BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

POST TOPICS GENERAL IN NATURE RELATED TO UNREAL
Forum rules
Remember our site rules for decency and language. Do not use racial, gender or other unacceptable undertones.
User avatar
strategy-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 1666
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:06 pm
Location: Austria
Contact:

BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by strategy-(DOG)- »

recently i have been receiving various complaints about ongoing breaking of the "bad language rule", we have set for all newbiesplayground servers.
i'll try to make this short and once again i remind you on this very strict rule, that applies to all newbiesplayground servers, players, dogs and admins:

NO BAD LANGUAGE!

that means, no slurs, no foul words, no cursing, no racist paroles, no political or religious debates or conflicts, no sexual reference, no disrespectful treatment of other players, no disrespectful treatment of minorities, people's belief or sexual orientation.

i really don't care what you are used to in your private life or in other games, but as for newbiesplayground servers the rules have to be followed and accepted! these rules have been set up by Sickpuppy and OldSparky and i will make sure those rules stay intact! i often have been "reminded" that Unreal has been "M-rated". the game yes, but newbiesplayground servers are private servers and the rules have been set by the clan - our servers are "G-rated". that's how we like to keep our playground clean. newbiesplayground stays for friendship, helpfulness, tolerance and respect!

everybody who shares our principle and follows these (basic) rules, is welcome on newbiesplayground. everyone else, just keep off - you better play elsewhere! if you think it is fun to enter our servers and keep breaking our rules - it is not! if you are not mature enough to respect "house rules" you better play minecraft or anything else. there are various servers around where players don't care for rules, that might be the right place for you then.

respect our rules, respect the players on newbiesplayground and we'll have fun together. if you are seeking for trouble you'll just find banishment.

our admins are instructed to treat with all troublemakers and they act on my behalf!

WOOF!
[ no tolerance for intolerance ]
User avatar
VooDoo-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 543
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:09 pm
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by VooDoo-(DOG)- »

Very well said Strategy-(DOG)-,

I guess it has always been human nature to try and break the rules, where rules exist. I think we've all done that in the past with school rules, parents' rules etc.... :)

For sure we all probably curse and say expletives in everyday life, but this is not everyday life, it is a "private server" provided as a means of enjoyment to the "public" and is also intended as a place for young people and people of both genders to enjoy themselves without having to suffer bad language.

Some might say that "everyone curses in real life", so "what's the big deal"? But it's really simple isn't it..........

RULES are RULES and no person is exempt!

I have said it before that the mutual respect and the lack of bad language (and foul usernames) is one of the many reasons for me joining in the first place, so I would personally want this rule to be enforced strictly. I admire Newbies clean environment and hope that this rule is not gradually lapsed or slackened, so I am very happy to see this post. :flap:

For sure, if I drop an egg on the floor in the kitchen at home,for example, I'm probably gonna curse - but that's in private and therefore not relevant :)
We have a saying in England that is perhaps appropiate here :-

"Do as I say, NOT as I do"

The irony is, it's not always the younger end of the age spectrum who try and break this rule to be annoying, it's often people who should know better.
If a player spends their playing time trying to be antagonistic by cursing and trying to annoy any admins present, then to me, they are not an Unreal player, they are just a pain. Seriously, how hard can it be to NOT curse and use foul language? :serious:

Ok I will get off my soapbox now.....

Happy fraggin', peace be with you all.
 
"Without music, life would be a mistake." - Friedrich Nietzsche
User avatar
strategy-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 1666
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:06 pm
Location: Austria
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by strategy-(DOG)- »

nothing more to add, voodoo! :flap: :)
[ no tolerance for intolerance ]
User avatar
Delacroix-(DOG)-
GameServer Admin
GameServer Admin
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:56 pm

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Delacroix-(DOG)- »

I'd like to speak a few words on the matter.

There's a lot of places on the net where you can swear excessively like a sailor. In some cases it'd be even warranted, e.g. for roleplay (it's kinda tough to avoid cussing when your role is a space vessel prisoner or a hardened marine)... but in here it's just not allowed. In my regular day life I don't hold back and my usual choice of language would be unacceptable here but that's just life. In here, if I come to wind up here, I'm taking a rest from all the cusspacks galore and I'm sure others do too. Let's keep this zone cuss-free. ;-)
Solid_Snake1998

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Solid_Snake1998 »

I couldn't agree more strategy. although language has never been used in real life for me as I find it senseless and immature. but as on my feelings on the subject, if they are not mature enough to respect rules that have been set, they don't need to be playing at all. being mature is more than just a game rating or age..... it's a way of life.... and a state of mind.
User avatar
Dr.Flay
FOD
FOD
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:36 am
Location: Cornwall
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Dr.Flay »

Actually I don't agree with the use of the old phrase "Do as I say, not as I do"
because you will be doing the same online if you are not swearing publicly.
They can swear all they like if they drop eggs in the kitchen too.

