by Bonnie Sayers
Member since:
August 6, 2006

Profanity in comments - Flag, remove or ?

September 24, 2006 06:37 PM EDT (Updated: September 24, 2006 07:07 PM EDT)
views: 131 | rating: 5.1/10 (8 votes) | comments: 28

I came across this twice in the past few days and not sure how this is handled at the site.  I have placed the bulk of my 16 groups on moderation and when checking out an article yesterday for one of these family friendly groups, I noticed the F word in a comment. 

This word has nothing to do with my group on helping families and I felt it was distasteful to have an article displayed in such group with this word visible.

This is a predicament I did not feel comfortable being in as I did not know if I should mention to the author of the article that if that comment was not there I might have accepted the article - via private message or not.  I decided against it.

Today I noticed the same member commenting with the f word on an article I came across on the home page as featured.  I imagine anyone coming into the site through the home page after viewing a commercial on national television would have been quite shocked to see that.

I was also under the impression that the Editorial Team picks articles for the home page featuring.  So how does it handle when someone after the fact places a crude comment with profanity on an article? 

I imagine there are some authors that would not be concerned with this, but only one of my groups is flagged for adult conversation, and that is my http://fortysomethings.gather.com group. 

Is there a way we as members can flag an article for profanity in the comment section to alert others that this is there, or as a group owner can we tag it somehow or notify the author or the article or the commenter that it is not really necessary to use the f word in all comments here?

Has anyone else come across these and what are you doing as a group owner or the author of an article tha now has profanity in the comment section where you really feel it is out of line? 

I do not like seeing this and would like to discuss this with the community on how to make sure clean groups and articles can stay that way in family friendly groups.

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Comments: 28

Kevin (''The SiteWizard'') V. Sep 24, 2006, 6:41pm EDT
Bonnie, until Gather makes technical changes to provide additional flagging options, or a new comment system, there is little, if any, member control over words used in comments.
Selene N. Sep 24, 2006, 6:44pm EDT
Yeah I have the same problem. Someone commented with "flag-able" contents on my article that is not intended to be flagged. I appreciate comments, but I was a little annoyed by those kinds of comments.
Mary R Sep 24, 2006, 6:56pm EDT
Well anyone that uses that word is not very nice they should keep it in their bedroom if they want to use it I for one hate that distastful word and seems people use it any where now days and there really is nothing you can do until someone makes it a rule not to use such profanity any place. Some people I think it makes them sound really big and tough I guess but actually it belittles them to a great degree in my way of thinking. Sorry you got that Bonnie
Nancy S. Sep 24, 2006, 6:58pm EDT
Only the author can voluntarily flag the article, just to notify potential readers. Or you can flag it for Gather review.
In a free exchange of ideas, there cannot be censorship. If you don't like these kinds of comments, stay with the people you are comfortable with. Publish only to the groups.
Miz Lynn aka/BooBoo Sep 24, 2006, 7:04pm EDT
Good question, I've also wondered about this also....
Connie C. Sep 24, 2006, 7:18pm EDT
I had an article at which a "Spam" was posted in the comment section. I contacted Gather with all the details. Within a Day, Gather had emailed me and removed the comment. I was impressed with the timely manner that it was handled. I hate the "F" word.
Richard B. Sep 24, 2006, 8:17pm EDT
Words are absolutely terrible. I don't even understand many like the German, French and Spanish words. Most words have those vowels, consonants and various other signs in them, and some are just absolutely terrible.

Words are worse that bullets and head cut-off's to many I think.
John S. (arizona) Sep 24, 2006, 8:41pm EDT
One of the reasons that I wish Group Owners had more control somehow. The only thing you can do now is ask Gather to flag it, or delete the whole article.
Dawn M Sep 24, 2006, 8:52pm EDT
I was wondering the same thing. I find it rather disgusting reading an article and comments, and then to run into that kind of language which is totally inappropriate.
John B. Sep 24, 2006, 8:55pm EDT
Profanity is unnecessary, crude, rude and insulting to the reader. It shows a lack of understanding and limited vocabulary of the English language to use street gutter language
Sandy (Site Psychic™) Knauer Sep 24, 2006, 9:00pm EDT
Bonnie, unless the articles are published only to specific groups, I think you have to accept what you get from 'everyone'. My opinion only, of course, but when you publish to 'everyone' on a public forum, not everyone is going to react, behave, or speak the way you want. If you want to control how adults comment, you can make that known in your private groups and not accept anything that falls outside your expectations.
David Rochester Sep 24, 2006, 9:11pm EDT
I'd say that for oh, ever so many reasons, the Gatherites might want to petition for permission to moderate comments. It's quite silly that site owners do not have the right to remove a comment. That being said . . . personally I don't mind if I am trolled, sworn at, blasphemed, insulted, or showered with religious tracts, but I think I might be too tolerant.
Dorine H. Sep 24, 2006, 9:16pm EDT
We can ban people from posting to our groups. Can we likewise ban them from commenting?
Bonnie Sayers Sep 24, 2006, 9:24pm EDT
Thanks for the replies. I have not had any of my articles with the f word, and if I did I would do the same thing that Connie mentioned and contact gather. I felt bad rejecting an article to a group for families that had a comment in it and then I was quite surprised to read a featured article on the home page with the same f word in a comment from that same person on the other comment.

