Use of the word mongo or versions of it.

Owryan

If someone used the word retard or ****** or poof in a post they would probably be jumped on by a mod. So why is the word mong/mongo still allowed?

It's a word most would associate with as a derogatory term for a person with downs syndrome or intellectual disability.

Surely it's use should be banned.

Subtle

Never heard of the term myself in my life - only went looking at the thread to find out what it meant! I wonder how well known it is..

Owryan

Subtle wrote: »

Never heard of the term myself in my life - only went looking at the thread to find out what it meant! I wonder how well known it is..

Used to be fairly common, but thought it had finally disappeared. Then I saw it used in a thread today.

dudara

Mongo is a derivative of the word “mongoloid”, a derogatory term for those with Downs Syndrome. It has largely fallen out of use thankfully.

Can you please point me to where you’ve seen this term on Boards, or if you have reported it to the mods?

riffmongous

There is a poster who has it in their username, but I cant remember exactly what it is

gctest50

Owryan wrote: »

If someone used the word retard or ****** or poof in a post they would probably be jumped on by a mod. So why is the word mong/mongo still allowed?

It's a word most would associate with as a derogatory term for a person with downs syndrome or intellectual disability.

Surely it's use should be banned.

Perhaps the poster lost money on NASDAQ:MDB and was comparing yer man to it

Owryan

dudara wrote: »

Mongo is a derivative of the word “mongoloid”, a derogatory term for those with Downs Syndrome. It has largely fallen out of use thankfully.

Can you please point me to where you’ve seen this term on Boards, or if you have reported it to the mods?

Here is where i saw it today https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107648767&postcount=7857 I reported it but afaik nothing was done

Another example: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107646368&postcount=30

And: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=107364281&postcount=191

Mrs OBumble

Owryan wrote: »

If someone used the word retard or ****** or poof in a post they would probably be jumped on by a mod. So why is the word mong/mongo still allowed?

It's a word most would associate with as a derogatory term for a person with downs syndrome or intellectual disability.

Surely it's use should be banned.

It's also the start of Mongoloid - a perfectly good word to describe people from Mongolia.

Owryan

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It's also the start of Mongoloid - a perfectly good word to describe people from Mongolia.

I highly doubt it was used in that context in fairness, unless there are a lot of mongolians driving like idiots on irish roads.

Liam McPoyle

riffmongous wrote: »

There is a poster who has it in their username, but I cant remember exactly what it is

Mongfinder general.

It's an offensive term and is no better than n*gger or f*ggot. It should be added to the swear filter.

Tom Mann Centuria

I don't like the word mong, it is still used as a slur at times for people with Down syndrome or Intellectual disabilities more generally. There are other words and phrases equally unpleasant.

I think most people who use it here just use as short hand for "stupid" or "idiot", but it's lazy and the word stupid or idiot works just fine.

I don't know if adding a word to the filter, that isn't used that often would work, particularly when people just bypass the filter anyway. I'd report the post and ask if the mod would mind editing, explaining my concern.

Owryan

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

I don't like the word mong, it is still used as a slur at times for people with Down syndrome or Intellectual disabilities more generally. There are other words and phrases equally unpleasant.

I think most people who use it here just use as short hand for "stupid" or "idiot", but it's lazy and the word stupid or idiot works just fine.

I don't know if adding a word to the filter, that isn't used that often would work, particularly when people just bypass the filter anyway. I'd report the post and ask if the mod would mind editing, explaining my concern.

Did that, nothing was done, maybe the r+r forum has more relaxed rules. Hence the thread here.

Hurrache

There's also a character from Blazing Saddles called Mongo, a big huge dumb guy. Now that movie is far from PC, but it could be a certain generation just thinking of that character when it's used rather than referring to Down Syndrome.

DoozerT6

I mentioned this very thing in R&R a few days ago. I would also like to see this word added to the filter, although you know people will get around it by putting accents or fadas on the vowels or something.

Can't believe people still think it's an acceptable term to use as an insult.

Owryan

DoozerT6 wrote: »

I mentioned this very thing in R&R a few days ago. I would also like to see this word added to the filter, although you know people will get around it by putting accents or fadas on the vowels or something.

Can't believe people still think it's an acceptable term to use as an insult.

As long as it's use isn't condoned then people will continue to use it. It appears to me like boards think it's use is acceptable, which is kind of disappointing.

dudara

Owryan wrote:

It appears to me like boards think it's use is acceptable, which is kind of disappointing.

You're making some big assumptions there. In the Boards Terms of Use, it is explicitly stated

You agree not to ....post any abusive, harmful, vulgar, obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, profane, inappropriate, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable Material, except where the content is appropriate to the content of the forum and you have been granted specific permission to do so and subject to our guidelines on said content

Having said that I don't think it's necessary to add it to the swear filter as it's not an outright swear word. The letters "mong" also appear validly in some words (e.g. amongst, monger, fishmonger, mongoose, lemongrass etc) and therefore it's really not appropriate to add the word to the swear filter.

