FOSS gamedev and creative worlds

by **SmellyBut** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 05:15

If a kid does not know what a word means, does that make it okay for them to be exposed to it?

I am asking this simple question for a very specific reason.

You see it all started maybe about 2 weeks ago. I am still Fairly new to this game, still learning new things everyday. And so far I really have enjoyed my time on Minetest and all the wonderful people I met.
I came into Minetest for a few reasons, I love build games, I am a scripter, and really just to have fun and waste time when I can. So of course I picked the most stupidest name because after all this is just a game.
I go by “SmellyBut” in Minetest.

So far no one has ever gave me a problem with my name expect a few people in which I will get into shortly.

So one day I was went to check out a new server see what its like. (I will not name the server out of respect for them because I don’t want to people to grief or troll them in my name.)

So as soon as I came into the server I saw 3 names that stood out to me. 2 which where in reference to Marijuana and one which was a racist slur towards whites.
But I did not say anything because I figured the admins or mods knew what was best.

Then it began.

Within 10 seconds or less people started harassing me about my name, telling me it was inappropriate, and disgusting. Then people where telling me if I wanted to play on that server I needed to create a new name.

When I asked but why? They would tell me how it was bad for young kids to be subjected and exposed to such a name.

However when I mentioned about the three names I mentioned a few sentences back their exact words where.

“Young kids don’t know what those words mean, so it’s okay”

To make a long story short I would not change my name, which would cause me to be banned.
But yet players with Drug and racist referenced names are okay.

This does not make sense to me.

I get that “SmellyBut” is a lets be honest stupid name.

But I rather a kid see and go back to his mom saying the word Smelly But, then a racial slur.

I am posting about this because I would like to know others opinion.

So tell me,

What are your thoughts.

by **hoodedice** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 05:37

SmellyBut aint so bad. Your avatar, though... Change it.

by **Aqua** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 06:19

Why would you even give a crap? These people are obviously trolls, waiting for someone so gullible to land in their traps. I've met hundreds of these people on Gameboom. Why can't people learn to ignore them?

hoodedice wrote:SmellyBut aint so bad. Your avatar, though... Change it.

Looks like knees to me.

by **LionsDen** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 06:43

SmellyBut isn't offensive to me. I don't think I would ever call someone that in public but I don't see how it would be harmful to a child. It's not even a swear word which I don't think is all that harmful (especially as most kids have heard most of them on the playground at a very young age) so I really don't see the big deal.

by **mauvebic** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 06:46

I propose we add 'fatty fatty boombalatty' to the list of unacceptable hate speech.

by **Linxx** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 07:25

SmellyBut your name is something my niece would say when i don't visiter her for a while XD haha anyway your name isn't offensive the guys on the server need to re-check what they where thinking because if they had a racials lur and the other thing on the server why not your name atleast it would sound funny when a kid says it.

by **SmellyBut** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:14

Thank you to everyone who wrote so far, glad to know I am not alone in what I think. The funny thing is I guess bans don't last forever I tried going back in their just to see what would happen and I got instant ban, however the last thing I saw before they hit me with that ban hammer was,

"You still won't change your name"

It's amazing how stupid some people can be.

by **SmellyBut** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:16

LionsDen wrote:SmellyBut isn't offensive to me. I don't think I would ever call someone that in public but I don't see how it would be harmful to a child. It's not even a swear word which I don't think is all that harmful (especially as most kids have heard most of them on the playground at a very young age) so I really don't see the big deal.

So true.

by **onpon4** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:58

Well, those people are wrong, because the whole reason we don't say "swear words" around kids is because they don't know what these words mean and/or don't understand how offensive they can be.

Well, I don't agree that marijuana references are particularly bad, and I don't know of any white people who get offended by racial slurs aimed at them. But in any case, any kid old enough to read will understand what "SmellyBut" sounds like. If anything, they might use the name as an excuse to annoy their parents ("It's not butt, it's but! That's not a potty word!").

by **mauvebic** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:17

onpon4 wrote:I don't know of any white people who get offended by racial slurs aimed at them.

I wouldn't be offended by what the OP describes, but I don't really go for double standards either.

by **Darkbee** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:40

Is irrelevant as far as games are concerned.

hoodedice wrote:SmellyBut aint so bad. Your avatar, though... Change it.

It is kinda childish and I wouldn't want to encourage my child to go around saying it (although it's classic playground banter), but there's a lot worse they could be saying. I most definitely wouldn't want them sitting around getting high and engaging in racism (of any kind).

by **nolan** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:51

EXACTLY, Smellybut is a word that any child could use normally every day to me (butthead, poopbutt, etc...) After he was banned he came to me and seriously, i think that these *moderators* and the *admin* are very idiotic, i'm a very experienced moderator myself, and yes, I would probably ask someone with a racial, or drug name to change it right away. But NOT Smellybut, thats just a silly name, that's it.

by **BrandonReese** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 14:46

I wouldn't want my kids saying it, we just broke my 5 year old of saying poop all the time (e.g. what do you want to eat? Poop! ). I want my children to at least sound intelligent so we try to teach them not to talk like that. So I think your name makes you sound ignorant or immature, but it doesn't offend me. The other names you referenced probably make them sound ignorant or immature also.

by **Jordach** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 16:13

I agree with SmellyButt, it's just stupid how people can get away with "nigger, weedman, etc", but not something so simple aqs SmellyButt, these admin's should learn what kids are like with names. Not to mention this isn't the 1950's anymore. Nobody on the planet gives a single shit about how things are presented anymore; just look at the Sheeple who buy Apple products...

