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Help Keywords : 'Censored Words'.
Help Category : Miscellaneous.
Related Helps : policies.
Last Updated : 2021-10-24 16:47:24.
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The use of words evolves over time. What was once considered OK or
'socially acceptable' (forgetting that society is often wrong) may change.
There are certain words that most people agree are unacceptable today that
were common on TV and in the media 50 years ago. During that time period,
there was no definite "it's not OK now" cutoff that everyone agreed to. The
change was gradual and everyone had to make their own decision, at least
until it reaches a critical mass where you're probably going to not use
certain words in a mixed crowd even if you disagree.
As makers of a game with a fairly large community we have to make these
decisions too. Whatever decision we make, for half the game it is going to
be too late and we're insensitive and it should have never been ok (it's a
no-brainer with hindsight, not at the time) and for the other half we are
ruining the world with our over the top woke cancel culture. Maybe
somewhere in there one or two people feel like it was just the right time.
We can't make decisions for everyone else, only for Aardwolf.
We recently removed some socials containing 'fag' or 'faggot'. Considering
the game used to catch some real hate in the 1990s for allowing same-sex
marriage it seems strange we ever allowed those socials at all but, like we
said, it's easy with hindsight. Either way, definitely late on that one.
We also renamed the Gypsy Caravan area to Wayfarer's Caravan. Doesn't mean
the word is banned from the game in this latter case and we even have other
gypsy mobs in the game (at least for now), but an entire area dedicated to
a phrase that the people it describes increasingly find offensive no longer
flies.
We will have new words to consider in future and the same argument will
play out on the boards over and over so it's easier to write this just once
to explain our position. When we make these decisions for Aardwolf we ask
that you respect them while you are here and understand that odds are you
don't agree with us on either side of discussion.
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