Poll: The Use of Racist Words On this Forum

This topic is prompted by my query to the use of the word ‘chinky’ in another topic and the responses.

ACT 1

Scene 1

Initiating this was the use of the word in a post related to a camera that wasn’t up to the owner’s requirements.

My initial reaction was to query whether there really was a Chinky make of camera. I doubted it but searched and found none. ~ My response was, as I didn’t find such, to query the author (A1) about the idea that the word could be used as a derogatory and a racist term and said ‘I hope that is not why they were using the word’; I was expecting some response.

Let me add there was a.n.other who avoided the issue but added to the background, they just walked on and off stage uninterested in the drama unfolding.

Scene 2

The first response from A1 was that ‘if other people use it they will too’ and then went on to explain it was a term for crap Chinese cameras. They also went on to deflect by providing details of the camera, none of which referred to China.

My reply was to say: a) thank you for the explanation and b) the specs did not help further explain my query.

That was it. End of discussion. A1 did not make a third post on the issue and neither did I, though I thought others may comment.

Scene Change > New Actor >A3

ACT 2 Enter A3

I entered left, a little bemused at the script of A3.

Monologue

My argument is that if there is a slur made publicly then I have no intention hiding it by making a private issue. This seems to be an oft used tactic to hide uncomfortable discussions and sadly is not something I embrace.

I had suggested to A1, in scene 2, that should they wish to continue (defend their position) I would start a topic on the issue of racism. However, they did not respond and I considered there to be no benefit at that point in promoting a discussion on casual racism.

There was short discussion and it was over.

I am not a moderator I did not ask A1 to edit their post. I wasn’t looking for racism but am acutely aware of words that may be interpreted as such. Moreover I did not flag the use of racist terms for others attention. (Herewith ~ do not mistake A1 for AI) I felt, and still feel, perfectly able to publicly address my concerns without support.

I then blocked personal messages from A1 and A3. If those actors where trying to pressure me publicly to back off, what may they do privately??

So I then I assessed, a separate topic was the way to go, rather than being closeted. The strange thing is that the idea of censorship goes to the heart of why racism and the like thrive, few like to talk about racism publicly.

Before A3s comments I was not unhappy or disturbed, by the use of the racist word. The author and I had ended that, but being told not to voice publicly is upsetting and more so given this forum is an offshoot of a Fair trade movement which specifically uses East Asian workforce to make phones.

I am more than a little bemused by A3s audacity to direct me to a private off screen back-room.

I am now actually unhappy that I was told to ‘shut up’ and not speak publicly. Until then I had not been offended by the racial slur as it was not directed at me. So this topic is more about the attempt to censor my querying a possible racial slur.

You may not read the posts but the word ‘chinky’ is now more often used to deride those people of East Asian heritage. This is a racial group that relative to Caucasians, who penned the new meaning, are: shorter, of toned skin -often referred to as yellow and with narrow gap between the eyelids (There are other racist terms available).

When I was young ‘chinky’ meant flawed and/or bent and was applied to East Asians to bully and deride them. The use by A1 was to target the Chinese manufactures of cameras, apparently, but East Asians include: The Koreans, The Japanese, The Vietnamese etc. i.e. anyone having the aforementioned characteristics.

As I reached my teens the word was used to bully me ~ another story.

Act 3

I awoke from my slumber and found a forth intervention. I have private posts that say my two posts were flagged and this was an automated action. Thanks AI for hiding me, we’ll speak later.

Some undisclosed community members had taken offence to my querying the use of the aforesaid racist term and had flag my posts. The private messages to both my posts said that there were flags, (plural) indicating a growing concern of people seeing my posts. It seems a few click were enough to send the AI into hiding my posts with warnings/instructions and ‘threats’ (oooh scary)

Warning such discussion is off topic. Hmm! Very gentle. I have seen so many posts off topic but using that as a reason rather than ‘inappropriate’ again reeks of not wanting to deal with the issue of challenging racism

Instructions: Optional: Edit the posts and wait to see if AI is invoked by more anonymous clicks

Threat: If I post anything that could be termed ‘off topic’ or any other ‘valid or invalid reason for multiple flagging AI would hide the post permanently until staff look into this…

OK so no human moderator has interfered yet.

??? Do I edit ??? and risk the wrath of being flagged and AI upping the risk factor of me upsetting people, I think not. But I read the posts and there was a missing negative in the first and a spelling mistake in the second. So I edited and am awaiting the outcome

There is no indication, at this point, that any moderator felt the need to intervene in the short discussion between A1 and me. So I am now curious as to whom, apart from A3 would have had a problem? And why would A3 bother when they had also directed that the discussion should be private, maybe this was just to ensure I got the message that my query about racism was suppressed.

However on the contrary it has provoked me to write this. It has taken me a while to calm down, read more about racism, speak to friends etc.

So finally I would like to see if anyone in this community would help me understand my ‘errors’

  • Questioning the use of a potentially racist terms is OK?

  • I didn’t understand the term :slight_smile:

  • I am not getting involved!

  • Don’t rock the boat ~ go home ~ we don’t want people like you posting your thoughts about racism on this forum ~ you overly sensitive weirdo. :frowning:

0 voters

I would add that A1 has amended their post by removing the racist term but not without saying it was done to appease ‘over sensitive people’ that couldn’t handle a ‘normal’ word.

Hi A1, as I said I will not respond to your arguments in that topic as I considered it a bit ‘off’ even before AI was invoked.

So this is it ~ a farce on referring to the content of a previous post ~ clearly off topic and who cares about the racist terms used. Not many, or is that any ??

I once said: “many chiefs and no Indians” and got really angry. Because of racism and oppression of minorities.
But it is only a saying and in no way racist.

Since then I keep my mouth shut until I say something again without knowing it :wink:

Trouble you get all the time without knowing why.

I Duck’d the term and yes, it’s racist. I don’t know if it’s used already here on the forum. But Discourse may use Google Perspective to detect toxic language automatically. You can try it here and copy/paste the racist post in there to see how this AI thinks about it.

Here is the plugin:

2 Likes

You have to accept different opinions as well and to accuse someone (in this case me) to personally threaten you is neither appropriate.

According to the Forum guidelines, racist expressions and are not allowed on this forum. In case you encounter them, please do not only comment them but flag them to make the moderators aware.
If there are problems between users, and you feel something isn’t going right, the best way is to contact the moderators and fix the problem with us, rather than posting a public topic to ask a public opinion.
Although misunderstanding and conflicts can arise due to this forum connecting people from different cultures, sometimes putting different meanings behind different words and most of the time not english natives, let’s try to take a step back and not get too bad about it. Such things happen.
Thank you for your understanding
The moderators

13 Likes