I am suggesting that this place needs a new Category, of the same level as Public or Computer, but which is as non-default as the HalfBakery Category. That means the Overview you see when going straight to http://www.halfbakery.com would not include this Category; you would have to deliberately click on it from the Category list while visiting the site, to see its contents. Or you would deliberately edit the Overview to see it by-default, of course.

This suggested Category is also the place where anyone should post an Idea which the poster has reason to think will offend a significant percentage of the people who read it. If nothing else, this may reduce the number of I-am-offended annotations (and perhaps also the let's-offend-you-back annos), because the readers were fairly warned, after all.
-- Vernon, Aug 03 2005

http://www.everything2.com/ A huge network of links to lightly typed text fragments. I rarely visit without finding something that is unexpectedly personal or poetic. [jutta, Aug 04 2005]

I'd like it in one way, and yet, why go to a place where you may purposefully be offended. and then there are the usual trolls who don't follow any guidelines, period.
-- dentworth, Aug 03 2005


It could be a category that offensive ideas are placed into until such a time as they are deleted or re-edited by the original poster. Likewise, the originating poster may wish to post directly into this category in order to let off a bit of steam.

My only concern is that this area might become a post-apocalyptic style 'Thunderdome' where people cast off all vestiges of proper conduct. This retreat from civilisation, may, as time goes by, slip itself quietly into the bakery proper one night and make off with all our fresh water and fertile women while no-one is looking.
-- zen_tom, Aug 03 2005


I was once the first person to annotate an offensive idea. My annotation consisted of a series of asterisks and a 'do not read this idea' note. It worked for a few people, then the posting person deleted it. Dammit, it was my opinion.

My point is that offensive posters want to offend, enlighten, enrich, inflame or whatever they think our sad little lives need. So they might not voluntarily go along with this otherwise fine idea.

I suggest that an 'offensive' sub-category could be added into various larger categories, such as Business/Prostitution, and then do exactly as this idea suggests for grouping all offensive ideas. The monitor people should exercise the power to move ideas to the offensive category. Perhaps some programming could detect a list of buzzwords and move the ideas to the offensive group until a monitor sets them free.

I do not advocate censorship, usually. But I am getting bloody tired of dirty children toddling in, screaming, "Poopy!" and sniggering off.
-- baconbrain, Aug 03 2005


Won't happen. It's a bad idea to categorize things by people's emotional reactions to them.

I'm also not interested in hosting stuff that's offensively gross or offensively stupid. People should have the right to be as offensive as they want, but I should also have the right not to help them.

There are places on the net where you can post pretty much whatever you want to. This place, the halfbakery, is a discussion forum for poorly thought-out inventions. It is not "the public sphere", and it's not the sole platform for your social life and self-expression.

[daseva: No, I had no clue, and am still in denial.]
-- jutta, Aug 03 2005


[bb], that was my idea, Drama Fix. I'll admit, it was offensive, and, considering the current state of things, I may go back and edit the body a tad.

In my own defense, I will say that the idea required a bit of offensive material, at least the hypothesis does. Anyway, I went overboard.

[jutta], might I entice your responce...

As a website of poorly thought out inventions, it has attracted a genre of thinking. Indeed, one need not reach a fleeting enlightenment to find the right HB idea, anymore, just as long as they have an affinity for creative thinking, respect, and grammar skills. An HB idea can become a very fluid expression of a user's mindscape, like jazz improvisation, or free association. As such, hanging around here can become addictive, just as addictive as playing my sax, or visiting my therapist.

Did you consider these things when making the site?

Internet addiction has been around for a while, and is now soaring in various parts of world, *cough* china *cough*, due to swelling middle class demographics. However irresponsible this behavior may seem, it happens nonetheless. Do you sometimes feel that you've created a monster, ar at least taken sides with one? Have you ever read Frankenstein?

I only visit the 'bakery at work, but am fairly addicted to doing so.
-- daseva, Aug 03 2005


[jutta], I had not thought of that interpretation. I was actually inspired to write this by something I saw elsewhere about a place to visit that might be suitable for youngish children. There are quite a few things here that are suitable, but also there are plenty of things that might be considered inappropriate for them, and it seems to me that most of them ALSO could rate as fairly offensive to a significant percentage of adults. So...gather up all that stuff under an umbrella that does not automatically open, and here we are. But I do understand how the point you made could lead to bloating of that category, especially when there are so many nicer things that people could be talking about.
-- Vernon, Aug 04 2005


Stricter moderators?
-- daseva, Aug 04 2005


I don't believe it is possible to set a standard that everyone can live by. Some peoples' frame of reference are so rigid that they will never understand humor or thinking that is outside of that frame. People like this should download firefox or other customizable browser and one of several plugins that allow you to remove an object from a page. Nothing more satisfying I'm sure to all those stuffy cranks offended by the ideas with sharp edges and bad odors. A simple ctrl click(right click for windoze) and viola no more offensive posts. ***Warning may take several clicks for multiparagraph entries also removal is not permanent so I suggest whiteout applied directly to the screen as an alternative untill a sufficent software fix can be found.***
-- redsimple, Jan 30 2006


If an idea is offensive, it will become clear. The idea that we can go through life without the chance of being offended is...well, offensive.

Yes, that's right.
-- shapu, Jan 30 2006


//This retreat from civilisation, may, as time goes by, slip itself quietly into the bakery proper one night and make off with all our fresh water and fertile women while no-one is looking.//

Darn! Who told you my plan? Those fertile women are so hard to find! I only wanted one or two... or ten or twelve...
-- ye_river_xiv, Oct 13 2006



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