Home's zero tolerance chat censorship policy criticized

[wraggster]

We trust the collective PlayStation Home-playing community about as far as we can throw them, but we can't help but agree with a recent San Francisco Chronicle article that criticizes the "game's" ridiculously strict chat censorship policy. The article explores the case of Michael Marsh, who attempted to start a gay/straight alliance club, only to find that the words gay, lesbian and bisexual (all "preferred terms" in the gay community) were being blocked by the profanity filter; a policy Marsh worries could encourage players to think of them as pejorative terms.

The filter doesn't just apply an unflinching amount of restriction to terms describing sexual preference -- "Christ" and "Jew" are also given the asterisk treatment, and even "Hello" gets blocked for its implementation of the dreaded "h-e-double-hockey-sticks". An SCEA spokesperson responded by saying that "user behavior and feedback" will help guide their changes during the beta process.

What do you guys think? Can Home users be trusted to utter the names of religious figures and issue polite salutations to one another?

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/28/homes-zero-tolerance-chat-censorship-policy-criticized/

[JLF65]

What do you guys think? Can Home users be trusted to utter the names of religious figures and issue polite salutations to one another?

No, they can't, but that's still no reason to forbid it altogether. Certain freedoms mean there will be a certain amount of friction to go along with them. It can't be helped. You can either cop out by forbidding everything, or just make your mods earn their paycheck. ;)

[F9zDark]

Right you are. Some people can enjoy these without a problem; many cannot. Sony's forums are similar, blocking most words, even if they are within another word that resemble bad words.

But for as many people as there are that say such is ridiculous, there are many, many more who find ways around this by using numbers or similarly looking symbols.

But lets sidestep the issue of censorship (which is an issue I do not agree with at all, mind you). Sexual preferences, political discussions and religious discussions are all very heated topics; especially nowadays in which all three are, depending on one's views, at odds.

Do I believe these things should be censored? Not at all; but its the least of all evils. Simply keeping said discussions out of a game environment is really the best for all players in the end.