Does that make sense?
Kevin Weeks Sep 24, 2006, 9:30pm EDT
John,
"It shows a lack of understanding and limited vocabulary of the English language to use street gutter language"

It may indicate such a lack, but not necessarily. I have both an above average skill with English as well as an above average vocabulary and I use scatological, obscene, and profane language when it suits my purposes.
Sandy (Site Psychic™) Knauer Sep 24, 2006, 9:33pm EDT
Thanks, Kevin. I always laugh when I see that assumption "It shows a lack of understanding and limited vocabulary of the English language to use street gutter language" I don't know one highly educated person who does not use "gutter language" (which I will assume means the f word). Not one comes to mind, and I've scoured a list of at least one hundred names since reading this article earlier trying to find one.
Cortney R. Sep 24, 2006, 11:56pm EDT
i don't like the curse words myself. i don't see the need for words like that to be used, especially since there are so many other words that one can use. ito wish that there were a way to warn people as to the questionable language in the article, but just like someone else said, it is up to the person to flag the article.
Kathryn E. Sep 25, 2006, 1:01am EDT
Important topic and discussion. Flagging for language by the author, even if the only bad language is in the comments, is an option. You can notify the author of the dilemma you face re: group moderation. Otherwise, if it is really offensive, you can report the content (which includes comments) as objectionable.

I've made this a feature in Unofficial Gatherholics.
Porgie T. Sep 25, 2006, 1:48am EDT
Cheney used the F word on the floor of the Senate, profanity is a regular part of many TV shows today. Times have changed, and so have most of us. Use of such words today is not the BIG DEAL it was in 1956....lighten up a bit.
Mark James Sep 25, 2006, 1:47pm EDT
It's just a word. A very descriptive word. I feel that owners of groups and posts should have a way to ban the word(s), but it should be left up to the authors/owners discretion. Would WTF be O.K. for What the F**k?
Kevin Weeks Sep 25, 2006, 2:44pm EDT
Lisa,
"I do feel that comments made to specific groups, such as autistic families, etc., should be kept clean and done in a family-friendly manner."

I think it is just civilized behavior to avoid giving offense by accident. Being offensive on purpose is a different issue.

"There are idiots everywhere though, and here will not be an exception. "

Ferdamshure.
Jim D. Sep 25, 2006, 2:45pm EDT
If you feel it's inappropriate, delete it... send the author a note telling them why you deleted it (or didn't approve it, I'm not sure how everything on this site works yet) and then dump it and forget about it. There's a time and a place for everything, and a "family friendly" group is no place for bedroom talk.
Auntie Smedley Sep 25, 2006, 2:49pm EDT
But it wasn't the article that was offensive, it was a comment! You should not have to delete an article because of a comment made by someone other than the author. I think you should contact the person who made the comment and ask them to remove it.
It's a very difficult situation. Fortunately, I don't come across it very often. Best of luck to you. I agree, that an article shouldn't be flagged because someone can't express without profanity. Maybe create a group that doesn't tolerate cussing at all - in articles, comments?
There is something else that can be "tried" and I stress tried as it may/may not work. The person who comments to a family-friendly article on your group, can also be e-mailed, with the link to the article and asked, nicely to delete that comment, again, nicely stating the reasons as they have the option of reposting their comment, minus the bad words.
Myself? I only have one group such as that and I've had no problems, actually, it doesn't really bother me. And I have much less than 16 groups. I doubt I could keep up with 16 groups. Good job that you are, Bonnie.

Marilyn
Dorine H. Sep 30, 2006, 12:57pm EDT
Porgie:

Child molestation is so much more common now than in the past. Times are changing. Get used to it. Lighten up.

NOT!

Just because an evil, including gutter language used when not necessary (unlike Kevin's judicious and conscious use thereof) has become more common doesn't make it right. It just makes society coarser.

There is something to be said for valuing the niceties.

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