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So we get warnings for "not being polite" and supposedly breaking rule number 1 if we post a self-edited swear word that uses symbols instead of letters.

Yet people use stand-in words like "feth" all the time.

What is the difference exactly?

Both are stand-ins and do the same thing, so why is one allowed and one isn't?

The difference is that 'feth' is a made up word that isn't actually offensive.

Using an exclamation mark instead of an 'i' doesn't make the swear word any less legible. It just makes you look silly.

insaniak wrote:The difference is that 'feth' is a made up word that isn't actually offensive.

Using an exclamation mark instead of an 'i' doesn't make the swear word any less legible. It just makes you look silly.

Anyone with even a basic grasp of English knows what other f-word feth stands for simply by the context of the sentences it is used in.


"Feth you". "Go feth yourself". "Feth off". The translation is very clear, and in the right context feth could very clearly imply a desire to be offensive. Again context is key.

using symbols to self-edit a swear word ( a sign of restraint) like saying "I feel like $-h-!-t" is somehow more offensive by default?

Again there is a difference between self-editing with symbols to say something without saying it (as feth is used) and doing it with the goal of bypassing the swear filter out of defiance in the context of trying to be offensive.

Could you simply not just swear/attempt to avoid the swear filter?

I swear as much as anyone in real life, but it's not difficult to avoid doing so online.

Just Dave wrote:Could you simply not just swear/attempt to avoid the swear filter?

I swear as much as anyone in real life, but it's not difficult to avoid doing so online.

That isn't the point.

I'm trying to understand dakka's/the mods stanceas to how one is acceptable and one isn't when both appear identical in function to me...

Wait is d- word, h- word okay then?

Maybe it's a case of one simply being the lesser of 2 evils?

I understand what you're saying, but I also understand the stance of him(s) upstairs, and as I said, it could be a moot point anyway by simply avoiding it.

feth and gak are 40k-isms from black library works. They add gaming related character in place of actual swear words. Using other symbols to make readable swear words is getting around that gaming spirit, and is less pleasant to read.

While you can still apply your original argument to the above in part, I'll trump it by stating that this is the way the owners/operators of the site like it, this is the way we want it to be, and we will penalise those who dont adjust to this quirk of dakka's community. Sounds harsh, but want to make it clear that it is something we dont tolerate.

legoburner wrote:feth and gak are 40k-isms from black library works. They add gaming related character in place of actual swear words. Using other symbols to make readable swear words is getting around that gaming spirit, and is less pleasant to read.

While you can still apply your original argument to the above in part, I'll trump it by stating that this is the way the owners/operators of the site like it, this is the way we want it to be, and we will penalise those who dont adjust to this quirk of dakka's community. Sounds harsh, but want to make it clear that it is something we dont tolerate.

Fair enough (doesnt make sense to me, but your house, your rules and all that).

Now just to clarify: it was stated above by a mod that "feth isnt offensive". Is it that feth is NEVER offensive or is context considered?

We can tell someone to "feth off" without sanction?

CT GAMER wrote:"Feth you". "Go feth yourself". "Feth off". The translation is very clear, and in the right context feth could very clearly imply a desire to be offensive. Again context is key.

It certainly is. And any of those applications of the word would be just as likely to earn a warning as using an actual swear word.

using symbols to self-edit a swear word ( a sign of restraint) like saying "I feel like $-h-!-t" is somehow more offensive by default?

More offensive? Not necessarily, no. As you said yourself, it's down to context.

Again there is a difference between self-editing with symbols to say something without saying it (as feth is used) and doing it with the goal of bypassing the swear filter out of defiance in the context of trying to be offensive.

Regardless of the intent, the simple fact is that there are certain words that are offensive not because of what they mean, but because we've been pre-conditioned with the idea that those words are offensive, and not to be used in polite conversation or around young'uns.

Within that framework, substituting certain letters of the word with other symbols that still leave the word legible is no different to just using the word itself. The word is still there.

Substituting made up words can get around that in certain contexts. But it's not a get out of jail free card.


And yes, that may seem a little whacky, particularly to those who don't see a problem with swearing in the first place. But it's really just one of those peculiarities of the mixed-up world that we live in. Like the 'Violence is fine, but sex is bad!' issue, it might not make sense, but it's just the way it is.

We try to make the forum a welcoming place for the widest cross-section of people we can. That sometimes means following those niceties that don't necessarily make any sense but are accepted as the norm for polite conversation.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

CT GAMER wrote:Now just to clarify: it was stated above by a mod that "feth isnt offensive". Is it that feth is NEVER offensive or is context considered?

We can tell someone to "feth off" without sanction?

That would be a 'no'.

There are any number of words that aren't in themselves offensive that will still earn you a warning or suspension if used in a manner that isn't polite.

All right then. Thanks for the clarifications.

Also, just to jut in, Could you change



to something like Gakkiest? The swear filter doesn't seem to pick that one up.