BS: Paltalk Room Rating

Subject: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 07:20 PM

I have recieved another report of someone getting threated by being barred from the Mudcat Song Circle Room for using abusive langauge by the Paltalk sytem. The offence in this instance was mentioning the song "Who Killed Cock Robin".

I have taken the descision to change the rating of this room from G (no offenive language,suitable for minors, automatic text censoring) to R (adults but no sexualy explicit talk and no automatic censoring).

This room has always had a G rating but I feel we need to try this rating to get rid of the problems we have had. I have visited other R rated music rooms and they don't seem to have any problems. We will just have to see how it goes.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 07:33 PM

Good heavens, Jon, I had no idea this "threatening" business was going on.......how silly. I wonder if "Sweet Violets" would be allowed in a G room? It is so full of innunedo.........I could never get PalTalk to work properly so I finally just gave up and uninstalled it.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 07:47 PM

Sounds like a good idea, Jon, glad you've done so.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Diva
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 07:52 PM

Load of nonsense....just sung John Anderson My jo, Merry Muses version. Or then again perhaps I get away with it because of the accent..lol. Good idea Jon and God preserve us from the Politically Correct.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 10:21 PM

Good idea mate

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: John Routledge
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 08:25 AM

Presumably the censorship is computer generated. If not !!

Excellent evasive action Jon. John

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Nynia
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 12:43 PM

In G rooms I believe there is an automatic censor which will pick up on certain words and warn users. You can guess from the title "Who Killed Cock Robin" which word was noticed, yep, you got it, "Robin". Because it's automatic there is no room for any leeway in regard to how the word is used. Any innuendo would not be noticed. This alteration does not mean that children cannot attend the room. I was talking to another admin recently and he said that the adult section rooms have a lot of trouble with youngsters getting in (didn't ask how he knew). I think the change was necessary Jon, I don't see it causing any problems with our users.


Nynia.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 01:06 PM

I do think it is better in the room when whomever is the MC for the evening, is a Mudcatter; preferably someone we are all familiar with.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 03:18 PM

It seems to be text that it has problems with otherwise Micca would never get away with any songs!!!!lol

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Amergin
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 03:39 PM

First time I was in there...I forgot about the rating whn I scrwed up and said fuck.....damn mouth got me in trouble again....

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Lanfranc
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 07:19 PM

I hope the "R" works - I hate the thought of censorship/bowdlerisation or whatever.

Hells teeth - I've sung "Cuckoos Nest", "Brother Gorilla", and numerous other innuendo laden songs on HearMe and PalTalk in the past. It's a good job I didn't get started on the Brel - "Jacky" and "Timid Freda" would melt the smut detectors! Al Stewart's "Love Chronicles" would definitely be out. Dave the Ancient Mariner and Jacko would be at risk with some shanties, would "Hogseye" pass - no direct sexual connotationa, but "big buck n****r with his seaboots on" could cause problems in certain circles.

Come to think about it, innuendo's probably safe, songs about birds and animals and fiddles and things should pass by the word police unnoticed.

"There'll be a meter on your bed, which will disclose what evrybody knows" (L Cohen)

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 07:35 PM

I used to post the Maestronet Fingerboard which has an automatic censor--words like "cockatiel" get posted as "****atiel". The Admin there also arbitrarily deletes any thread that does not "suit" them by claiming the thread is "off topic for the board".......The board is supposed to be for Stings---interpreted as the Viol Family, but threads about What Do We Look Like, What is Your Sex, 5 String Banjo ?, (well, I guess banjos are strings......), See this on e-Bay!! just got too prevalent, and I finally took it off my bookmarks list.

Funny part is, if you really want to put cock in a post there, all you have to do is put spaces between the letters.........duh. Makes me appreciate Max and the adult attitude here all the more.

PalTalk and its juvenile attitude seem much the same to me, I am just not willing to put up with that kind of ridiculousness.........can't say "damn?" Oh well, byebye.

