The word is just a noun. The fact that it became a "bad word" from the association that it's intended to make and it caught on doesn't mean it's a bad word, or was created as a "bad word".
It really shouldn't be on the banned list, with so many powersets/powers like superstrength there are many safe uses for it.
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Have you ever watched American prime time television?
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Originally Posted by Roderick
The point is: Is "cracker" as an offensive term really so prevalent that it's warranted a place on the list?
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http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
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Nope. My TV is for the game systems.|
Originally Posted by Fleeting Whisper
Have you ever watched American prime time television?
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And if it can be used on prime time television frequently enough to warrant your response, then it shouldn't be bad enough to be blocked. After all, we've got Damned bosses, and one NPC even tells you that you're starting to piss him off.
@Roderick
It's not that it's a "bad" word, it's that it's an ethnic slur. It's probably not the most offensive ethnic slur either, but they don't want to be in the business of permitting some ethnic slurs and banning others (can you imagine what the forum lobbying would be like? Ew.)
I agree that it seems like that would be a useful word and it's not as offensive as some slurs, but I can see the company's viewpoint about not wanting to be in the business of legislating who can and who can not be insulted.
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Frequently, and I very rarely hear it used on TV.
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Originally Posted by Fleeting Whisper
Have you ever watched American prime time television?
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Welcome to blindlness of Political Correctness. *sigh*|
Originally Posted by Roderick
By now, I'm sure you're wondering what the point is, or if I'm just ranting. The point is: Is "cracker" as an offensive term really so prevalent that it's warranted a place on the list? And is there any way to request the review of a term on the list?
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As an example a few months ago we were talking on this forum about a character in the classic Mel Brooks film "Blazing Saddles". That character's name is M-ongo. I had to type the dash in the name because without it the forum would have censored that word. The reason they censor it is because it's used as a general slur against people with Down Syndrome or other similar conditions. But in the context of what we were talking about in the forums no one was trying to insult and/or make fun of anyone - we were just trying to talk about a character in a funny movie.
So basically because words like "cracker" might still be offensive to some people this forum (and the game) is probably always going to be hyper-restrictive no matter what the actual context is.
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I can't think of the last time I've heard "Cracker" used outside of a reference to something to eat with cheese. Insult wise, it seems to be used about as much as gorbellied.
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Originally Posted by Fleeting Whisper
Have you ever watched American prime time television?
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Try living in the South East USA some time. |
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
I can't think of the last time I've heard "Cracker" used outside of a reference to something to eat with cheese. Insult wise, it seems to be used about as much as gorbellied.
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It is used, quite often I might add, by a certain population group.
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Yeah, like in the 90's...
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Originally Posted by je_saist
Try living in the South East USA some time.
It is used, quite often I might add, by a certain population group. |
<:[ shark goes nom nom nom ]:>
[QUOTE=theOcho;3409811]As to the REAL reason I'll be leaving, I'm afraid it is indeed because Tamaki Revolution dc'd on me during a RSF.[/QUOTE]
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I live in Florida. I have relatives in Virginia, have had some in Tennessee (who moved down to FL) and MO. I've tended to drift around the SE USA. My statement stands.
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Originally Posted by je_saist
Try living in the South East USA some time.
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Right now I'm in Florida as well, and I've heard it, quite often, since I got down here.|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
I live in Florida. I have relatives in Virginia, have had some in Tennessee (who moved down to FL) and MO. I've tended to drift around the SE USA. My statement stands.
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And I heard it, quite often, back in Georgia.
My statement still stands. It is used by a particular population group, as an insult, against another particular population group.
It is not, by any means, a relic of a term, a forgotten term, or a not widely used term.
Now if you won't the make the argument that NCSoft should expect it's players to be better than that population group, which isn't likely to be playing an MMO to egin with, and because of that need to lift the restriction on the term "cracker" : fine. Make that argument.
Do not make the argument on the premise that it is no longer actively used.
We should band together and make "hero" into a derogatory slang word and see what happens.
Censorship is stupid.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
I live in Florida. I have relatives in Virginia, have had some in Tennessee (who moved down to FL) and MO. I've tended to drift around the SE USA. My statement stands.
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Originally Posted by je_saist
Right now I'm in Florida as well, and I've heard it, quite often, since I got down here.
And I heard it, quite often, back in Georgia. My statement still stands. It is used by a particular population group, as an insult, against another particular population group. It is not, by any means, a relic of a term, a forgotten term, or a not widely used term. Now if you won't the make the argument that NCSoft should expect it's players to be better than that population group, which isn't likely to be playing an MMO to egin with, and because of that need to lift the restriction on the term "cracker" : fine. Make that argument. Do not make the argument on the premise that it is no longer actively used. |
I can't actually remember the last time I ever heard anyone use the word "cracker" as a derogatory term. *shrugs*
Now just because I don't hear it used in my usual day-to-day experience doesn't mean I couldn't easily drive to nearby places I know of where my chances of hearing it used that way would be greatly increased. There are plenty of those more "rustic" places still around, for what that's worth.
