In response to censorship on a writing site
On a writing site that I have recently been frequenting, one of the members (I think he's an admin or something) posted the following:
"This is my opinion. Swearing should be avoided on a writing site. There is no room in the English language for swearing. But if a member swears, then as long as he does not go overkill, he can do it."
I'm rather proud of my response, so I figured maybe you would enjoy it as well. Here was my reply:
Avoided? I disagree completely. If anything, I would expect there to be no restrictions on vocabulary on a writing site. Negative connotations that are associated with a word (or several words) shouldn't have any impact on the use of the word(s). In fact, the negative associations of such words only add to the impact such words can have. Banning a list of words from use on a writing site is like banning a color on an art site. Everything should be available to a writer.
In stories, curse words add to the flare of some characters. It gives the reader a feel for the narrator, or the internal dialogue of some characters. If a certain character only curses while in the company of a specific other character, this can lend the reader some additional insight to the relationship(s) between these characters.
It should not be avoided, but rather embraced. Fuck restrictions and constraints, they do little for the advancement of any art form. Can you imagine where art would be today if the members of the impressionist movement had listened to the critics who claimed that their art work was of poor quality and should not be considered art? Where would music be today if the Beatles and Elvis agreed that Rock and Roll was the devils music? Where would civilization be if the Wright Brothers had agreed with those who said that "if man were meant to fly, he would have been born with wings,"?
Curse words are not just something to spit out in order to offend people, they can also be quite effective in driving home your point. "Get off of my property" does not have the same effect as "Get the hell off of my damn property". "Shut your mouth" doesn't carry the same weight as "Shut your fucking mouth." Sure, the inclusion of these words can add to the anger of the statement, but that's exactly the purpose of their use in the above examples.
I would much rather see a banning and deletion of all 1337 speak and chat talk than a restriction on curse words.
"This is my opinion. Swearing should be avoided on a writing site. There is no room in the English language for swearing. But if a member swears, then as long as he does not go overkill, he can do it."
I'm rather proud of my response, so I figured maybe you would enjoy it as well. Here was my reply:
Avoided? I disagree completely. If anything, I would expect there to be no restrictions on vocabulary on a writing site. Negative connotations that are associated with a word (or several words) shouldn't have any impact on the use of the word(s). In fact, the negative associations of such words only add to the impact such words can have. Banning a list of words from use on a writing site is like banning a color on an art site. Everything should be available to a writer.
In stories, curse words add to the flare of some characters. It gives the reader a feel for the narrator, or the internal dialogue of some characters. If a certain character only curses while in the company of a specific other character, this can lend the reader some additional insight to the relationship(s) between these characters.
It should not be avoided, but rather embraced. Fuck restrictions and constraints, they do little for the advancement of any art form. Can you imagine where art would be today if the members of the impressionist movement had listened to the critics who claimed that their art work was of poor quality and should not be considered art? Where would music be today if the Beatles and Elvis agreed that Rock and Roll was the devils music? Where would civilization be if the Wright Brothers had agreed with those who said that "if man were meant to fly, he would have been born with wings,"?
Curse words are not just something to spit out in order to offend people, they can also be quite effective in driving home your point. "Get off of my property" does not have the same effect as "Get the hell off of my damn property". "Shut your mouth" doesn't carry the same weight as "Shut your fucking mouth." Sure, the inclusion of these words can add to the anger of the statement, but that's exactly the purpose of their use in the above examples.
I would much rather see a banning and deletion of all 1337 speak and chat talk than a restriction on curse words.
Labels: censorship, complaint
posted by donteatpoop at 10:08 PM
4 Comments:
Dear Admin:
Please bend over so that your head is positioned between your legs and you have a clear view of your hind quarters. Locate the stick and grab with a firm hand, two if needed. Now pull the stick out of your ass.
Sincerely,
The Log
Heh, nice...I agree completely. Curse words are in many stories a great way of making characters believable. Censoring them is definetly not the way to go.
"If anything, I would expect there to be no restrictions on vocabulary on a writing site."
If it's your site, do as you wish. If it's not, and that's a restriction they want to impose on something THEY'RE paying for, tough shit for you. Deal with their restrictions or find somewhere else to go. Pretty simple.
Anonymous,
I advised them that if they didn't want curse words to show to impose a word filter system, or to enforce the rule. The problem is, they enforce the rules on this site (which I will not name as I'm not trying to bring a bad mindset of the site as a whole) almost at random. Sometimes they care and don't want people cursing and swearing, and other times they don't mind. That's pretty much what brought the topic up, I busted out the f-word and an admin pointed out that it wasn't offensive or rude in the context I used it; and that he didn't mind it.
It needs to be one or the other. Enforce a no-cursing rule, or don't. Impose a system to filter the words like they have on worth1000, somethingawful, or plime.
It either matters or it doesn't.
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