Personally I feel that if you have stopped playing to type abuse, your priorities are wrong.
You can just skip the Unreal portal to sweary-land and just go straight to Facebook.

Actually role play does give a way to use "friendly banter" insults. Think how they deal with it in comics and sci-fi.
Judge Dredd introduced "Grud", "Drok" and "Frak" to many UK geeks in the 80s and 90s.
"Frak" gets a good airing in many sci-fi productions

I swear more than I like, but as I am often creative with my use of words, I try to use alternatives that make me laugh and feel less angry.
eg. Instead of the classic old English standard of "B.o.l.l.o.c.k.s." I tend to say "Bollards", and if I need to keep swearing,
"Big orange bollards with reflective stripes" usually ends any anger I feel, due to the totally stupid thing I have just said.

I am also a radio presenter on normal FM radio so I try to watch my language while the red-light is on :cheesygrin:
It is a late show and in the UK so swearing is allowable, but I still feel unprofessional if I swear without good reason.
Sometimes I will play a song with a sweary title, this deserves to have the real name used and an unedited version played.
Sanitising language to make something more acceptable for younger ears is not good, when the song content or topic is not meant for young people anyway.
It is like making fruit flavoured cigarettes with no nicotine.
It would be like editing Elmo and other muppets into the film "Alien" so it is child-safe.

However, sanitising something can be done for comedy effect if done well.
I have always thought that the filters used in some forums and servers, can be written more creatively.
A basic example is the original browser extension that changes the word "Keyboard" for "Leopard".
Since then other extensions have added more advanced features, and I use 1 in each of my browsers to change words and phrases.
When I am on Facebook it makes me laugh when almost anyone does anything, and only I see it with my added comedy.
Here is my current Facebook filter, which even adds a few minor swear words where they change context (yes they are silly and childish).
► Show Spoiler
You can see I have also made a "Cornish" profile, so that I can understand the use of English on the web.
The Cornish food is called a pasty, so I have changed all food references to be some sort of pasty.
Beef steak is the normal meat in a pasty, so everything else is;
Rabbit = hedge pasty
Poultry = sky pasty
Fish = wet pasty
Soup = pasty drink
etc.

Old Cornish joke
"How do you cripple a Cornish man ?"
"Put a pasty in his other hand"
(meaning he will already be holding one)

If I ran a server I would absolutely be running a chat filter, and have my fun even while not there.
eg. any references to Fag or Faggot get turned into the original English meanings Fag = Cigarette, and Faggots = Bundle, commonly a bundle of sticks to light a fire or minced meat balls.
Squeeze a collection of something together and that is a faggot of something. (therefore America eats a lot of round flat faggots)
The constant abuse of English is such a pain as regular legitimate words get swamped out by nonsense, and we cannot use them any more.
Threats of rape would be converted into self-doubt of worth or parentage.
They will batter themselves into submission the more abusive they try to be, and while entertaining other people instead of annoying them.
I believe the Pagans call it a "mirror-spell" where you simply get your antagonist to receive an amplified version of what they are giving out, and step away.
Solid_Snake1998

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Solid_Snake1998 »

8) :flap: :titter: I can agree to that dr. flay. and by the way you are a radio host? :Drogar-Happy:
User avatar
x21
-(DOG)- Council Admin
-(DOG)- Council Admin
Posts: 163
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:35 pm
Location: 地̸̛̤̥̒͆獄̵̌͜ͅ

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by x21 »

I was on the server at the time and I can say that this "X" rated chat is best left either in psay or on another server.
I am deeply saddened to see such an event occur with a fellow clan member. Such filth should not have been said on our fine servers. This shows disrespect for OldSparky and what the clan stands for. As admin I will uphold the code and report code violations regardless of what server the violation occured on. We must stand to protect the clans reputation. I hope they can learn a lesson from this and grow as a better person and hope this does not happen again.

x21
User avatar
Dr.Flay
FOD
FOD
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:36 am
Location: Cornwall
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Dr.Flay »

Was this a clan member !?
Even worse. GRRRRRRR !!!!
Newbies Playground should be one of the first servers any new or young player will visit, and it should be a refuge from such things.

