Political Correctness Brigade

[Optimus Prime]

How do you know the guy's name wasn't actually something like: Andrew Hitler?

are there actually people around with Hitler as a surname these days?

Rocketry

Yes, as a matter of fact there are. So my point is still valid.

[jaseleo]

One of the main things that we are missing is that this is a war site we attack each other to win, everybody wants to get to no 1 spot nobody is getting hurt this is not real life whats wrong with using names from history good or bad half the world is in poverty and hitler didnt do it that was done by our own goverments greed for power and money

My point is let people be called what they want, like other people have posted if you find it offensive add them to your ignore list and move on.

p.s can i change my name to schindler

[Evil Semp]

The name Hitler is not offensive. The actions of Adolf Hitler were offensive.

How do you decide which user name is offensive? Again I will ask. What about the name General Franco, J Stalin or Stalins Elite? Those names are
associated with atrocities. Should they be banned also?

Dim you said you weren't offended by the name Hitler but it appears to me that you went looking to get offended. I mean if it didn't offend you why complain. You sound like the customer in a store who says to the manager "I don't mean to complain but"

I have refuted you in the post above yours.

All you say is you refuted me. Could you draw me a picture?

[nesterdude]

The name Hitler is not offensive. The actions of Adolf Hitler were offensive.

How do you decide which user name is offensive? Again I will ask. What about the name General Franco, J Stalin or Stalins Elite? Those names are
associated with atrocities. Should they be banned also?

Dim you said you weren't offended by the name Hitler but it appears to me that you went looking to get offended. I mean if it didn't offend you why complain. You sound like the customer in a store who says to the manager "I don't mean to complain but"

Stalin killed more people than Hitler ever did...look it up.
It's this sort of cultural relativism I find in this thread that's creating, in my humble opinion, a pathetically weak mindset.
As he has the power to create the name, as noted so many times on this thread, you have the power to ignore him. But no, many choose to rather censor, and just because you censor something doesn't make it go away - in fact it makes it both stronger and more biting.
I knew when I first saw his name months ago, this was going to be an issue. And yes, when I saw it I said, "Damn!" But, that was that. Over, I saw his games and didn't join them. Had no interest in making associations. But unfortunately, others feel they have to dictate some sort of relative standard toward the community. It's sad really.
As Eddie Izzard put it, "Hitler was a mass murdering fuckhead," but nonetheless does that constitute censoring someone who, say, likes him? Surely not. It's both his right and privilege to like Hitler, adore Hitler, suck off a Hitler statue, etc. If you set a standard like this, you open the debate for everyone's screenname to be put into question.
One more thing: If you're going to use cultural relativism to censor someone's name because you find it offensive, then no one on this thread can make statements like "You're an idiot if you don't think Hitler was xxxxxx" (Insert any relative term like good, bad, evil, monster) because, of course, you're making a relative statement.
Just my 2 c.

[Blitzaholic]

Didnt think it would be long before someone complained. Is the CC site about to turn this way?? Dim posted in cheating and abuse that he came across the name H I T L E R and some people may find it offensive. There are plenty of other people on this site who use names from history are these gonna have to be changed in case someone finds them offensive??

Hitler has now changed his name to hells angel

Watch out custer & genghis khan have your new ID at the ready the hunt is on.

standby 666slut and poo maker they will be after you next

are these names having to be changed?

[Spockers]

I can't believe how precious some of you are. Not really surprised it's started by dim.

[mibi]

The name Hitler is not offensive. The actions of Adolf Hitler were offensive.

How do you decide which user name is offensive? Again I will ask. What about the name General Franco, J Stalin or Stalins Elite? Those names are
associated with atrocities. Should they be banned also?

Dim you said you weren't offended by the name Hitler but it appears to me that you went looking to get offended. I mean if it didn't offend you why complain. You sound like the customer in a store who says to the manager "I don't mean to complain but"