We really do need a Mudcat sponsored hear me type thing, but I know Max is really busy, and really broke. Too bad. Let me know if such a thing ever happens........and I'll fiddle a tune for you. Maybe called--"The Bloody Damned Cock". (I'd have to write it tho, I don't think that title exists, LOL!)

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 09:18 PM

If you try to find the Mudcat Song Circle in the music rooms please check Adult Sites, or it wont show. The room now has an R rating so mild profanity will be tolerated. This is not an excuse to abuse it. There may be children listening. Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 10:20 PM

To answer a couple of questions or comments that have cropped up here:

The big problem with the G rated rooms is the automatic text filter which as you can see is pretty dumb although there is also supposed to be some degree of voice monitoring.

The problem we had when we started was that we were not sure of the implications of an adult rating in terms of the types of visitors we got and that I for one was strongly in favour of a public rather than a locked room. (The Mudcat Concert Room ran by Big Chuck is locked so there is control over who can enter).

I was torn between the R and the G ratings and did ask for feedback when setting the room up but the only feedback I had was from Dave TAM who was (justifyably) concerned that his daughter sometimes joined in and that (and I agree on this) that we don't want offenisve behaviour in the room. This was enough to persuade me to go for G even though I am agianst PalTalk censoring as opposed to self policing.

I think we have all learned a little since then (and moving from the rather more sheltered Hearme that we were using) and that R will cause no problems.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 12:09 AM

I knew I'd forgotton something. kat, when I started this room, it was my intention to limit admins and MCs to Mudcatters but this has proved to be difficult.

Moderating the room does take some effort and responsibility as well as time and is something that I believe is necessary in a public room. Sometimes the admin needs a break or perhaps even has to go away to get on with the rest of there life. It has proved difficult at times to find a Mudcatter willing to take this on and sometimes even to find a Mudcatter present. The alternatives are to close the room or to find someone responsible to help out.

I think when you were last in the room, Katcina was doing the moderating. I believe she is an occasional Mudcatter but either way, she is reliable and follows the policies we set for the room.

I did enlist the help of DolphinSurpher a couple of nights ago. To the best of my knowledge, he is not a Mudcatter but a few of us know him from other (mainly live music rooms) and he is quite experienced in this task and does a very good job.

I apperciate that this decision may not please everyone but faced with the alternatives I mentioned, I believe it was the correct choice.

The other alternative would be to go to a private/ locked room but I believe that the benifits of the public room and the great new players we have enjoyed (some of who may later join Mudcat) far outweigh the perhaps more close feeling of a Mudcat only room.

There is of course nothing stopping anyone else starting another room and setting it up as they require but I feel that it would be a shame to split Mudcatters in that way.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: nutty
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 10:20 AM

I agree with you all the way Jon and after all the work you put in finding and stting-up Paltalk I'm sure you know the pitfalls and advantages better than most

I am also opposed to a closed room as it is then so difficult for new people to ' happen upon' in the way I did - most people like to hang around for a while to see if they like what they hear

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 01:48 PM

Thanks Nutty.

Just reading back, I feel that I have made it sound like katcina merely is reliable and follows policies. She has been a great host too.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 02:01 PM

Thanks, Jon, I appreciate your addressing my concerns, too. Good job.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: treetee1
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 08:17 PM

help, i have changed to admit adults but have still lost the mudcat song room. ive spent ages trying to find it and any help would be appreciated

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 08:57 PM

Iarf , the guy who looks after my every whim (feeds me and cleans up after my bad habits) occasionally calls in the room and tries to sing. He's asked me to offer his thanks to the people who created , organise and run the room. It's a great place he tells me and those people are unsung hero's.....So Thanks you guys...you know who you are...

Spot.

Subject: RE: BS: Paltalk Room Rating
From: Margaret V
Date: 15 Jan 01 - 09:41 PM

treetee, if you're looking at the list of music groups, including adult groups, and you don't see Mudcat, that means the room's not open. An administrator has to open it in order for it to appear, and when we all leave the room, the room disappears (kind of like Brigadoon). Just keep checking back periodically. Margaret