SolidSnake yes, on our local station http://www.thesourcefm.co.uk I do a Technology/Security/Philosophy show with a friend.
We play a lot of Rock and Metal, but also Classical, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul, Disco, Swing, Bluegrass, Mongolian Throat singing......anything....
And as I am a huge fan of mashups, often played at the same time.
Apparently the podcasts are sometimes borked, but we stream live so can be listened to anywhere.
User avatar
strategy-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 1666
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:06 pm
Location: Austria
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by strategy-(DOG)- »

very good analysis, as usual! :flap:

referring to the meaning of "G-rated":

Originally referred to the American film-rating system, in which "G" stands for "general admission".
= Appropriate for all ages, with no offensive content such as violence, drug use, profanity, or sex acts.

of course you may argue on this - "violence = Unreal"?! true, the rating is not matching 100% of its purpose on newbiesplayground servers, as we don't prevent kids or underaged players from entering the server and playing a videogame where fictional actors are being killed.
but this is not our responsibility - moreover it is the responsibility of the parents/guardians of those underaged players to take care for their kids and decide if a videogame like Unreal is appropriate for any age. no one here expects a kid to use a computer, install the game unreal, find the website offering the link to the patch needed to make online gaming possible at all - without the kids' parents to be aware of it.
at this point my responsibility as server owner clearly ends. to me, players are people who know what they do or should not do. my obligation is to set a frame of how the servers might be used and not by whom. and after all this is a personal decision which has to be accepted. some might say it cannot harm, others might say it does. yet it remains an individual decision. maybe about the same if parents decide to educate their kids in a religious way or not, and if so, which religion?! i think this is a discussion we could lead on for ages - in the end we have to accept personal views and decisions on it.

but we don't need to accept everyone's behavior on the servers. that's why these rules have been installed. the founder of this clan, Sickpuppy, wanted his kids to have the possibility to play the game online together with friends but without having to face profanity.

you might question the definition "G-rated" for good reason, but i think it's pretty close to what is meant. i did not come up with these server-rules that have been set back in 1999 applying to all newbiesplayground servers, forums and website, but i fully support them and i am responsible to make sure they stay intact. if there are players who think this is some fun to laugh about, it is up to them - i really don't care about their views! but for sure they will have to accept the rules if they enter the servers.
[ no tolerance for intolerance ]
User avatar
strategy-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 1666
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:06 pm
Location: Austria
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by strategy-(DOG)- »

it is still not my obligation to check a players identity, age, psychological stability or anything else. a player enters and i watch his behavior.
if anyone should freak out like the examples shown in your youtube-references, and noticable shows his/her emotional instability on the servers by use of bad language, starting to shoot other players or the like, he/she will be gone.
i agree with you, that the game is not appropriate for most of the young children, yet it is not my responsibility to prevent those children from accessing this game or to be more specific newbiesplayground servers.

i usually don't intend to waste too much time on any ignorant player. i am polite enough to explain the rules shortly if someone is violating these rules. i can even modify my keybind from:
"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! This is a "G-rated" Server!"

to:
"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! We desire to keep the game clean of obscentities or unacceptable language and personal slurs."

...if that is of any help. yet it makes no difference for me or with regard to my actions.
[ no tolerance for intolerance ]
User avatar
strategy-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 1666
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2011 5:06 pm
Location: Austria
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by strategy-(DOG)- »

ok, i agree on that. :)
to prevent any misunderstandings, and to avoid incorrect use of established terms, i will stop to refer to "G-rated" when talking about the server's etiquette - i changed my keybind and i changed the server-advertisment to an appropriate adaption - on all servers (at this time only jackals coop is not updated yet, as currently the server is not empty).
[ no tolerance for intolerance ]
User avatar
Dr.Flay
FOD
FOD
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:36 am
Location: Cornwall
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Dr.Flay »

Hmmm, I know I would not describe the Unreal games as child-friendly, but due to their age and simple graphics they are now definitely as family-friendly as any violent Disney film, which I would argue can be more upsetting to watch.
The furnace/incinerator scene in Toy Story 3 played by humans would have been harrowing and not fit for children, but with toys it is dealt with as fantasy.