Stalin killed more people than Hitler ever did...look it up.
It's this sort of cultural relativism I find in this thread that's creating, in my humble opinion, a pathetically weak mindset.
As he has the power to create the name, as noted so many times on this thread, you have the power to ignore him. But no, many choose to rather censor, and just because you censor something doesn't make it go away - in fact it makes it both stronger and more biting.
I knew when I first saw his name months ago, this was going to be an issue. And yes, when I saw it I said, "Damn!" But, that was that. Over, I saw his games and didn't join them. Had no interest in making associations. But unfortunately, others feel they have to dictate some sort of relative standard toward the community. It's sad really.
As Eddie Izzard put it, "Hitler was a mass murdering fuckhead," but nonetheless does that constitute censoring someone who, say, likes him? Surely not. It's both his right and privilege to like Hitler, adore Hitler, suck off a Hitler statue, etc. If you set a standard like this, you open the debate for everyone's screenname to be put into question.
One more thing: If you're going to use cultural relativism to censor someone's name because you find it offensive, then no one on this thread can make statements like "You're an idiot if you don't think Hitler was xxxxxx" (Insert any relative term like good, bad, evil, monster) because, of course, you're making a relative statement.
Just my 2 c.

So by your logic, any of the following screen names should be allowed because we shouldn't censor things and silly people are just looking through their own cultural lens.

I_HATE_NIGG*RS
GOD_HATES_FAGS
BURN_JEW_BURN
GO_HOME_DIRTY_MEXICAN

all these should be allowed right? Because its all relative and the bible says gays are bad so no one should censor my beliefs in the United States of Conquer club?

Have you checked your own pathetically weak mindset lately? Your cultural relativism point is totally bunk considering you find that people who don't shared your particular opinion to be sad. You had no interest in making associations with the Hitler name, whoop-tee-doo, I am sure you speak for the rest of conquer club.

The bottom line is this is website open to all ages and certain standard of sensitivity should be enforced. Please re-read that last sentence and make note of where I said 'website'. Conquer Club is not United States of America, the Fourth Estate, or people v. nesterdude. Attach your "end censorship" bumper sticker to something thats applicable let alone gives a shit.

Sorry if my rant is too relevant for you, its just my culture.

[owenshooter]

I_HATE_NIGG*RS

thank you for being sensitive to my feelings. i greatly appreciate it. see how a little "*" gets your point across and doesn't cross a line?-0

[Skittles!]

GOD_HATES_FAGS

I knew he did! And they all denied it!*

Anyway, this political correctness is annoying, really. We can't even say "Ho ho ho" because it's incorrect, so we have to say "he he he" instead. Stupid Christmas.

* = Immense use of sarcasm.

[owenshooter]

We can't even say "Ho ho ho" because it's incorrect, so we have to say "he he he" instead. Stupid Christmas.

you must live in australia...

[Skittles!]

We can't even say "Ho ho ho" because it's incorrect, so we have to say "he he he" instead. Stupid Christmas.

you must live in australia...

Obviously so.

[Symmetry]

Or you could just have been a bit gullible, and believed a bizarre story simply because it had a "pc gone mad" air to it.

Snopes Debunks PC Ho Ho Ho Myth

The majority of the PC scare stories I've come across tend to end up having been fabricated, misunderstood, or generally be unrelated to political correctness entirely.

"PC gone mad" seems to be a phrase that convinces many people to switch off their critical faculties and believe whatever gibberish is put in front of them.

I realize that you have a right to believe what's reported in a reputable news source, so this isn't a personal criticism. I'm just pointing out this symptom of a wider malaise.

[owenshooter]

he he he

[TomaCzar]

This could have been an awesome intellectual discussion about freedom of speech in the digital millennium but instead the participants have allowed the thread to get bogged down in postulating implausible what-ifs and moronic retorts of. "No, I'm not stupid, YOU'RE stupid!!".

As a civil rights proponent and a network administrator I was hoping for a lot more when I saw five pages of commentary. That being said, a few things I found interesting:

1) Joe Kill Niggers -- absolutely hilarious!! Reminds me of the Dave Chappelle "The Niggars" sketch. Yes, I'm Black. Yes it's still frickin' hilarious.
2) In someone's opinion, it's important to spell NIGG*RS with an asterisk but perfectly fine to spell out FAGS. I'm curious if they think that's because Blacks are more sensitive than homosexuals and therefore require increased protection or if they feel FAGS is not a derogatory term and/or homosexuals don't mind being referred to as FAGS.
3) The derogatory term for Jews hasn't once been used, instead the word Jew has always been used. I don't know if that speaks towards progress in removing the term from popular use or regress in that the word Jew itself carries negative connotations.

At the end of the day, as best I can tell, CC has the same options that every other SysAdmin/NetAdmin has. Either A, you have truly free speech where anyone can have any nick they want without any restriction or B, CC maintains a totalitarian policy of being able to ask any member to change their nick at any time for any (or no) reason without means of discussion or appeal upon penalty of account deletion. Trying to define what is or is not offensive is not an achievable goal.

