Spe______t on Q&A forum

[notaPINKtruck]

Anyone else think it's funny that "cialis" in Payload Specialist keeps being censored in the FIRST Q&A forum? The GDC has resorted to using "specia1ist"...

example:
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=10931

[usbcd36]

I think it's ridiculous that they have a censor on those forums at all. With how tightly the Q&A is locked down, it doesn't seem necessary. Also, it's not as if any person (or bot) can make an account and start posting spam.

[DonRotolo]

...plus the censored words are absolutely at the discretion of the forum admin, and that word can be deleted with almost trivial effort.

I get the impression they don't know how. I could show them.

[smurfgirl]

Originally Posted by usbcd36

I think it's ridiculous that they have a censor on those forums at all. With how tightly the Q&A is locked down, it doesn't seem necessary. Also, it's not as if any person (or bot) can make an account and start posting spam.

That's a good point, but they're probably using a standard forum software that censors words already.

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by smurfgirl

That's a good point, but they're probably using a standard forum software that censors words already.

I've never had any experience with vBulletin, but in phpBB every censor mod I ever saw could have words added or deleted. CD has a filter, and I imagine Brandon can add or delete words as he pleases. Of course, it's quite possible I'm wrong.

I just think the "1" seems pretty unprofessional. That said, I think it's highly amusing how sometimes the "1" stands in for an "L" and other times it takes the place of the "I" in SPECIALIST.

[smurfgirl]

Originally Posted by iCurtis

I've never had any experience with vBulletin, but in phpBB every censor mod I ever saw could have words added or deleted. CD has a filter, and I imagine Brandon can add or delete words as he pleases. Of course, it's quite possible I'm wrong.

I just think the "1" seems pretty unprofessional. That said, I think it's highly amusing how sometimes the "1" stands in for an "L" and other times it takes the place of the "I" in SPECIALIST.

I'm sure they can add or delete words, but perhaps they don't realize that?

On the other hand, I was confused why they kept writing "specia1ist"... this thread pointed it out to me.

[GaryVoshol]

The filter software was added during FLL season this fall, when some truly disgusting stuff was being spammed. As I recall, the forum was shut down for a while to clean it up. But I agree, it goes overboard in what it removes. Many FLL posts had the word "free" censored out. Not like any enterprising spammer couldn't spell it cia1is. I had to laugh when I first saw the underlines and spelled out what was censored.

[Enigma's puzzle]

I think it is funny that they named it that way, and now are changing it on the forums. Did anyone actually notice that before they brought attention to it with their censoring? Because i didn't. There are a lot worse sounding words tat could end up on the forum, such as if i posted about canopy's in the pits.

[Brandon Martus]

If configured correctly, vBulletin can censor "cialis" and not "specialist".

[octothorpe]

I just submitted a question to the Q&A earlier tonight and I mentioned the special1st quirk, asking why they didn't update the filter. If I'd seen this thread at the time I would have pointed them to it, but oh well.

Somehow I suspect that they're unlikely to change the filter given the number of posts using "PAYLOAD SPECIAL1ST" already – between removing one line from their blacklisted terms file versus telling all the GDC responders to spell the term with a 1 from here on out, I guess they decided the latter was easier.

Still, it's pretty silly.