[redsniper]

Now you're just splitting hairs. Use your own judgmen- wait, wait, no. Um... Do what you think the other members here would do.

[General Battuta]

so, is jude offensive since that's what jews were called during the holocaust?

As with all racist comments it's the context that the word is used in that makes it offensive or not. Anyone caught using it in a offensive manner will be out on their ear too.

[karajorma]

Would put a whole new spin on the Beatles song if it was.

Anyway, I think that's quite enough off-topic for now. Any further attempts to push the limits by using offensive terms will also be dealt with.

[iamzack]

For god's sake, they aren't "racist" they are just offensive and not nice and typically used in the context of expressing racist sentiments.

[Bobboau]

you shall be banned for using a word that is racially offinceive in another country. the ADMIN has spoken!

[Polpolion]

For god's sake, they aren't "racist" they are just offensive and not nice and typically used in the context of expressing racist sentiments.

Oh wow. I wonder why these things still aren't allowed.

[karajorma]

For god's sake, they aren't "racist" they are just offensive and not nice and typically used in the context of expressing racist sentiments.

Fine. You really wanted to push it... Explain what this meant.

They can't handle Paki RAGE.

And if you can't give a good enough non-racist explanation, you're gone.

[BloodEagle]

....

....

Because not being a dick to people just because they aren't white is a good thing. 

Call a jack a jack, and a spade a spade. I don't care what your race or your religion is. The second you call something by a different name because someone might take offense is the second that you create bigotry.

P.S. Please don't blatantly ignore the point here.

[terran_emperor]

There is a such thing as being too Politically Correct.

But still there are some words you never use. I'm mixed race myself, even though i dont look it. So i have no tolerance for rascism.

I for one agree with Kara that anyone who repeatedly uses racially offensive words even after being warned should be barred from the forum.

[Bobboau]

best way to deal with racism is not to hide it but let people see it. if someone is racist everyone will turn against them, if they are not a racist but sometimes use racist language they will only end up getting harassed by the self righteous with social engineering aspirations.

[karajorma]

There has to be a punishment element for transgressions. Saying that you shouldn't punish racism is like saying you shouldn't punish theft because everyone will turn against a thief.

[General Battuta]

....

....

Because not being a dick to people just because they aren't white is a good thing. 

Call a jack a jack, and a spade a spade. I don't care what your race or your religion is. The second you call something by a different name because someone might take offense is the second that you create bigotry.

P.S. Please don't blatantly ignore the point here.

Since your original comment was in response to me, BloodEagle, I must say that in this case someone clearly is taking offense.

On a board with a global audience you have to be careful.

I know that if someone said 'Jap' -- a term I used a lot in my youth, playing World War 2 with toy fighter planes, but which I later learned was really offensive -- a lot of people wouldn't bat an eyelash, but at least some HLP members would be dumbstruck and angry.

Besides, it's all in the context. 'Yank' is pretty harmless coming from, say, Kara; but if a very anti-American member referred to you as an 'angry Yank' you'd probably be upset.

[Bobboau]

There has to be a punishment element for transgressions. Saying that you shouldn't punish racism is like saying you shouldn't punish theft because everyone will turn against a thief.

the punishment is social scorn. unless you think the community at large supports racism.
using power to punish those who say things that you don't like is not the actions of a governing body I would support.

also, threadsplit? I don't see this thread making it back to shrilankins getting attacked by Pakistani Islamic extremists.

[karajorma]

But HLP is not meant to be a social networking site. You can't mod people up or down. There's no way to tell  So if you have a single user constantly spewing out racist comments what would you do? Just let them carry on?

As for splitting the thread. I can't really see any sensible way to split it without making the start of this one very strange.

[Polpolion]

There has to be a punishment element for transgressions. Saying that you shouldn't punish racism is like saying you shouldn't punish theft because everyone will turn against a thief.

the punishment is social scorn. unless you think the community at large supports racism.
using power to punish those who say things that you don't like is not the actions of a governing body I would support.

The only way that could work is if people are allowed to flame, which they're not. And I would assume that far fewer people would be here if flaming were encouraged as a means punishment.

[Bobboau]

I, personally, would call them an idiot every time they opened their racist idiot mouth.

as for flaming what constitutes a flame is highly subjective, and once again goes back to my position of using power to manipulate how people act and thing is not a good way to do things, in fact I think you just proved it, by not allowing people to call one and other stupid when they are, you have taken away the group's ability to self regulate, therefore requiring an ever escalating set of increasingly totalitarian controls on what can and can not be said.

[karajorma]

By doing that you are feeding the troll though Bobboau. And let's face it most racist comments on boards like this are trolls simply to get attention.

[Talon 1024]

For god's sake, they aren't "racist" they are just offensive and not nice and typically used in the context of expressing racist sentiments.

I think you just made a self-contradiction.  "Expressing racist sentiments" is racism.
Anyways, shouldn't we get this back on topic?

[Bobboau]

By doing that you are feeding the troll though Bobboau. And let's face it most racist comments on boards like this are trolls simply to get attention.

true, but then the individual gets the reputation of being a troll and thus everyone shuns them, unless there trolling results in comedy.

[karajorma]

Yes but only after fairly massive forum disruption. Look at the pain in the arse Takashi made of himself when he first arrived.

It's all very well to expect social stuctures to deal with the kind of disruptions these things cause but they don't spring up overnight. Furthermore expecting the character of a board to remain the same when something like that is changed is pretty silly. Most people like HLP because on the whole it is a friendly, welcoming place.

I wouldn't want to be associated with the kind of STFU Noob! sort of HLP you seem to want.