Foul Language in AH :(

[Dago]

I dont know why, but there seems to be a very big increase lately in the use of foul language in the game.

I almost always squelch Ch1 now, but I am seeing vulgar talk on the country channel much more than normal.  In the last 24 hrs, I bet I have seen "fxxx" at least 5 - 10 times on country channel.

Now, I am not a prude by any means. I swear in real life plenty, but like most I know there is a time and place for it, and I always have to consider the audience that might hear what I say. I do not believe the buffer in Aces High is any place for it.

Frequently, when I play my youngest son pulls up a chair and watches, and more often lately I let him fly a few flights.  Another guy complained about the language because his granddaughter was watching him play.  Those of us with kids watching dont want our kids to get the idea this is acceptable.

Cuss all you want, yell and scream, but please do it in your house to yourself, please dont type it for the rest of us to endure.  It only reflects poorly on the person doing it.

Thanks
Dago

[Fishu]

Not everyone can speak english.

[eskimo]

I agree 100%.  At any given time there is likely to be at least one child online or watching.  I do all my swearing outloud or on the squad channel.

eskimo

[Wingnut_0]

I agree dago.  My 6 yo boy loves to fly my "Airplanes" and likes to put on the headphones and listen while watching me play.

He's getting where he can read pretty good so all the curse words thrown up make me wince.  Some words I don't care about but mainly S**t and F*** are uncalled for imo.  If it was a verbal channel and the outburst was made I'd have a different outtake and ppl make outburst all the time.  But you have to type these words so you know well what your saying.  

Most ppl I've seen will kindly apologize once said, but theres just a much that FU just cause u asked them to watch their lang.

Wingnut

[daddog]

My son and daughter often watch me fly, both are beginning to read.  My daughter is old enough to read 4 letter words, and more.

I always have and always will find it offensive when others lack the consideration that children might be watching or flying.  Unfortunately much of the time when I point it out to the "offenders" I get a screen full of more and I have to squelch them out, but not before I take a pic and send it to HTC's.  
------------------------
CM, CO, daddog
332nd Flying Mongrels
Snapshots
Check 6!
CM Schedule
 
When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command.  Very often, that individual is crazy.

[Minotaur]

My question is WTH are you doing exposing yout child to this envoirment, if you are so concerned about profanity.  

I know that seems a little harsh on my part.  I am not advocating profanity, but people wise up.

Fact:  Players are NOT going to stop using profanity.

It is not going to stop, don't even pretend that it will.  This is not Sesame Street High, this is Aces High.  It is a big persons game.  Big people rightly or not, will use profaninty in varying degress of repetition.

IMHO the child cares only very slightly about such and such cuss word if at all.  It is the parents reaction that highlights and provides this negative reinforcement to the child not vice versa.  

If the parent reacts then the child will learn this reaction and it will actually give the word meaning.  Whereas it has no meaning, other than that someone got mad.  How the parent acts so shall the child.  

Don't react negativly and the child most likely could care less, they just want to play.  Just like anyone else.  

For the rest of your points, I agree.  The use of profanity is really not necessary in the slightess, but it will occur.  Do not kid yourself.

------------------
Mino
The Wrecking Crew

"Who's next?"
Naso

[Dago]

My question is WTH are you doing exposing yout child to this envoirment, if you are so concerned about profanity.

This isnt the playboy website, its a game.  I shouldnt have to tell them "dont come in here, I am playing a game with a bunch of low class jerks".

It is not going to stop, don't even pretend that it will. This is not Sesame Street High, this is Aces High. It is a big persons game.

This is a big persons game?  I guess I missed that on the HTC webpage. There are plenty of guys who play this game, with their own accounts who are still minors.  You better tell HT to cancel their accounts.

It is the parents reaction that highlights and provides this negative reinforcement to the child not vice versa.

I dont agree with you at all on this.  To not provide a negative reaction to the vulgar langauge is to reinforce that this kind of talk is just fine.  Imagine a young child saying "Hey Grandma, I dropped my fxxxing fork?". When questioned she says "oh, my Dad thinks its okay to talk like that, his friends on the computer do it all the time and he thinks its okay".

The use of profanity is really not necessary in the slightess, but it will occur. Do not kid yourself.

