The R-Word

So I'm going to come out and say it...

Are we not allowed to say the word "retarded?" It is not in the list of rules. Now, I am aware of rules in place to protect against derogatory slurs having to do with racial, sexual orientation or any debilitating illness (or any other bigotry)... including the mentally retarded. But it seems that even saying the word gets comments deleted, threads locked and even bans handed out.

So what is with this word other than the obvious I already mentioned? Why is special action being taken with it/ and is there a rule set in stone saying it cannot be named at all? Do I need to worry about a ban for even asking this? do 90% of moderators have retarded children and are overly sensitive?? what is going on?

@isturbo1984: Hello,

The word "retarded" is generally taken as a slur against people with mental disabilities and is typically not allowed on the site, especially when aimed at users, people or groups of people. My personal opinion is that it is not a bannable offense unless the offender has been warned multiple times and still refuses to follow the site's Code of Conduct, and if a user continually disregards a moderator's or staff's warnings, then there are usually much bigger issues of lack of respect for the community anyway.

There are more productive ways to argue that something is ridiculous, unwarranted or silly than calling it "retarded", so if a user receives a warning for the use of the word, they should have no problem complying.

I'll leave this thread open for other moderator comments.

Regards,

zyxe

GameSpot Moderation Team

This raises more questions than answers. So there is no rule against the word usage. But it is a word still "frowned" on... and a person can receive a ban by the usage of the word (although you say you don't personally)?

You can't just say "hey, stop using that word." Especially when it isnt being used as a slur or as flaming or in the form of hate speech against the mentally debilitated. Or are you saying that is exactly what will happen??

While moderators cannot see every post or comment made, there is a rule when a moderator does see a post with that word and it's used in a derogatory fashion that the post should be moderated. There is a legitimate use of the word, meaning "slowed", but I don't think I've ever seen it used legitimately outside of my fluid mechanics or physics studies. There IS a rule against using discriminatory language, and I would include the word "retarded" in there, in the Code of Conduct:

- No personal attacks or use of discriminatory language

Including but not limited to hateful personal attacks against other members, sexism, racism, homophobic slurs or similar statements. Ad hominem and other distracting attacks do not add anything to the conversation.

The term "retarded" is definitely frowned on, even when it is not pointed towards a person because it does undermine a large group of individuals, even if you don't mean it that way. As for banning, you should not be banned for a first offense solely regarding use of that word, but if you are a repeat offender who has been repeatedly warned and fails to comply, it could trigger a ban. For example, if I saw a comment in an article saying, "That game is retarded!", I would likely just delete it and move on unless I saw it many times from the same user in which case I'd send the user a PM explaining the word is not acceptable and ask that they refrain from using the word; disregard of that request, however, WOULD result in user moderation (i.e. warning, strike or ban as the context deems appropriate).

Basically, if a moderator sees the term used and identifies it as derogatory in its use, then it will be moderated. Depending on the severity, the poster may receive a moderation of a warning or a strike. Moderators are not required to contact users with all moderations against content (i.e. post deletion), sometimes a simple "delete" will suffice and moderator comments aren't needed. Moderators may let you know why your post was moderated whether in the forum or article itself, but we may not have time to create notifications of ALL moderations, especially for comments in articles. We are, however, required to contact users if THEY are being moderated directly so that the user knows they have a warning or strike against them.

You can always PM the moderators and ask why your comment appears to have been moderated (please provide a link to the article or forum so that we can identify what the comment was and who moderated it). And yes, moderators can ask you to stop using that word and you are expected to comply:

Even if you don’t agree with all of the rules, we still expect you to follow them.

But if you really disagree and feel you have been unfairly moderated, you are encouraged to contact the community manager, DigitalDame, so that she can sort out the issue and identify whether the moderator acted appropriately and provide further guidance to all parties involved as needed.

The bottom line is that if a moderator sees something they feel is against the CoC, they are expected to act. There will always be some level of individual interpretation, but we often try to discuss these issues as a group when they come up. There is no clear-cut answer for a generic question, but I hope this provides some clarity for you.

I'm still leaving this thread open for other mods to comment.

