Communicating with other Users and Blizzard representatives is an integral part of the Program and is referred to in this document as “Chat.” You understand that Blizzard may record your chat sessions and you consent to such monitoring or logging. Your Chat sessions may be subject to monitoring, logging, review, modification, disclosure, and/or deletion by Blizzard without notice to you. Additionally, you hereby acknowledge that Blizzard is under no obligation to monitor Chat, and you engage in Chat at your own risk. When engaging in Chat in the Program, or otherwise utilizing the Program, you may not:

…Transmit or post any content or language which, in the sole and absolute discretion of Blizzard, is deemed to be offensive, including without limitation content or language that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, sexually explicit, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable, nor may you use a misspelling or an alternative spelling to circumvent the content and language restrictions listed above;

You’d think this would be simple, right? It’s not. For some reason, people have decided that since there is a built-in profanity filter, that swearing in public places in World of Warcraft, amongst other places, is acceptable. I don’t really think it is.

For the record, this is coming from someone who curses quite frequently. I just do it where I know I won’t be offending anyone. I know Matt won’t be upset if I let words slip, or Stacy, or any of my other close friends. I don’t swear around parents, grandparents, or kids, or even my not-so-little little sisters, because I find it rude. I think respect is something that a lot of people are lacking these days, and I wish I knew why.

Yesterday, I witnessed a debate in Stranglethorn Vale general chat about this very thing. A person was in a party, and chatting in general chat, at the same time. They apparently have a chat mod that remembers which channel they were last chatting in, to keep you from having to type “/1″ or the likes before typing a sentence. So, out of frustration, they typed “WTF” in general chat, intending it for party chat. I wasn’t offended, and I’m sure most people weren’t, but someone decided to give them a friendly warning.

“Be careful what you type, you can actually get reported for that.”

Short, simple, to the point, and most of all, polite. Nothing mean, nothing condescending, nothing that should have caused the backlash that it did. They were just informing them that, while they might not be reporting them, if someone wished to report them for vulgar language, even masked like that, they could.

This caused quite a stir, however. People started flinging insults at the warner, sprinkling them with profanity just for profanity’s sake. Trying to be contrary, I suppose. People started saying that anyone that would be bothered by the swear words is a loser, should get a life, etc.

Then, one of my favourite arguments came into play.

“Just turn the profanity filter on if you don’t like the swearing.”

Of course, it wasn’t spelled properly, “you” was “u” and so on… but it was the same basic point. I think that this point is as weak as the “I’m on the internet, I’m not in school, so I don’t have to type properly” excuse. Very weak.

I think Coreiel said it best in this thread:

I’m at a loss as to why this issue continues to resurface every couple of weeks, but for the record (and this proverbial “record” of which I speak can be found at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html ), the profanity filter is installed as a protective barrier around those who wish not to see the words deemed “profane” under any circumstances, not as a license to go around swearing.

If you are caught using profanity, filter on or not, your Account can and will be actioned according to our Game Masters’ policies. This issue is not up for debate; please let the matter rest.

I just want to know, really: Where did common decency go? When did people decide that being disrespectful was okay and that using manners was out-of-date? Why the rebellion?