My stuff · by **Mossmanikin** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 16:40

Exposing kids to words they don't understand can be dangerous, if nobody tells them what they mean.
By telling I mean: having patience, really explaining.

A kid that hasn't already been brainwashed by anti drug propaganda will understand that it's the dose, not the drug itself that's harmful.
A kid that hasn't already been brainwashed by racist propaganda will understand what's wrong with racism.

If you tell a kid not to say "butt", it can obey, but it will never understand, because it's just a body part.
If you tell a kid not to say "smelly" it can obey, but it will never understand, because it's literally a matter of taste.

It's not some words, it's lack of enlightenment that spoils kids.
In a lot of cases it's the parents who can't deal with the words and instead of questioning their own views spoil their kids by telling them to obey just because.

by **nolan** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 18:16

Mossmanikin wrote:Exposing kids to words they don't understand can be dangerous, if nobody tells them what they mean.
By telling I mean: having patience, really explaining.

A kid that hasn't already been brainwashed by anti drug propaganda will understand that it's the dose, not the drug itself that's harmful.
A kid that hasn't already been brainwashed by racist propaganda will understand what's wrong with racism.

If you tell a kid not to say "butt", it can obey, but it will never understand, because it's just a body part.
If you tell a kid not to say "smelly" it can obey, but it will never understand, because it's literally a matter of taste.

It's not some words, it's lack of enlightenment that spoils kids.
In a lot of cases it's the parents who can't deal with the words and instead of questioning their own views spoil their kids by telling them to obey just because.

Yea, the kid need to be told why they shouldnt say or use a word, otherwise they wont say it or use it just because, i totally agree with you Bravo. Toohoots.

by **Sokomine** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 20:50

Maybe you didn't know much about the server you visited beforehand. This one you menitoned places special value on family-friendlyness and suitability for small children. On other servers, your name would most likely present no problem. On Redcrabs server, I had the opposite around some time ago: Children complained about the usage of swearwords. The usage was not excessive and had - in my eyes - to be tolerated. It would have been polite and friendly of the people the children complained about to take some care and watch their words, but they didn't have to. The internet is not for children. Which doesn't mean that you can walk into the next kindergarden and start a discussion about violence or sexual orientation or whatever may be considered worse in your country. Or, to make it more Minetest-related, join a server used for building and start griefing houses and then pretend you where just playing PvP and it was their fault they didn't defend their buildings. Servers usually have some aims and rules and settings, and it's best to read and understand them - and to search for a server where those rules fit your playstyle. We have more than enough servers for all kinds of preferences.

by **SmellyBut** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 22:40

Sokomine wrote:Maybe you didn't know much about the server you visited beforehand. This one you menitoned places special value on family-friendlyness and suitability for small children. On other servers, your name would most likely present no problem. On Redcrabs server, I had the opposite around some time ago: Children complained about the usage of swearwords. The usage was not excessive and had - in my eyes - to be tolerated. It would have been polite and friendly of the people the children complained about to take some care and watch their words, but they didn't have to. The internet is not for children. Which doesn't mean that you can walk into the next kindergarden and start a discussion about violence or sexual orientation or whatever may be considered worse in your country. Or, to make it more Minetest-related, join a server used for building and start griefing houses and then pretend you where just playing PvP and it was their fault they didn't defend their buildings. Servers usually have some aims and rules and settings, and it's best to read and understand them - and to search for a server where those rules fit your playstyle. We have more than enough servers for all kinds of preferences.

@Sokomine I really do understand what you are saying. It just does not make sense to me how like you just said
"special value on family-friendlyness and suitability for small children." would allow drug and racist names. But yet its so family friendly.

by **SmellyBut** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 22:42

Thank you everyone for giving me your opinion and thoughts on this topic. I may not agree 100% with everything, everyone wrote exact. But I still respect and value your opinion.

by **Josh** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 02:59

If anybody ever swears on games, or says something rude or offensive, just ignore them, thats what i do :)

by **Dopium** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 03:19

My user name is something I have wanted to change for a while now but I want to keep my account so the few I have met know who I am. However I do regret my choice even though it refers to a music album not the drug itself, im sure many have thought i was referring to drugs which makes it a regretful decision on my behalf. (im not a druggy)

It is a good idea to think and decide well as how others will view your user name as personality, that's just the nature of the internet. Just like some judge books by the cover.

Anyway personally im moving places ATM and will be changing my username when i settle in the new place. All i say is think before acting if you want others to take you serious, your username is like a book cover

by **rubenwardy** » Thu Jul 18, 2013 14:23

Lol, *Butt

by **Hamguy** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 01:18

You best believe you are in a troll threads because you are in one.

by **SmellyBut** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 01:47

Hamguy wrote:You best believe you are in a troll threads because you are in one.

I was not trolling, I was serious about my post.

by **nolan** » Sat Jul 20, 2013 03:19

Hamguy wrote:You best believe you are in a troll threads because you are in one.

Go away, just go.

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Bad words for kids

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