However...

It is a derogatory term, just like some of the other examples here, and its usage should be called out through reports to the moderators. If you are not happy with the response from the mods, then escalate to a CMod, just as we recommend for any issue.

Will I Am Not

Is it really any different to words like moron, imbecile or idiot? They have all been terms associated with intellectual disabilities in the past, now used as insults.

Owryan

dudara wrote: »

You're making some big assumptions there. In the Boards Terms of Use, it is explicitly stated



Having said that I don't think it's necessary to add it to the swear filter as it's not an outright swear word. The letters "mong" also appear validly in some words (e.g. amongst, monger, fishmonger, mongoose, lemongrass etc) and therefore it's really not appropriate to add the word to the swear filter.

However...

It is a derogatory term, just like some of the other examples here, and its usage should be called out through reports to the moderators. If you are not happy with the response from the mods, then escalate to a CMod, just as we recommend for any issue.

I reported it's use yesterday, no action. Came here and started a thread and posted examples of it being used. The last time I checked the post in question was still there with the word in it.

I appreciate it's not the biggest problem with boards but if I used n*****r to belittle someone I would expect it to be responded to. And I thank you for at least responding to my post.

Fwiw, from searching for the word it appears it's only a few posters who repeatedly use it so it might be something easily stamped out.

Regards.

Owryan

Will I Am Not wrote: »

Is it really any different to words like moron, imbecile or idiot? They have all been terms associated with intellectual disabilities in the past, now used as insults.

Imo, you can use those words in a general sense without reference to any specific group. But mong, like retard, is linked strongly to a specific group and disability.

dudara

Owryan wrote: »

I reported it's use yesterday, no action. Came here and started a thread and posted examples of it being used. The last time I checked the post in question was still there with the word in it.

If you're not getting a satisfactory response from a mod, our standard procedure is to escalate it to a CMod. The mod -> CMod -> Admin chain is there to help resolve issues.

Owryan wrote:

I appreciate it's not the biggest problem with boards but if I used n*****r to belittle someone I would expect it to be responded to. And I thank you for at least responding to my post.

You're welcome.

Owryan wrote:

Fwiw, from searching for the word it appears it's only a few posters who repeatedly use it so it might be something easily stamped out.

Hopefully. Some people may not even be aware of why it is a derogatory term.

Owryan

Bounced a message to a C-Mod over in R+R but the word is being used in various other forums on the site. Hopefully though not for much longer.

The Bishop Basher

I don’t get offended easy but I wince every time I see the word “retard” used on boards.

It’s the only place I ever see it..

I’m amazed it’s considered ok but it seems to be

Canis Lupus

Will I Am Not wrote: »

Is it really any different to words like moron, imbecile or idiot? They have all been terms associated with intellectual disabilities in the past, now used as insults.

whoah whoah whoah someone call the insult police and lets get those words added to the filter asap.

Keepaneye

People have very little to be worrying about if a word offends them.

mcmoustache

Mongo is a fairly common word in the development community (gctest linked to their nasdaq link). Mongo DB one of the more popular open source NoSQL database systems out there. Relational databases are more suited to what I do myself but if I needed to put something together for a prototype, mongo might be the way to go.

DoozerT6

mcmoustache wrote: »

Mongo is a fairly common word in the development community (gctest linked to their nasdaq link). Mongo DB one of the more popular open source NoSQL database systems out there. Relational databases are more suited to what I do myself but if I needed to put something together for a prototype, mongo might be the way to go.

We're clearly not talking about it in that context here.

Will I Am Not

DoozerT6 wrote: »

We're clearly not talking about it in that context here.

If it was added to the swear filter which was suggested then it would make talking about it quite messy.

DoozerT6

Will I Am Not wrote: »

If it was added to the swear filter which was suggested then it would make talking about it quite messy.

Could the filter be 'switched off' just for that particular forum, where it's much more likely to be used in the technical context you mentioned?

Hotblack Desiato

The idea that certain words need to be asterisked out in case Aunt Gladys gets an attack of the vapours is ludicrous.

Context is key and if a mod sees any terminology used in a way which attacks a person or a group of people then they can take action. There are plenty of words which can be used in a particular context to attack or cause offence but can also be used on other contexts in everyday speech.

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

dudara wrote: »

The letters "mong" also appear validly in some words (e.g. amongst, monger, fishmonger, mongoose, lemongrass etc) and therefore it's really not appropriate to add the word to the swear filter.

There's a town in England called Scunthorpe you **** <-- I typed cúnt there, without the accent obvs, and I wasn't calling you a cúnt, just in case you think that.

Seems it's possible to just star out the relevent word, and leave words containing the string of letters intact.

Cookie_Monster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzdpxKqEUAw