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Leo Larry Amadore

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Born in south Louisiana quite a number of years ago, I lived in St. Mary Parish until I was six years old, then moved to deep south Texas. I attended elementary school there until the beginning of the eight grade then finished eight grade in Louisiana, then back to Texas until the beginning of the 10th grade, then back to Louisiana, where I finished high school. After a short time in college, I joined the Air Force, went through a lengthy tech school, then spent 2 years in Germany and about the same amount of time in far northeastern coastal Turkey. While in the Air Force, I attended additional training/college programs (which continued after I left the service).....I have since lived in south Louisiana, including New Orleans (rather briefly), Houston, Bryan (Tx), short stints in southern California and in New York City, back in south Louisiana, and in south Texas and northern Mexico, where I have lived and worked (in Texas and in Mexico) continuously for the last 45+ years.......I am currently retired and enjoying (?) pursuing interests that I had neglected for a long time.....

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Concern about certain misapplied troublesome recent censorship

Blog Posted by Leo Larry Amadore: 8/15/2018 2:09:00 PM

I have recently become aware of the application of what appears to be, perhaps, a rather automated and nondiscriminating application of some sort of censorship mechanisim -- in at least a couple of my poems, specific words seem to have been replaced recently with a series of asterisks......those words, although when taken singularly and out of the context in which they were used in my poems, may indeed have been identified, quite erroneously, as obscene or "forbidden", and if some sort of search and replace program is being applied to poetry posted here, that definitely needs either to stop or to be made much more sophisticated/subject to review by a human able to determine whether an obscenity/obscene intent has happenned. The particular word in question is a common one, in one of my applications it refers to the crowing made by a male chicken/rooster, as "the crow of c**k" (I here list the troublesome word in a manner that may not cause it to be deleted); in yet another of my poems (the very first I posted on this site), one of my lines is "I c**k my thumb to beg a ride", which I always considered to be a completely correct and inoffensive usage. Has anyone else noticed any recent censorship of this sort, and what should be done about it?

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James
Fraser

Date: 8/17/2018 3:46:00 PM

Poetry Soup has grown tremendously since I joined in 2009. Over this time, surely with the many poems that have been posted, that many words and their different meanings would have been accepted. To ban without knowing the context their being used, is against what it's all about. Maybe in time, sooner rather than later, that PS tele-ports into writing future and accepts, unless one steps over the line, then it's understandable when a write is wrong!!

Jan
Allison

Date: 8/17/2018 1:35:00 PM

Hi Leo, I had a word starred out in a poem I posted today and contacted TPS. The word is now allowed and I'm happy at the end of the day its the context in which the word is used that TPS dealt with this so quickly.:-) hugs JAN XX

Viv
Wigley

Date: 8/17/2018 2:06:00 AM

Can I say buttock?

Virginia
Waters

Date: 8/17/2018 12:19:00 AM

A word I used as a noun was omitted totally from a contest entry. It was only that I checked entry to proof read - that I discovered the censoring. Would have looked weird if hadn't caught it in time. Would be a good idea if site - sent a notification of censoring. As we are from many different cultures what is obscenity for some- is merely an adjective or noun for others.

Lewis
Raynes

Date: 8/16/2018 11:07:00 PM

challenge accepted to write a poem using words that could be censored :)

Team
Poetrysoup

Date: 8/16/2018 12:57:00 PM

The filter is a work in progress. :-) Send us examples if something is not filtered properly so we can fix it. Thanks.

Leo Larry Amadore
Date: 8/16/2018 3:14:00 PM

Thank you for your attention and intention to fix the problems....

Leo Larry Amadore
Date: 8/16/2018 3:14:00 PM

Thank you for your attention and intention to fix the problems....

Jan
Allison

Date: 8/16/2018 12:50:00 AM

Hi Leo I recently used 'cock up' in a title - I thought it apt as it was in context meaning an error and I've now added a dash so it reads 'cock-up' and trust the meaning is clear as the poem was a warning about burst condoms. Maybe the system doesn't work on the titles as I've seen s**t used quite recently . Hugs Jan xx

Gregory Richard
Barden

Date: 8/15/2018 10:22:00 PM

Hence the inherent issues with "filtering" software - it can NOT tell the difference in definition or apply context. So sorry you've had issues, Leo - I recently posted a poem with the word "bosom", and was braced for censorship, but I guess it passed muster.

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 8/16/2018 1:46:00 AM

LOL - yes - well-said, Jan! ;-) :-D

Jan Allison
Date: 8/16/2018 1:37:00 AM

We need to keep abreast of the situation and let common sense prevail Greg lol:-) hugs Jan xx

Constance
La France

Date: 8/15/2018 8:02:00 PM

I think with a dictionary full of words a substitute for the censored word removed could be easily found, although I understand you did not mean anything offensive, the computer system of soup has a list of words obviously that cannot be used. I actually applaud them for this as PS is a family site. So don't take offense just find another word and continue to write.

Becca
Teagan

Date: 8/15/2018 7:27:00 PM

I understand the frustration of trying to use certain words that are banned even when they are being used in a different context. But TPS probably doesn't have the time nor the staff to look at each individual case to determine how it's being used. So it has to depend on it being automated. Personally I think it's a small price to pay to help cut down on the sexually explicit and graphic profanity that sometimes creeps in. I love Poetry Soup 's "family friendly" policies, though I am not sure why they don't respond to the reports on explicit poems, as Tom mentioned.

Craig Cornish
Date: 8/16/2018 8:24:00 AM

Well said

Agnes
Krampe

Date: 8/15/2018 6:52:00 PM

I would assume PoetrySoup does not generate enough revenue to employ human staff who read every single poem and see if it contains words that are on the list of forbidden words. This is why they use an automated computer program. The process is explained under "content moderation", and the list of prohibited words is readily available under "Terms and Conditions". I hear your frustration, but what you demand is probably simply not feasible. Perhaps you can donate funds so they can employ a full time poem reader. I could imagine some members here might enjoy the gig.

Becca Teagan
Date: 8/15/2018 8:42:00 PM

yeah I'm sure they have their reasons.

Becca Teagan
Date: 8/15/2018 7:30:00 PM

Tom, TPS has always encouraged people to report these poems, because they have no way of being able to look at every single poem that is being posted. So I do not understand why they often seem to ignore those reports. To me there is no excuse for letting those slide by.

Agnes Krampe
Date: 8/15/2018 7:03:00 PM

July Morning, I would guess it is difficult to teach a computer program to recognize context? Letting it search for specific words is quite primitive. Humans are superior in reading between the lines.

Maureen McGreavy
Pigeon Tart

Date: 8/15/2018 3:41:00 PM

Lol! You are correct. My dog has been muzzled. Spayed. Doubt anything can be done about it, I suppose it's better than deleting the entire poem. I'm giving up now, no point female dogging about it. ;)

Maureen McGreavy Pigeon Tart
Date: 8/15/2018 9:09:00 PM

Nah I wouldn't go that far. I have no problem with censoring profanity on this site, I don't want to read it. My beef's an old feminist beat. Asterisks suite me just fine.

Leo Larry Amadore
Date: 8/15/2018 6:07:00 PM

I hope not everyone gives up, although I understand the frustration you must feel. Is this one more step toward the abuses fostered on the public by the censors of the past?

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Concern about certain misapplied troublesome recent censorship

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