[Orius]

Originally Posted by RangerWickett

This past week I was out of town, and had to use a public library's computer. I made the mistake of writing on my novel on one of these computers, which apparently gave the thing's censoring program permission to edit my text. So here's a list of the often ridiculous words that the library thought needed to be censored. I want to see how many of them EN World thinks are inappropriate.

It's a terrible filter, IMO. Can't check context, and doesn't see spaces and separate words.

(the f-word)
Of (not just the s-word by itself, though)

Yeah.

Bastard

We need to be able to talk about bastard swords, you know. Censoring that here would be more trouble than it's worth.

Hookas (edited out of the words "shook as")

Probably to fight teen smoking. I hear hookas are gaining popularity these days. But no context.

Piercings (from "piercing sound")

Seems silly, maybe it's to prevent parent rage over kids getting all kinds of wacky piercings.

game (from "taking a measure")

Out of context, and harmless as well. Unless they want to prevent kids from playing internet games or it's related to lotto below.

kill them (from "kill the monster")

Trying to calm kiddie rage I guess. Bad context again.

bondage - I was using it in the meaning of "my kin are in bondage"
naked man

Not surprising, obviously a porn blocking measure.

exotica (from "exotically")

Some idiot doesn't know the difference between "exotic" and "erotic".

brothel

Again, porn.

lotto (from "cost a lot to")

Probably to block internet gambling.

hot butt (from "hot butter")
red hand -- I don't know why this is censored.
red hot -- ditto.
clit (from "idiotic little lambchops")

Again, porn out of context. At least, I'm guessing red hand is porn-related somehow, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know.

I'm sure you can figure out the other three.

rrated (from "serrated") -- what the hell?

Probably porn related again, or maybe it's to block violence or language. This filter is obviously more strict that something just blocking x-rated.

hacking

Computer hacking, obviously.

In any case, that library's filter is obviously too stringent to be of any use. I feel sorry for someone of low-income without a computer at home looking for health information there (good luck finding information on breast cancer!).

It's not just that it's blocking anything that could obviously be related to porn, gambling, illegal activity or anything that might even remotely corrupt a child's mind. It can't check squat for context, and that's where it becomes useless. It looks like it was programmed by the Church Lady, IMO.