Kids on the forum

se conman

I am as guilty as the next person for sticking in the odd f*** but I have noticed lately that the tone of some airsoft posts are in the gutter.I am no prude and they are not bad enough to warrent reporting yet but with kids using this forum does anyone else think it's time to improve our standards.

The Master

Do you have any examples of these "gutter" type posts from the Airsoft forum?

Nerin

their parents should be watching what they are up to if they are too young to see the word ****.

sceptre

Have you raised your concerns directly with the Airsoft mods? They're not ogres.

Cabaal

Agreed, report posts if your concerned but parents do have a responsibility to

The Master

sceptre wrote: »

Have you raised your concerns directly with the Airsoft mods? They're not ogres.

As above, you are free to PM any of the mods at any time if you want to discuss this

se conman

The reason I have not PMed the Mods is that I didn't know if it was just me being over protective.My beef is not with coarse language but with using sexual references.As I said , maybe I'm just being over protective.

Nerin

se conman wrote: »

The reason I have not PMed the Mods is that I didn't know if it was just me being over protective.My beef is not with coarse language but with using sexual references.As I said , maybe I'm just being over protective.

click the report post button a few times and chat to the mods.
its the only way you'll know and bring it to their attention.

FlutterinBantam

Airsoft Forum

Where's that?

Nerin

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Airsoft Forum

Where's that?

Sports > Airsoft

Diabhal Beag

They hear way worse in real-life and on TV. Boards reflects the posters views on certain topics and this should not be restricted if they aren't going against the charter.

People curse, the world keeps spinning.

super_furry

Should kids be using airsoft in the first place? Not being facetious, I honestly don't know but would have assumed it was an adults thing.

Beruthiel

We are not responsible for what kids see on the internet.
Their parents are.

AckwelFoley

Its not a site for kids.

If they sign up, they should be watched by their parents.

Somewhat like tv

DeVore

It should only be considered a problem if its breaking our "civility" rule, ie: if the swearing is aimed at another user, or if its really excessive. Report posts you feel are problems.

DeV.

OldGoat

For the sake of discussion...

I think the OP has a point. I'm not talking about any forum in particular, just a general overall impression. Boards.ie has a language filter and it constantly gets circumvented just for the sake of circumvention.

I appricate that it is not Boards.ie responsibality for what gets posted and even with the best will in the World some innapropiate posts make it through but this is NOT an adult only site. There is no 'Over 18' tag on registration (as far as I remember - open to correction on this). Anyone can sign up to boards.ie and parents should be able to have a modicum of confidence that kiddies are not getting uneccessarly exposed to coarse/crude language and imagery (Mental imagry conjured by the written word rather then picture files).

I see the argument above that it's just the way of the World and that in real life kids get exposed to foul language all the time. It's true that they do but that dosen't make it right or acceptable and there exists here an opertunity to show that it's also unneccary rather then required.

Perhaps it's because I know my girls read Boards that I cringe at some of the imagery conjured by some of the more colourful posts or perhaps it's just because I'm feeling particulary prudish today but I believe that mods SHOULD take a stronger stance against innappropiate language.
It's dosen't take a lot of effort to add a line to the Forums charters requesting posters to be a tad more circumspect with their language. The occasional finger-wagging nannyish post on the more excitable posts keeps the majority of posters in check.

However it is the readers responsibality to report what they feel is inappropiate and then for the mods to exercise their judgment on that report.

DeVore

I can be considerably offensive and nasty without using a single "four letter word". The problem isnt the use of 4-letter words its the intent and the "civility" of the message. Posters who are consistently and excessively vulgar should be warned to tone it down.

Delicate minds should be monitored by their parents and if they wander out onto the internet, Boards is one of the lesser worries their parents should have!!

DeV.

Nevyn

If post break the rules then report them and esclate if needs be.

As for kids reading boards, I know one day soon enough mine will want boards accounts and I will let them and then go about confirming that they are my kids accounts with the admins and will be asking for access to be denyed to a list of forums which I consider not suitible for them until they are older.

brummytom

Yeah I agree.

Fucking kids. They shouldn't be on this website.
Too many fucks, Shits and pricks on this forum.

There's no way children would be exposed to swearing before coming on here is there? I mean I've never heard a teenager ever fucking swear

se conman

brummytom wrote: »

Yeah I agree.

Fucking kids. They shouldn't be on this website.
Too many fucks, Shits and pricks on this forum.

There's no way children would be exposed to swearing before coming on here is there? I mean I've never heard a teenager ever fucking swear

If you bothered to read my OP you would have seen that it was NOT about cursing but WAS about sexual referances.For example , what have condoms or Ms Luinski's abilities got to do with airsoft.
This thread was just for me to guage other people's opinions on standards.It was NOT intended as a rant.

brummytom

Apologies, I misread your OP.


