I am 18 years old. I'd tell you "I'm more mature than that" or "age doesn't matter" but I don't believe people when they tell me that, and I don't think anyone will believe me either. I do know that this is a touchy subject about which I have a lot of passion. I also know I have a mouth and a mind, and therefore I have the ability to create ideas and opinions and express them. Couple that with my right to freedom of speech (and the fact this is the boundless internet) I am allowed to say what I feel like. You can disagree with me and tell me why, but don't belittle what I have to say because I am a certain age. I have my own merits like you have yours.
That being said, MPM2008, I have nothing but respect for you, for all the tireless work you put into this site. It wouldn't be half of what it is without your connections and I thank you for devoting your time and resources to it. However, I feel that your proposition to censor the site, though intentionally good, is not worth laming the site. Furthermore you completely missed the point I was trying to make with the analogy in my previous post, and typing something like that takes up a lot of time so I'll try and simplify it. It's there for you and everyone to reread when you have time, though.
The solutions that have come up, to me, don't seem reasonable or in the best interest of the site for all users, and I know your decision to censor was, more or less, for VIPs or those who want the site to look "professional", but I want to make a compromise for everyone, not just them. I feel that a disclaimer for the site stating that the content found here includes violence, movie spoilers, and language, is better than instances of "f--k", because we all look at that and think "fuck" anyway; the visual presence of the word is a moot point if what we replace it with produces the same word mentally. Protecting children or younger viewers isn't a valid argument either because I think that responsibility lies with their parents or guardians, and if we had a disclaimer, they (parents AND kids) know what they are getting into, so if they or anyone gets mad, all liability falls on them for knowing what they were getting into and going forth anyway. Numerous adult content and videogame sites do this too, and it allows them to maintain their freedom of content and professionalism, and I feel that is much better than censoring every swear on the site or getting rid of them.
I mean, if you had a window for your bedroom in your own home, when you want to change clothes or watch something your neighbors might not approve of, are you going to leave it open and not care, (equivalent to leaving curse words everywhere along the site), never change your clothes or watch "bad" programming (equivalent to covering up curse words or eliminating them entirely), or are you gonna close the blinds and leave their ability to see what you do in their hands (equivalent to a disclaimer)?
Most of us are proud of our Second Amendment Right and stand by it within reasonable means, so why can't we do the same for our First Amendment Right, again, through reasonable means, like mine? Why be ashamed of our speech when we can maintain it on our own and be proud of it, and let others do the same? I don't know if anyone is as passionate about this as I am, or even if they agree with me, but That's just how I feel about this whole matter, and misunderstanding, underestimation, or empty comments like "I disagree completely" are not enough to make me think otherwise.
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