Behavior only exists in our society, including the online society, if it is tolerated.  AH is a private game, operated on a privately owned server, and I feel it is well within the rights of HTC to establish and enforce a standard that they feel is appropriate and acceptable to their customer base.

Refraining from typing a few of the most objectionable words is not a huge burden to bear for anyone.  It is not a slip of the tongue, it is a delibrate act to enter language into the game and expose all those playing to that language.  I dont think it is necessary and noone has the right to substantially detract from the game the enjoyment that others might have by their crude, tasteless and low class behavior.

Dago



[This message has been edited by Dago (edited 09-16-2000).]

[Renfield]

How about a squelch list that persists from sim session to sim session? That way you don't need to keep re-squelching people that have proven themselves offensive.

Another alternative is the Carlin Filter. And let people whine about it all they want.

[This message has been edited by Renfield (edited 09-16-2000).]

[Westy]

 That would work with me ok Renfield but I'm with Dago 100% on this. I couldn't expand on anything he wrote but I just want to add my voice to the support on this issue. We do  not need nor have to have any morality police  here. I do think the community needs to draw a line and then stick to it. Back each other up without causing a ruckus online. AH doesn't need to dragged down to the lowest common denominator.
  It takes less key strokes to ALT F4 and go take a breather than it does to type in any swear or stream of spew. And everyone is all the better for not having to endure this unfortunately increasingly common crap.
 And it folks squelched the annoying terds then they would not get the attention they want and either shape up or they'll find someplace else to haunt. They do want attention otherwise why on earth would they go through all that effort to "verbalize' it via the keyboard if not for the sake of everyone seeing thier displeasure on some trivial bellybutton moment they just had?
 
  -Westy

[eskimo]

Well said Dago.

People will swear everywhere.  But that doesn't mean that we have to put up with it, or that we shouldn't do what is needed to prevent it.  

eskimo

[10Bears]

We gotta protect the children!!! Who knows were the parents are... its up to us to protect other peoples children from the way people talk outside of Springfield. We gotta tell the Gov of Texas to stop using vulgar language in front of the lil' childrens!!
yeah thats it... Ban the Sopranos!
10Bears--

[Snoopi]

My God people !
This is a adult game !!
Swearing is nothing...any loser does it.
I have heard people call other people ^%$@#@# and I think that's OK. Some people even shoot other people, thats what those adults do. There is no point in berating them for it.
Just leave them be. It's NORMAL behavior.

***END FAKE POST HERE***

REAL THOUGHTS:
Any behavior that is tolerated, slowly becomes less offensive.
If 60 years ago you learned about a drive-by shooting or some other crap,it would have been a worldwide news event.
Unfortunately the lowest common denominator seems to rule now.(The Jerry Springer Show almost made "heros" of total idiots)

On the other hand
If you squelch or "call" these people, the crap will stop because they will not like being the "odd man out".

I used to work in a very,very high stress environment with a lot of HUGE egos, but even there, professionalism is expected or your reputation and career quickly die. I laugh when people say that AH combat is stressful and that excuses rudeness. (stressful..give me a break..)

Regards,
Snoopi

As they say...
"Better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you are an idiot, than open your mouth and confirm it."



[This message has been edited by Snoopi (edited 09-17-2000).]

[hblair]

Anyone who goes through the trouble of typing out several curse words into the keyboard on their 'puter needs professional help. As if that gives any relief.

The only good way to cuss is to yell them out loudly and smartly, (gotta check six for kids of course) you know, emphasizing the F in f***, etc.  

People who *type* curse words to their *virtual* opponents are light weights in real life. Real 'puter nerds.

 

[-towd_]

let me get this strait . in a game where the adverage player is 30 is male we cant cuss cause yall might have you kidds on you knee. cause cussin is gonna cause um psycological damage or offend YOUR sense or morality. while 80% of these little girls will be molested by daddy or a uncle or close family freind .

you got more to worry about in my oppinion than grown men playin a war game cussin, you wont agree i know . but really you just want to control the atmosphere of the game and use you bleedin children as a undefetable argument to do so( also my oppinion ) if that is the case the feelings i have for you would be best expressd in thos same objectionable terms that your children will know by heart in preschool.there are no bad words just silly people

[Thor]

crap ,shit , squeak       on the radio , even the FCC rules it ok.