I only joined here earlier this year, aged 15. I think that's probably the youngest age that should be on here. It's a discussion forum, things not suitable for all ages may well come up.. younger children should have some kind of parental guidance. I didn't and look what it did to me! :P

Though your examples sound like dragging threads off-topic. I don't know the charter of the airsoft forum, but deliberately dragging threads off-topic can warrent a ban or warning in some forums. I'd suggest reporting anything you feel shouldn't be there

Beruthiel

brummytom wrote: »

younger children should have some kind of parental guidance. I didn't and look what it did to me! :P

I'll be quite happy to initiate some parental guidance if you feel you need it....

Rev. BlueJeans

Beruthiel wrote: »

I'll be quite happy to initiate some parental guidance if you feel you need it....

brummytom

Beruthiel wrote: »

I'll be quite happy to initiate some parental guidance if you feel you need it....

se conman

Thanks lads , this started off as a serious and productive discussion.

Rev. BlueJeans

Weren't you guys told what to do, no?

1. Boards is not responsible for unrestricted underage users (although in fairness, there are fairly rigid rules to the effect of no porn etc., on most fora).

2. Report the posts or interact with the mods as appropriate, they even said as such themselves on this thread.

sdanseo

It's a forum about shooting each other with very realistic imitation guns. If they aren't old enough to be using the f-word they shouldn't be there, tbh.

drkpower

OldGoat wrote: »

Perhaps it's because I know my girls read Boards that I cringe at some of the imagery conjured by some of the more colourful posts or perhaps it's just because I'm feeling particulary prudish today but I believe that mods SHOULD take a stronger stance against innappropiate language.

What is inappropriate language?
And if inappropriate language should be modded, should inappropriate content be deleted?
Should girls (some of whom may be <18) talking openly about sex, in graphic terms, in the Ladies Lounge, be deleted? Or even if its not graphic, should the mere discussion of sex be removed? Should questions about STDs be removed?
And should people being disrespectful to god in A&A be banned?
And what about discussion of violence and guns and other unsavoury things in military and elsewhere?

You see, what is and is not appropriate is a personal judgment and you cant expect many voluntary mods to have a uniform veiw of such things, and particularly not for that veiw to be in line with yours. A swear filter is cheap and easy to use but it actually serves no real purpose (other than with regard to corporate filters). Perhaps there should be some kind of "Beware of content" warning before registering, but, it is not reasonable to expect mods/admins to act as some kind of moral adjudicator of post content.

OldGoat

What is inappropriate language?
And if inappropriate language should be modded, should inappropriate content be deleted?
Should girls (some of whom may be <18) talking openly about sex, in graphic terms, in the Ladies Lounge, be deleted? Or even if its not graphic, should the mere discussion of sex be removed? Should questions about STDs be removed?
And should people being disrespectful to god in A&A be banned?
And what about discussion of violence and guns and other unsavoury things in military and elsewhere?
You see, what is and is not appropriate is a personal judgment and you cant expect many voluntary mods to have a uniform veiw of such things, and particularly not for that veiw to be in line with yours. A swear filter is cheap and easy to use but it actually serves no real purpose (other than with regard to corporate filters). Perhaps there should be some kind of "Beware of content" warning before registering, but, it is not reasonable to expect mods/admins to act as some kind of moral adjudicator of post content.

Too define 'innapropiate language' as I see it let me make up an example that you might find in the F&A forum. Imagine if you will a pic posted of a new dress purchased. The reply comment could be "Thats ****ing gorgous" or "Thats really gorgous". Thats a very simplistic example but I (personally) deem one of those to be innapropiate and unwarrented. With a Mod hat on though I'd let it slip by as a first offence, not worth a warning but I'd be on the watch for further expletives and if there are more then one or two in the post I'd then edit or delete the post.
Thats dealing with foul language. More incidious are the posts as per the op's examples.

For example , what have condoms or Ms Luinski's abilities got to do with airsoft.

. It's when topics start to slide into banility. Nothing to do with the topic at hand and generally thrown in with a wry grin to show it's 'lighthearted'. The problem is that it's the first of the lighthearted comments and opens the floodgates.
To go back to my first made up example "Thats ****ing gorgous". What if that were only part of the comment? What if it continued with "My boyfriend will cream his pants when he sees me in this". Are we starting to get offensive yet? What if that decends into something more graphic again?
Yes it is a judgment call for the mods and yes every mod has their own tolerence levels so there will never be a 100% consensous on whats appropiate or not but I feel that by letting standards slip we will only create a much bigger headache down the line.

Should girls (some of whom may be <18) talking openly about sex, in graphic terms, in the Ladies Lounge, be deleted? Or even if its not graphic, should the mere discussion of sex be removed? Should questions about STDs be removed?
And should people being disrespectful to god in A&A be banned?
And what about discussion of violence and guns and other unsavoury things in military and elsewhere?

