Thursday
Dec112008
Citysearch Censors "Suck" "Blow" And "Sex" But "Oral Intercourse" Is OK
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 16:46 | baratunde | tagged Censorship, Citysearch, Facebook, Facebook Connect, Filters, Movies, Online Reviews, Stupid in General
Look, I don't spend my time testing the language filters of user review sites. I was actually playing with Facebook Connect to see what it was capable of. Citysearch has a beta site where you can log in with your Facebook account, so I did.
I wanted to see how Citysearch interacted with my Facebook profile. What I found instead was an overly rigid, nonsensical and outdated language filtering policy.
I wanted to see how Citysearch interacted with my Facebook profile. What I found instead was an overly rigid, nonsensical and outdated language filtering policy.
Step 1: Write movie review
Step 2: Have review blocked for use of the word "suck" despite the fact that I was saying nice things about the movie
Step 3: Test the system by replacing "suck" with "blow"
Step 4: Find out how far Citysearch is willing to go in suppressing my expression. Try replacing "blow" with "perform oral sex" ...only to have "sex" blocked
Step 5: Success!! Scientific descriptions are OK. "Perform Oral Intercourse" is acceptable to Citysearch.
Reader Comments (38)
That's actually really funny!! :) The autocensorship bots RARELY filter intercourse, fellatio and other technical terms, but you can't ever say "dick" or "ass."
My site filters out hundreds of pharma and other spams ads per day, so I totally get why it's "necessary" to have the autoscreeners. But, as you've shown here, it gets just silly. Besides, really, who the fuck filters out words like "suck" and "blow"??? :)
This crazyness is probably due to Citysearch's funky business model in which they depend on advertising revenue from the local businesses on whom Citysearch users routinely shit on with negative comments.
Citysearch's model would be like if Microsoft paid a marketing company to interview normal people about their reaction to Vista and then broadcast those reactions on national TV... that would be CRAZY.
This crazyness is probably due to Citysearch's funky business model in which they depend on advertising revenue from the local businesses on whom Citysearch users routinely shit on with negative comments.
Citysearch's model would be like if Microsoft paid a marketing company to interview normal people about their reaction to Vista and then broadcast those reactions on national TV... that would be CRAZY.
This crazyness is probably due to Citysearch's funky business model in which they depend on advertising revenue from the local businesses on whom Citysearch users routinely shit on with negative comments.
Citysearch's model would be like if Microsoft paid a marketing company to interview normal people about their reaction to Vista and then broadcast those reactions on national TV... that would be CRAZY.
this is friggin hiLARious. your blog does not perform oral intercourse.
this is friggin hiLARious. your blog does not perform oral intercourse.
this is friggin hiLARious. your blog does not perform oral intercourse.
Too much!
Too much!
Too much!
Great stuff...made me laugh!
Great stuff...made me laugh!
Great stuff...made me laugh!
This is funny! I wonder if they would filter nude or naked as well.
This is funny! I wonder if they would filter nude or naked as well.
This is funny! I wonder if they would filter nude or naked as well.
Ha, ha .. an interesting observation!
Ha, ha .. an interesting observation!
Ha, ha .. an interesting observation!
great post thanks!
great post thanks!
great post thanks!
Thanks for the info. May God have mercy on us all.
great article!, grats for u site :)
god blesss your blog :)