Basically it doesn't really matter how common the usage of such a word is to us.
If the Devs/GMs even vaguely think it's common enough it's going to go on the banned list.
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If you live in the rogue isles and wear a cape that's like the most disgusting thing anyone could ever call you |
Originally Posted by Haterade
We should band together and make "hero" into a derogatory slang word and see what happens.
Censorship is stupid. |
. lol
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To be pedantic here, "Spinal Cracker" might be parsed as a 'cracker' (a derogatory term) who is 'spinal' (whatever the **** THAT means ).
But a "Spinalcracker" (similar to a safecracker) mightmore readily be parsed as 'one who cracks spines'. 'Safecracker' is almost exclusively spelled as one word, so it makes sense this way (in the American usage, as far as I know). (also nutcracker)
But seriously, why not any of the following?
Walrus Gumboot
Holy Roller
JooJoo Eyeball
Mojofilter
Toejam Football
Monkey Filter
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"A good n00b-sauce is based on a good n00b-roux." - The Masque
As a member of the Cracker-American community, I'd like to say that I'm not offended by the word and it's OK with me if NCSoft removes it from the banned list.
That said, if it does get removed from the list, only Cracker-Americans are allowed to use it. Sorry. 
What benefit does NCSoft get for leading the charge against "censorship" or "political correctness" in this context? I can see all kinds of potential down sides, but I am not seeing the up side.
If I were advising the CEO of NCSoft, I would advise him to ban any word that might be offensive and get as far away from this controversy as possible. After all, his job is to make money for the shareholders, not to get into a totally irrelevant controversy over whether cracker is offensive or not.
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I have lived in Atlanta since 1996, and I don't remember ever hearing the word used in that manner in person.|
Originally Posted by je_saist
Try living in the South East USA some time.
It is used, quite often I might add, by a certain population group. |
So, basically, I'm calling your post horse####.
(and oddly on topic, I had to edit and censor this post myself)
If you think that's bad, try going into AE and seeing what names you can't use there. Among very basic words associated with famous characters like "gambit", you actually cannot use the word "cabal", even though it's the name of an enemy group in the game. Makes writing an arc about them quite difficult.
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
I don't remember exactly, but I think you can't use 'poop' in AE either.
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Well, there goes my sailing ship based story arc.
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Originally Posted by Psychoti
I don't remember exactly, but I think you can't use 'poop' in AE either.
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Just curious, but has anyone actually tried to contact a redname about this 'issue'? It's quite possible they might agree that it's overly sensitive/an oversight and should be removed. As 'cracker' is a real word in addition to being a slur, they might be willing to remove it from the list as there's legitimate, non-offensive reasons for using it (unlike the others I can think of off the top of my head).
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Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
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Well, that was actually part of my question in the OP: Is there an official way to ask/person to contact regarding something like this?
@Roderick
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Probably the easiest is to just send a PM via the forums to one of the red names (not sure which'd be best to ask, though).
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Originally Posted by Roderick
Well, that was actually part of my question in the OP: Is there an official way to ask/person to contact regarding something like this?
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Originally Posted by ShadowNate
;_; ?!?! What the heck is wrong with you, my god, I have never been so confused in my life!
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Quite often, I'll have my mp3 player with me while I'm at work. Occasionally, I'll hear a song lyric and go "That would make a great name!" I can't be the only one who does it - I've seen several music-inspired names in the years I've been playing.
So when I was listening to Come Together and heard the line "He one spinal cracker", I had to go check if it was available; "Spinal Cracker" would be a great name for a brute. To my surprise, the game responded "That name is not available", which is how it tells you that the name (or a part of it) is on the banned list.
I spent almost a half hour searching for a copyrighted character, or any kind of drug or sexual reference that could have put the name on the list. It was only then that I remembered that "cracker" is a derogatory racial term. Sure enough, "sdghsa cracker" came up as "not available" also.
Further testing revealed that deliberate misspelling could bypass the block. "Spinalcracker" and "Spinal Kracker" were both either available or in use. And by taking the four-letter words for "fornication" and "excrement" and combining them with "cracker", I was informed that both were valid names!
I understand that offensive words need to be censored in order to maintain the Teen rating. However, there are some completely innocent words that can be used in an offensive way - I'm reminded of when the cartoon ReBoot was forced to remove references to the game of hockey because of a "vulgar term" that was so obscure that I don't know anyone who had ever heard of it before being told of that incident.
I know of one previous case where something was removed from the banned words list. My understanding was that the phrase "god damn" or "god damned" was on the list, but the program was reading the space as a separator, and blocking the word "god", and that eventually the list was fixed. Indeed, when I check "god", I get "That name is already in use", whereas "God of (whatever)" names were blocked when I started the game.
By now, I'm sure you're wondering what the point is, or if I'm just ranting. The point is: Is "cracker" as an offensive term really so prevalent that it's warranted a place on the list? And is there any way to request the review of a term on the list?
@Roderick