3 ms·

Banned word lists are always a bad idea. I feel like it probably only makes things worse - people wanting to offend will come up with new euphemisms and slurs b

Banned word lists are always a bad idea. I feel like it probably only makes things worse - people wanting to offend will come up with new euphemisms and slurs but will be in the clear because those words aren't on the banned list yet. At the end of the day, we really want to be holding people accountable on the meaning of what they write or say, not making lists of words that probably don't actually offend anybody but that someone thinks could possibly offend someone else somewhere at some point in time, maybe.

ParetoOptimal 4y ago
> Banned word lists are always a bad idea. I feel like it probably only makes things worse To be clear, this neans you also think banned word lists consisting only of racial slurs are bad?
- mecha_ghidorah 4y ago
  I am not who you asked but I can see an argument being made that, yes, a banned word list consisting of racial slurs is still bad, albeit significantly less so. The argument would go something like this: you can ban use of racial slurs without specifically making a list of them that are banned, as such a list both opens the door to further banned words and also comes with a maintenance cost, where it has to be changed. As an example "person of colour" is currently an acceptable term but when I was a kid I think people would have associated that term with "coloured" and find it insulting, so if you have a specific list you have to manage cases like this. Secondly banning racial slurs altogether ignores that there are legitimate contexts in which they should be used (directly quoting something someone has said, discussing old media in which that sort of language is used, etc.), and these contexts are very different from referring to an individual or a group using those slurs. A list of banned words means those words can't be used even in those contexts, as opposed to just not using them as a pejorative or insult.
- stephen_g 4y ago
  Yes, it's unnecessary at best but potentially causes other problems. Really, if somebody uses a racial slur, does somebody above them really need a banned word list to caution or discipline them? Of course not!

ParetoOptimal 4y ago

> Banned word lists are always a bad idea. I feel like it probably only makes things worse To be clear, this neans you also think banned word lists consisting only of racial slurs are bad?

mecha_ghidorah 4y ago
I am not who you asked but I can see an argument being made that, yes, a banned word list consisting of racial slurs is still bad, albeit significantly less so. The argument would go something like this: you can ban use of racial slurs without specifically making a list of them that are banned, as such a list both opens the door to further banned words and also comes with a maintenance cost, where it has to be changed. As an example "person of colour" is currently an acceptable term but when I was a kid I think people would have associated that term with "coloured" and find it insulting, so if you have a specific list you have to manage cases like this. Secondly banning racial slurs altogether ignores that there are legitimate contexts in which they should be used (directly quoting something someone has said, discussing old media in which that sort of language is used, etc.), and these contexts are very different from referring to an individual or a group using those slurs. A list of banned words means those words can't be used even in those contexts, as opposed to just not using them as a pejorative or insult.
stephen_g 4y ago
Yes, it's unnecessary at best but potentially causes other problems. Really, if somebody uses a racial slur, does somebody above them really need a banned word list to caution or discipline them? Of course not!