Regards,

zyxe

I think the patriotically correct term is "intellectual disability," actually. however I don't typically use the word. I have just noticed a giant red flag surrounding it, primarily with other users. but further on the confusion that concerns me is the quote, "Even if you don’t agree with all of the rules, we still expect you to follow them." Which i understand. However there is no rule surrounding saying "retarded," so my question now is why is anything even being done against those who use it in the first place since it isnt a rule? and why is this being enforced so heavily just on political incorrectness?

@isturbo1984: It is a rule, I've already stated that you are not allowed to use the word "retarded" in a derogatory fashion. In my own opinion, it is not practical to list every single combination or permutation of disallowed worlds and rules because context is also important and it opens the door for users to use the excuse that a specific word is not on the "disallowed" list and think they can use it simply because it isn't listed; then we'd have a huge CoC that would be unreasonably long and cumbersome to use. So no, not all rules will be listed as you appear to want them, and you have received your answer to the specific word in question.

I will leave you with this from the CoC:

How Is GameSpot Moderated?

The site is moderated with a "common sense" attitude and our moderators will always attempt to be consistent and fair, however moderation is fundamentally subjective. Any objections or complaints regarding how the site is moderated should be directed to your nearest member of staff.

In other words, if you don't use derogatory words and aren't disrespectful towards users, people or groups of people, you'll be just fine. If you have a question, ask as you have, but respect the answer you're given without trying so hard to find loopholes. If you have a problem with the rules themselves, discuss them with the Community Manager since mods do not create the CoC.

Regards,

zyxe

isturbo1984 - Are we not allowed to say the word "retarded?"

No. You're not.

Do 90% of moderators have retarded children and are overly sensitive??

Really... Taking it a bit far, aren't we? And yes, I consider trying to drag a moderators personal life (ie. family/children) into a moderation you may have received to be taking it too far. Don't do it.

It is not in the list of rules.

Yes. It is. "No personal attacks or use of discriminatory language: Including but not limited to hateful personal attacks against other members, sexism, racism, homophobic slurs or similar statements. Ad hominem and other distracting attacks do not add anything to the conversation.

But it seems that even saying the word gets comments deleted, threads locked and even bans handed out.

Incorrect. The first time a user posts something that contains a word that GameSpot considers to be offensive, there is a warning (non strike) issued. If that warning isn't taken seriously or is straight ignored, additional moderation happens. Eventually, if the user can't/won't/refuses to follow the CoC, they're banned.

So what is with this word other than the obvious I already mentioned?

With the r-word specifically? It's generally derogatory, and it's considered hurtful. There are campaigns with a key focus of getting people to not use that word specifically, BECAUSE of the implications surrounding it.

A big part of why this rule isn't allowed here is because our sister sites have a similar stance regarding the rule set in terms of community.

You can't just say "hey, stop using that word." Especially when it isn't being used as a slur or as flaming or in the form of hate speech against the mentally debilitated.

The reason why we as a community have decided to consider the word as globally (site wide) offensive regardless of context is because subtext isn't exactly an easy thing to discern in text form. I get that it's frustrating. Trust me, back when our commenting system had a black list of offensive words there were terms like "gay" that were included. Not because the word is by definition an offensive one, but because there were an overwhelming number of reports where in which users abused the word and used it with offense in mind. The r-word is simply another example of this.

Again, I'd like to stress that if you're using the word, you first get a warning (non-strike) from a moderator reminding you that there are words and phrases that we're not alright with. This just happens to be one of them.

Do I need to worry about a ban for even asking this?

Not at all. It's a reasonable question. I get you're a passionate user, but some of the phrasing you're using is incredibly antagonistic. And posting in such a manner (especially to a moderator) could for sure earn you some time to cool your heels so I suggest you consider your posting behavior when engaging with the community here.

For now, I'll just assume that this was you're attempt at debate and remind you that we expect people to follow what is generally considered The Golden Rule: "Adhere to the same standards of behavior on GameSpot that you follow in the real world" or simply put don't be a jerk. Everyone is expected to treat one another with respect as well as to respect the site, its features, and the various members of staff and moderators who help run it.

TL;DR; Don't be a jerk.