Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
The simple test is "Is the word one you would use in front of a small child?" If it isn't, perhaps you shouldn't use it in a post on MR.
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Do I understand correctly, then, that by "family-friendly" you actually mean "suitable for small children"?
Much of what is on MobileRead is not suitable for small children. For example, the silly discussion about zombies down in the chatbox would terrify many small children. The technical discussions in the calibre forum would confuse small children. And if I were to say "Santa Claus is really your dad" ... well, let's not go there.
"Suitable for small children" might be a good standard for the My Little Pony forums, but it probably isn't such a good standard for a forum meant for adults. And this forum
is meant for adults, or else discussions of zombies, calibre's innards, and the reality of that dude with the red suit would all be censored.
And where does it stop? There comes a point where "suitable for the most prudish person's smallest child" leaves very little left. There are, in fact, people who have objected -- and objected strongly -- to My Little Pony, as it's against their religion to have animals talk. Is that where we want to go?
Not swearing like sailors is a good thing, as it keeps the discussion civil, and civility encourages further discussion. But requiring everything in this forum to be suitable for small children is
not a good thing -- not in any forum that is not, in fact, intended for small children.