[mibi]

At the end of the day, as best I can tell, CC has the same options that every other SysAdmin/NetAdmin has. Either A, you have truly free speech where anyone can have any nick they want without any restriction or B, CC maintains a totalitarian policy of being able to ask any member to change their nick at any time for any (or no) reason without means of discussion or appeal upon penalty of account deletion. Trying to define what is or is not offensive is not an achievable goal.

Wow, way to polarize the situation.

Thank you for that enlightened perspective as a 'civil rights proponent and a network administrator', very helpful.

[nesterdude]

Interesting Mibi,
It seems that whenever someone disagrees with you, you get defensive and emotionally charged...Take it easy, you'll give bleeding hearts everywhere a bad name.
As per your comments:
1. At no point did I ever say this site (and please refrain from directing me to "reread" what you wrote; I can get it the first time, yet you may want to heed your own sage advice) was subject to any freedom of speech rules or regulations. What I did say, that one ought to be careful, why and with what reason one decides censor. To boot, I also noted that it's equally important to have a good reason for doing so because one's (one meaning the person or the site) credibility could fall into question.
2. You make a good point with your examples of names that by my logic, according to you, should be all right. I would argue that the difference is in degree and that one example is passive while the other active. Of course you have to have a modicum of censorship. Generally people have neither the constitution, nor restraint, to keep things in good taste. Yet, I think it's what you're choosing to censor, and for what reasons that bother me. In my opinion if you have a good argument for an action, then by all means; yet I've heard nothing to convince me that this was a solid action.
3. I never suggested that I speak for the rest of the Conquer Club community, but it seems that by censoring the name, you and the mods are.
4. The cultural relativism point is far from bunk. I do find people who disagree with my opinion on this matter sad. I've heard no good argument to sway me the other way. As I said, dictating a relative standard to a community is sad.

[Flowen]

4. The cultural relativism point is far from bunk. I do find people who disagree with my opinion on this matter sad. I've heard no good argument to sway me the other way. As I said, dictating a relative standard to a community is sad.

I agree with that. Playing devils advocate, I do have some relatives who would be offended by these terms: Little Boy, Fat Man, uranium-235, plutonium-239, Leslie Groves, ABCC, Truman, Alamogordo, Enola Gay, Necessary Evil, Oppenheimer, etc, etc. (By the way, if you recognize even 1/2 of those terms without looking them up, you get a cookie =P) I don't want to start a debate over if it was right or not, or anything of the sort. I'm just saying, there are people from a different culture who would be more offended over some of these terms than the name "hitler."

There are plenty of other good examples out there though. I've seen "jap" used a few times here. Honestly it doesn't bother me, but I know it would bother my father greatly, along with at least 95% of his side of the family. To them, it would be along the lines of calling a black person from Nigeria a "nig." Talking about "faggots" or "fags" in British English doesnt mean you're a gay basher either. These words have meanings ranging from meatballs to bundles of sticks to cigarettes. I could go on, but basically, what may seem innocuous to some people may be very offensive to others.

From this, you can either be biased toward a certain culture, and censor in a way that best suits them, censor everything that may be offensive to anyone, or not censor at all. Pretty much any efforts, or lack of, in censoring will fall into one of these three categories; each one having its own advantages and drawbacks. The hardest part as a site owner is to decide how you want to deal with it, and to stay consistant in your methods of choice.

P.S. I'm not sure what length of time constitutes a 'necro' on these forums. If it's twelve days or less, I apologize for bringing up an old topic. After spending time on this post, I really don't want it to go to waste though.

[JimRocky]

Nearly any name can be offensive to someone. Therefore we must all get new name that consists of a random string of non word forming characters.

That or just all agree to not find names offensive.

Neither of these option will win out though.

[666Slay]

standby 666slut and poo maker they will be after you next


standing by!!! hehe......

[owenshooter]

this thread is back? wow...-0

[Mensathis]

There are far more offensive screennames on this site than Hitler,

Since my grandparents were Decepticons, I find the name of Optimus Prime rather offensive. Mods, please change this account name to something inoffensive, like "Uncle Joey Stalin".

[Russianfire8371]

There are far more offensive screennames on this site than Hitler,

Since my grandparents were Decepticons, I find the name of Optimus Prime rather offensive. Mods, please change this account name to something inoffensive, like "Uncle Joey Stalin".