Blacklisted words

janusz · 5 Feb 2016, 02:26 AM

I wanted to post information about a site whose URL contains the string secure-my-email (without hyphens). This got displayed as secure*********

Edwin, our absentee landlord, has a list of words/strings he censors out here, which contains much more than good Anglo-Saxon swear words. The list is kept top secret (I'm sure it's PGP-encrypted and stored on a server in Switzerland), created some 15 years ago and unchanged since.

So we end up with a ridiculous situation that 'secure my email' is a banned expression in an email discussion forum, if the three words are concatenated.

FredOnline · 5 Feb 2016, 02:51 AM

Things ain't gonna change, j.

Just be creative.

janusz · 5 Feb 2016, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredOnline

Just be creative.

Do something like French Connection UK have done

***Edwin*** · 6 Feb 2016, 06:43 AM

They're blacklisted for a reason. In the case of URLs, it's because people associated with the service spammed the forums.

And the blacklist lasts forever. That's my last word on the subject of censorship and blacklists. Please don't try and circumvent the ban or the filters. Thanks.

However, in this specific instance I have tweaked the filter so that securemyemail.com should now appear since the service that was banned wasn't that one, but one of a similar name.

5 Feb 2016, 02:26 AM	#1
janusz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: EU Posts: 4,942	Blacklisted words I wanted to post information about a site whose URL contains the string secure-my-email (without hyphens). This got displayed as secure********* Edwin, our absentee landlord, has a list of words/strings he censors out here, which contains much more than good Anglo-Saxon swear words. The list is kept top secret (I'm sure it's PGP-encrypted and stored on a server in Switzerland), created some 15 years ago and unchanged since. So we end up with a ridiculous situation that 'secure my email' is a banned expression in an email discussion forum, if the three words are concatenated.

5 Feb 2016, 02:51 AM	#2
FredOnline The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 2,616	Things ain't gonna change, j. Just be creative.

6 Feb 2016, 06:43 AM	#4
*Edwin* Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: UK Posts: 3,118	They're blacklisted for a reason. In the case of URLs, it's because people associated with the service spammed the forums. And the blacklist lasts forever. That's my last word on the subject of censorship and blacklists. Please don't try and circumvent the ban or the filters. Thanks. However, in this specific instance I have tweaked the filter so that securemyemail.com should now appear since the service that was banned wasn't that one, but one of a similar name.