block/gag characters they just don't want to hear from, removing the need for censorship. Hmm, but now I think about that, it sounds less than satisfactory. I'm rambling now. These are my thoughts, and probably no-one agrees with them, ah well. No matter. At least I posted :-) A minority opinion is always better than no opinion at all. Y'all may be interested that I'm no longer in England, but am further south than the deep south, in the Bahamas, preparing for marriage. If hell exists, cockroaches live there. (I said "Y'all", things *must* be getting to me.) Greg. _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev maillist - MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00105" HREF="msg00105.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Ben Greear <greear#cyberhighway,net></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00102.html">[MUD-Dev] Monthly FAQ Posting</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00104.html">[MUD-Dev] Interview I did that may interest you</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00104.html">[MUD-Dev] Interview I did that may interest you</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00105.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00103"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00103"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00111" HREF="msg00111.html">[MUD-Dev] AW: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong>, Hofbauer Heinz <a href="mailto:Heinz.Hofbauer#Funworld,at">Heinz.Hofbauer#Funworld,at</a>, Fri 30 Apr 1999, 07:11 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00114" HREF="msg00114.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] AW: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Sat 01 May 1999, 19:57 GMT </LI> </UL> <UL> <li><Possible follow-up(s)><br> <LI><strong><A NAME="00123" HREF="msg00123.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] AW: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong>, Damion Schubert <a href="mailto:zjiria#austin,rr.com">zjiria#austin,rr.com</a>, Mon 03 May 1999, 16:01 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00104" HREF="msg00104.html">[MUD-Dev] Interview I did that may interest you</A></strong>, Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Wed 28 Apr 1999, 21:28 GMT <LI><strong><A NAME="00103" HREF="msg00103.html">[MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong>, Greg Munt <a href="mailto:greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk">greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk</a>, Wed 28 Apr 1999, 21:28 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00105" HREF="msg00105.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong>, Ben Greear <a href="mailto:greear#cyberhighway,net">greear#cyberhighway,net</a>, Thu 29 Apr 1999, 06:40 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00106" HREF="msg00106.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Censorship</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Thu 29 Apr 1999, 22:05 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00108" HREF="msg00108.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Censorship</A></strong>, Shawn Halpenny <a href="mailto:malachai#iname,com">malachai#iname,com</a>, Fri 30 Apr 1999, 06:49 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00113" HREF="msg00113.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] Censorship & Its Impact On World Immersion</A></strong>, Greg Munt <a href="mailto:greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk">greg#uni-corn,demon.co.uk</a>, Sat 01 May 1999, 19:55 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>