No, no and no.
If the threads and the comments are OT then there is no problem. If I go to tLL and open a thread about underage sex and STD's then I expect to be reading comments about underage sex and STDs. Likewise in A&A and Military. What I am saying here is finding innapropiate comments in other threads. To use my made up example again I shoud not have to read about someones boyfriends shortcomings in a thread about the OP's new dress.
As mentioned again and again it's up to the reader to point out anything that they deem unacceptable in a thread and then for the Mod to decide what action to take. But I believe the mod SHOULD try to prempt these reports, to make that judgement call on posts before it gets to the Report stage - and that requires ModEditing or deleting of posts. That judgement call is the stuff of nightmares for mods.
I have a rule of thumb that I use to help me along. I'll not say anything on boards that I'd not say infront of the neighbours kids (given the context of the thread). It's simply a respect thing.
"it is not reasonable to expect mods/admins to act as some kind of moral adjudicator of post content". Thats true, it is unreasonable but it's necessary and it's what the mods-admins do day in day out.

Tigger

i'd say the average age on the airsoft forum is 43

DeVore

Its not just the Mods or admins problem or responsibility. If you see something, dont just scroll by, report it. Its one click away.

Believe me, if you are reasonable about it, the mods will WELCOME your report because it assists them to target things better.

In the thematically appropriate language, its like a laser spotter lighting up a target for the airforce to hit.

Have you reported posts to date?

DeV.

se conman

I have not reported any posts as one thread was locked 5 days ago for review and other posts do not warrent reporting yet , in my opinion.I just wondered did other people think , like me , that we were going down a slippery slope.

drkpower

OldGoat wrote: »

"it is not reasonable to expect mods/admins to act as some kind of moral adjudicator of post content". Thats true, it is unreasonable but it's necessary and it's what the mods-admins do day in day out.

They act as 'adjudicators' alright, but im not sure they act as 'moral' adjudicators. The point I am making is that one parent's views as to what their kids should be exposed to is very different to another's and I dont think it is reasonable for mods to make that kind of assessment. There are some lines that shouldnt be crossed, but they tend to be borderline legal issues (racism, harrassment etc) - if the mods need to start taking into consoderation what little Billly's mammy wouldnt want him to see, a forum like this wouldn't be capable of operating.

Nevyn

ACtually one of the reason's the Sex and & sexuallity forum is not public is to that little billy's mammy can't be ringing Joe and givng out about him reading it.

Agent Smith

You just know little billy's mammy is called mary, and is from malahide....

CrazyRabbit

sceptre wrote: »

Have you raised your concerns directly with the Airsoft mods? They're not ogres.

Haven't you met o1s1n? He's a pretty scary dude with his trenchcoat and long hair!

On a serious note, the Airsoft forum doesn't seem to have much of a problem with bad language or sexual references. Though I have seen closed 'Troll' & 'Baiting' threads in AH that were more civil that some of the emotive threads that have appeared in the Airsoft forum.

Please o1s1n, don't shoot me!

Jumpy

I think posters should be allowed to retract un-parliamentry language.

As we know, that cancels it out.

Overheal

sdonn wrote: »

It's a forum about shooting each other with very realistic imitation guns. If they aren't old enough to be using the f-word they shouldn't be there, tbh.

38 posts in and not one example linked to or quoted of immaturity in the airsoft forum

if you think the forum needs to start enforcing a certain level of maturity/decorum then take it up with the mods of that forum. I know for instance that the politics and Personal Issues mods do not put up with that kind of shit and the sky hasnt started burning or anything.

Stercus Accidit

I read that forum a bit too much tbh, and the worst I've seen is a reference to wood, on a wooden furnitured gun.

Airsoft is like a 15's film, after watching it a bit, you wonder why it wasn't rated pg, then theres a mild reference of some sort, and you go ah.. that's why.

I've seen worse on coronation street.

Dudess

I disagree all kids around the pre-pubescent to early teens age groups are exposed to sexual language all the time on TV, among their peers etc, but I do agree it is not Boards.ie's responsibility to ensure such a demographic is protected.

Dord

Agent Smith wrote: »

You just know little billy's mammy is called mary, and is from malahide....

I thought she was from Terenure? :pac:

o1s1n

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Haven't you met o1s1n? He's a pretty scary dude with his trenchcoat and long hair!

You seem to be getting me confused with someone else! I haven't warn a trench coat in over a decade.

Unless you've been following me for a lot longer than I've known you on here..

<.<

>.>

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

On a serious note, the Airsoft forum doesn't seem to have much of a problem with bad language or sexual references. Though I have seen closed 'Troll' & 'Baiting' threads in AH that were more civil that some of the emotive threads that have appeared in the Airsoft forum.

Please o1s1n, don't shoot me!

I know we're not here to police what children see, but personally I try to remove any sexual content on the forum that goes beyond PG-13. The odd comment may have slipped by over the last three years but I think as a whole we run a tight enough watch.