How young is too young to watch the old Looney tunes and Warner Brothers cartoons ?
Watching original Tom and Jerry or Batman on a Saturday morning did not turn me or other children into violent psychotics trying to re-enact what we saw.
Why ?
Because it was fantasy enough to not be mistaken for real life.

Unreal and UT have been around long enough for many people to be introducing their children to them, at an age they have decided is appropriate (or useful).
That decision will be based on the game, and Unreal does not contain any racial or sexual slurs. No scenes of prolonged or realistic violence, and the language is strong but never sweary (excluding custom mods). The gore is nothing more than cartoon-like.
I would be happy for an average 10-12 year old of this current generation, to play Unreal without supervision, and not worry about it giving them nightmares or violent tendencies.
However, I would not be happy for them to witness other humans being disrespectful and hurl abuse at each other, or worse, to be the target of such abuse (same as in real life).

In the USA bars are for adults only (and the age limit is going up), so public adult and family recreation are very split, but in the UK and most of Europe, families are welcome to most traditional pubs, inns or other places that serve alcohol. This is probably why America loves a good barbecue or yard party for social/group bonding.
Real adult behaviour incorporates not drinking too much or losing control in front of children, and at the point someone starts being abusive or arguing loudly, the management or customers will ask them to stop, or leave (unless they are filthy-rich or famous).
If you are having a "gathering" in your garden with friends and family, you may allow drinking and smoking and a little swearing (all non- G-rated), but you won't worry too much, as long as everyone keeps cool and remembers there are young ears soaking up every word.
You know that your children will learn from this, and probably not try to copy anything that resulted in someone having to leave in disgrace.

As an adult I like to be in a respectful environment, and I wish more servers would kick players for excessive swearing.
I just feel that if they have enough time to type constantly (or keybind-spam), they are not getting what they want from the game and they obviously don't want to play.
My friends children all get told that they are allowed to tell me off if they hear me swear, and I have to do whatever punishment it is they have to do when they swear (sitting on the bottom of the stairs seems to be common. Glad parents don't still wash the mouth with a bar of soap).
Some friends have copied this after first laughing at me, and now they don't swear in front of their children, or have sweary children.
Leading by example works so easily (monkey see, monkey do) as we are pack animals and want to fit with the world around us.
User avatar
Dr.Flay
FOD
FOD
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:36 am
Location: Cornwall
Contact:

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Dr.Flay »

Indeed as I pointed out, it is arguable.
Good article, but the reference still suffers the modern flaw of using Venn diagrams to create the test, not describe the results.
Context is the most important factor.

Short version:
Violent games don't make people violent. Bad gaming experience makes people violent.
Being desensitised to violence does not make you more prone to violence, but it can make you capable of a higher degree of violence if you were violent.
eg. I grew up in a poor rural place where hunting and fishing is common. Once you have gutted and skinned enough fish and animals, you would be more capable of doing the same to a human, but it would not increase any desire to do so.
Doctors and Surgeons deal with it and (hopefully) they don't all turn into Dexter.

Long version:
► Show Spoiler
Q: So what does Dr.Flay think is the biggest threat to children in gaming ?
A: Uneducated parents, and Greed and stupidity by authors and publishers.
My local news paper used to have "Gaming" as one of the main header items, but when you clicked on it instead of getting game reviews, it sent you to a gambling site where all the "games" look like children's puzzles. It did not ask for proof of age (required by law for UK gambling sites).
I wrote a stern email explaining how deceptive this was, and how easy they had made it for a child to pick up a parents tablet or phone, and start gambling from their front page. If a parent were not watching closely they would assume everything was fine and child-safe.
I also included the Oxford English dictionary definition of "Gaming".
This email was Carbon Copied to the local members of Parliament for the 3 main parties, so that they could all see that they got the same email.
My local news paper no longer has a "Gaming" link :flap:

I have looked for the research with Tetris
https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/are- ... really-bad
The modified Tetris game http://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/projects/ar ... ad-for-you
http://web.archive.org/web/201512131118 ... or-you/try
The Horizon documentary looks at the different research.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06cjypk
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x373s55
User avatar
Nikola-(DOG)-
Full Game Admin
Full Game Admin
Posts: 291
Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2013 11:44 pm

Re: BAD LANGUAGE ON NEWBIESPLAYGROUND

Post by Nikola-(DOG)- »

Haha I remember that map. :Drogar-BigGrin: That's one of your fave,right :Drogar-BigGrin: :Drogar-BigGrin:
UNREAL
Post Reply