Social Media Censorship Creating Workarounds
Discussion
It appears there are certain words which aren't allowed on social media platforms.
There were bonkers ones for example on Facebook where English users were copping bans for using the word, cracker. Now it seems that anything to do with death or killing is a no-no, so 'unalived' has become the workaround word.
Anything to do with 'forced intercourse' is now 'grape' or an emoji of a bunch of grapes.
You could discuss Native Americans killing bison in the 1800s and your comment will be filtered and deleted. Change it to 'unaliving' bison and it'll be fine.
I understand these sites are monitored by bots to prevent comments and topics about violence, harm, self-harm etc, but such conversations could be marked with Content Warning, so that people sensitive to those subjects can avoid them. It's the subject that's the issue, not the word.
There were bonkers ones for example on Facebook where English users were copping bans for using the word, cracker. Now it seems that anything to do with death or killing is a no-no, so 'unalived' has become the workaround word.
Anything to do with 'forced intercourse' is now 'grape' or an emoji of a bunch of grapes.
You could discuss Native Americans killing bison in the 1800s and your comment will be filtered and deleted. Change it to 'unaliving' bison and it'll be fine.
I understand these sites are monitored by bots to prevent comments and topics about violence, harm, self-harm etc, but such conversations could be marked with Content Warning, so that people sensitive to those subjects can avoid them. It's the subject that's the issue, not the word.
Back in the early 00s, we had the fun of public sector websites filtering out words like Arsenal and S
horpe because the 'system' lacked the intellect to determine what's offensive and what's not (or rather those coding the system lacked the ability to do so).
Most of the SM platforms did include a warning for a while but this appears to have stopped.
To my mind, it's something where Ai really should be stepping up and being of use beyond creating talking gorillas. Ai should have the capacity to interpret context and intervene but so far, seems unable to do so... or there's an institutional decision not to use such a tool.
horpe because the 'system' lacked the intellect to determine what's offensive and what's not (or rather those coding the system lacked the ability to do so).Most of the SM platforms did include a warning for a while but this appears to have stopped.
To my mind, it's something where Ai really should be stepping up and being of use beyond creating talking gorillas. Ai should have the capacity to interpret context and intervene but so far, seems unable to do so... or there's an institutional decision not to use such a tool.
).StevieBee said:
Back in the early 00s, we had the fun of public sector websites filtering out words like Arsenal and Shorpe because the 'system' lacked the intellect to determine what's offensive and what's not (or rather those coding the system lacked the ability to do so).
And certain websites in 2025, it would seem horpe because the 'system' lacked the intellect to determine what's offensive and what's not (or rather those coding the system lacked the ability to do so).
otolith said:
StevieBee said:
Back in the early 00s, we had the fun of public sector websites filtering out words like Arsenal and Shorpe because the 'system' lacked the intellect to determine what's offensive and what's not (or rather those coding the system lacked the ability to do so).
And certain websites in 2025, it would seem horpe because the 'system' lacked the intellect to determine what's offensive and what's not (or rather those coding the system lacked the ability to do so).
kambites said:
I never even new that "cracker" was an offensive term. Is that an American thing?
Just googled it. (For reference I typed “the word cracker”). It brought up the apparent issue immediately.Had not the slightest idea. Can’t imagine I’ll desist from using the word in general use. All seems a bit absurd.
There was another example some time ago of a deeply offensive innocuous word. Can’t for the life of me recall what that one was.
Not my best anecdote.
RacingStripes said:
Ive found on Facebook that the if you use the word screw it won't put the post on a group I was on.
Trying to write "put some loctite on the screw and tighten it back up" kept getting my post rejected. Narrowed it down to the word screw.
Had exactly the same the other day, had to use the word Bolt instead. which really upset the engineer in me as it was a screw not a bolt.Trying to write "put some loctite on the screw and tighten it back up" kept getting my post rejected. Narrowed it down to the word screw.
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