Reserved Words

From the IFTAS Moderator Library, supporting Fediverse trust & safety

Updated on 2024-04-10

Lists of words considered rude, obscene, inappropriate.

Resources

Unintended Consequences

Be cautious when using word filters in any language. Known issues include:

  • the Scunthorpe Problem, which describes the unintentional blocking or false positives where acceptable words contain unacceptable text strings e.g. assistance should not become ***istance;
  • context concerns, especially where lived experience is being discussed, e.g. compare “you are a Slur” with “I was walking down the street and someone called me a Slur”;
  • reappropriation, the cultural process by which a group reclaims words that were previously used to disparage of that group.

Reappropriation

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