Just a little test I did... [racism test]

[adaym]

Apparently, saying Pakistani is 'offensive' whereas saying Belgian is not. I did this test today because I just wanted to see which moderator was a racist - turns out the unsuspecting victim was Bolt660. This isn't a personal attack on him because he just got caught up in it, could've been anyone, but why was the thread 'Pakistanis' closed whereas the 'Belgians' was not? It's been a problem on this forum for a while because the word **** - short for Pakistani is apparently offensive even though we call the Americans, yanks. We get called Brits and the Australian's get called Aussies/Ozzys.

I was astounded when the thread was closed to be honest.

Belgian thread
http://www.habboxforum.com/showthread.php?t=608462

Pakistani thread
http://www.habboxforum.com/showthread.php?t=608549

Just something to mull over and deal with/debate w/e. Feedback.

[Immenseman]

lmao. even without talking to you i knew you had done it as a test and my original post in the second thread was "testing!!". i know not everyone is as switched on/addicted as me but still. i don't blame bolt660 i just blame the politically correct world we live in, where people are frightened of controversy.

[adaym]

lmao. even without talking to you i knew you had done it as a test and my original post in the second thread was "testing!!". i know not everyone is as switched on/addicted as me but still. i don't blame bolt660 i just blame the politically correct world we live in, where people are frightened of controversy.

exactly and I don't believe a forum with insecure children registering should have this sort of linear view on these sorts of things...

[Martin]

I'm sorry for closing that thread. Whilst I was closing it, I did actually send a PM to a super mod asking their advice, as I myself was unsure.

I should have waited for confirmation, and for that I appologise.


I think the main reason I acted like I did, was the way the thread was constructed with the "lmao" in the first post, as I thought It perhaps could have offended a pakistani person, should they have come across the thread.

I understand that it is spam, and so therefore it has been re-oppened.


I will admit this mistake, and hope you can sort of see why I acted the way I did. I havn't been in the job long, and sometimes my judgements can be a little out. Hopefully with more experience this will improve.


Sorry guys!

Martin

[Immenseman]

he's so my favourite moderator. public apologies aren't easy - when mods have apologised to me - always through PM. +rep if I can

[adaym]

There's absolutely no need for you to apologise. I've said it's not your fault it's just you were there at the right time. Any other moderator would've done the exact same.

[Hecktix]

I was the S'Mod Martin contacted about this thread and as soon as I saw it I knew that it was harsh for it to be closed.

Didn't realise it was a test though

At the end of the day my view is that fair enough you can create a thread entitled 'pakistanis' however the content within that thread is what determines whether it is appropriate or not.

Earlier there was a thread posted about pakistanis in a very negative/piss take way - obviously that was inappropriate whereas your thread not saying anything about pakistanis, isn't inappropriate.

In reference to the word **** being filtered, it's known that this word can cause offence because there are scrotes within our society which use this word to 'insult' anybody who is of arabic/indian ethnicity. It's offensive to someone from Iraq, or India to be called a **** when they aren't even from pakistan, it's simply generalising because of the colour of their skin.

I think it's interesting that Bolt's natural reaction was to close the thread and like you say the majority of people would have done the same, literally just because you said a word. However Bolt did question his natural reaction and PM'd me and got the response I sent him.

I'm not quite sure why this debate is necessary for feedback tho?

[Yoshimitsui]

This situation is very alike to what happens in real life, this type of incident seems to crop up all the time and is instantaneously racist despite how references to other nationalities is not. The situation seems to have turned into one of which you can do no right and makes people over cautious as they are believed to be causing offence in the slightest remark. I have my opinion on how ridiculous it has got but this is a massive debate in it's self and despite it was a mistake this is more of an issue for a debate so to speak.

Back to being forum specific, the moderator in question obviously went through the process of believing there is something wrong in the way i explained above and has apologised and the situation sorted.

[Blinger1]

We get called Brits and the Australian's get called Aussies/Ozzys.

I would like to say that Australians call English people Poms, not Brits

And also, what is a belgian :S

[adaym]

I would like to say that Australians call English people Poms, not Brits

And also, what is a belgian :S

Yes, but collectively we are Brits. And it is a person from Belgium.