Automatic censorship in the forum software

  • Thread starter DrDu
  • Start date
In summary, the forum software changed the spelling of the last name of the author of a book mentioned in a thread to "Lifgarbagez", apparently to avoid using rude language. This caused an unintended result in that the forum software reversed the sense of some users' statements. There have been over 500 posts with the incorrect spelling of the author's last name in the last year, but this thread is the only one with the incorrect spelling. The spell-checker corrected the mistake after someone pointed it out, but it's still strange that the filter would catch this particular typo.
  • #1
DrDu
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I am quite annoyed after re-reading by chance my post in the following thread:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=668638
I was mentioning the book by Landau and L.i.f.s.h.i.t.z, however the last name was changed automatically to "Lifgarbagez", apparently by some automatic replacement algorithm to avoid the use of rude language. I don't think it is acceptable that the forum software reverses the sense of users statements.
 
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  • #2
That looks like an old problem, there are many recent posts with Lifshitz (and no posts with an unintended Lifgarbagez in the last 2 months), see www.physicsforums.com/search.php?query=Lifshitz&showposts=1&do=process [Broken]. I fixed it in the post you linked.
 
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  • #3
Once upon a time, entering 'Lifshitz' resulted in 'Lif***z'. Then Greg or one of the other admins fixed it by making 'Lifshitz' a special-case exception to the censorship filter. I've never seen 'Lifgarbagez' before today, so it must have been a temporary fluke caused by a forum software update or something.
 
  • #4
I think the question is more whether one really needs such an automatic filter. Use of inappropriate language is against forum rules, anyhow.
I wonder which other words get mutilated: sextant, tit for tat, homolytic?
And by the way, in Austria, there is a nice village called ****ing:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/****ing [Broken]
 
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  • #5
jtbell said:
I've never seen 'Lifgarbagez' before today
You sure? Emphasis mine:

jtbell said:
What level of study are you at? Goldstein and Landau/Lifgarbagez are usually considered to be graduate-school level. For intermediate/upper level undergraduates, Symon and Marion come to mind. For introductory/intermediate level, maybe French or Kleppner/Kolenkow or Fowles.

There are over 500 posts (that's the limit of the search engine) with that garbage!
 
  • #6
This is strange.
 
  • #7
D H said:
There are over 500 posts (that's the limit of the search engine) with that garbage!

And yet, a forum search for 'Lifshitz' also turns up hits during the same period. :confused:
 
  • #8
I did some more research:
Last year had 124 posts with Lifgarbagez, not counting this thread. The last unintended one was Aug5.
58 posts Lifshitz in the same timespan, again not counting this thread. 37 of them were posted after Aug5 (starting Aug14). The 19 others all had Lifschitz in their post title, and usually Lifgarbagez in the post - but not Lifshitz. [Edit: fixed typo]

I think there was some change somewhere between Aug5 and Aug14, could be related to this. Before that change, the filter worked for all posts (but not for post titles), afterwards it allowed to write Lifshitz [Edit: fixed typo] everywhere. I guess this is a historical problem only.

This contains hits: Thiscontainshits. As isolated word, it still gets censored.
 
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  • #9
mfb said:
I did some more research:
Last year had 124 posts with Lifgarbagez, not counting this thread. The last unintended one was Aug5.
58 posts Lifshitz in the same timespan, again not counting this thread. 37 of them were posted after Aug5 (starting Aug14). The 19 others all had Lifschitz in their post title, and usually Lifgarbagez in the post - but not Lifschitz.

I think there was some change somewhere between Aug5 and Aug14, could be related to this. Before that change, the filter worked for all posts (but not for post titles), afterwards it allowed to write Lifschitz everywhere. I guess this is a historical problem only.

This contains hits: Thiscontainshits. As isolated word, it still gets censored.
Lifshitz contains a bad word, Lifschitz doesn't, so wouldn't get caught by the filter. Still strange though.
 
  • #10
Sorry, I searched for Lifshitz, but got the spelling "wrong" (as in: alternative transliteration) in my post here.
 

1. What is automatic censorship in forum software?

Automatic censorship in forum software refers to the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence to automatically filter and remove inappropriate or offensive content from online forums.

2. How does automatic censorship work?

Automatic censorship works by scanning forum posts and comments for specific keywords, phrases, or patterns that are deemed inappropriate or offensive. When these are detected, the software will either automatically remove the content or flag it for review by a moderator.

3. What types of content can be censored automatically?

The types of content that can be censored automatically vary depending on the settings and criteria set by the forum administrator. Generally, it can include profanity, hate speech, personal attacks, and spam.

4. Can automatic censorship be customized?

Yes, automatic censorship can be customized to fit the specific needs and guidelines of a particular forum. Forum administrators can adjust the sensitivity of the software and create a list of specific words or phrases to be censored.

5. Is automatic censorship always accurate?

While automatic censorship can be effective in filtering out inappropriate content, it is not always accurate. The software may mistakenly censor innocent content that contains keywords or phrases that are flagged as inappropriate. It is important for forum moderators to review flagged content to ensure that legitimate posts are not removed.

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