Slur filter updates

[orthecreedence]

• Rename SLUR_REGEX to POST_FILTER_REGEX
• POST_FILTER_REGEX gets its value from ENV var LEMMY_POST_FILTER_REGEX
  and has a default that matches nothing (.^)
• updating test cases to use a filtering regex that does not, in itself,
  contain slurs
• updating tests for new test-based default post filter regex

Hey, team. Wanted to run this by you. I found the idea of a master slur filter pretty limiting, and likely as the project grows in popularity the push of what is/isn't a slur will be pretty contentious (for instance, "bitchy" I don't think could be considered a slur by any measure yet it is in the regex currently). Secondly, when perusing the codebase, coming across actual slurs in the server's root file and in the tests isn't really all that fun or welcoming. Third, maybe there will be an instance run by PoC for PoC that want to use the n-word, whether discussing it historically or even in normal conversation. Same with LGBT folks and f-word/t-word. In other words, it makes a number of decisions for a community on their behalf without regard for context. I absolutely understand the reasoning behind a slur filter but I think the project itself can enable it on a federated basis without unwarranted limitations on speech.

For that reason, I think it makes sense to not filter anything by default, and to push this particular decision off to the server admins as a matter between them and their users, while the project itself washes its hands of the issue.

[Nutomic]

We are never going to remove the slur filter completely (or add an option to that effect), because we dont want to make it easy for right-wingers to use Lemmy. We can talk about removing or changing specific words, but in general I dont think there is anything wrong with writing "b*tch" or something like that.

---

Edit: This comment was written at a time when Lemmy the software was practically identical with the lemmy.ml instance. At that time we barely had any moderation tools, so it was an easy way to keep some groups of users off the instance. Now its different, there are good mod tools, and many different instances. So we removed the slur filter in Lemmy 0.14.0 (instance admins can optionally configure one, which lemmy.ml does).

[orthecreedence]

Ok, fair enough.

[orthecreedence]

I think it's worth mentioning I will probably not use Lemmy, then (and I am not a right winger).

[igalic]

points at popular FLOSS project manager linus torvalds

i am unconvinced that, without proper moderation, this kind of self-censoring is in any way effective

linus is c*lling pe*ple all mann*r of thin*s, and still gets away with $2 million USD at the end of the year.

[Kosyne]

I was worried about this after seeing the AMA. I came here to look at 'closed but not merged PRs' to confirm a suspicion I had, and the very first one in the list was something like this.

I agree with your sentiments @Nutomic , I really do, but I do not think this is the way things should be handled.

[notte-jibson]

How do you intend to prevent people from applying a third-party patch (that removes your filter) and building lemmy for themselves?

Like most folks here, I'm not a "right-winger" but I have significant issue with someone controlling my speech - especially if the reasoning behind this control is poorly thought out. As it stands, reddit respects free speech more that this project. (b*tchy? Seriously?!)

[nelsonblaha]

This will have the effect of driving away users who aren't bigots but insist on unlimited speech, of whom there are obviously plenty. The slur filter wouldn't stop bigots from having their own nodes and speaking in code, but pointing out this decision will drive away users not used to thinking of open-source projects as tools that can be used by anyone for anything, beyond the control of the original developer.

Federation and the prospect of unlimited speech that can be managed per-instance was what set Lemmy apart from 100 other reddit alternatives. Now its just another Reddit clone with a political bias of its own that extends beyond the instance. Evangelists' arguments that political bias is limited to the instance owner are now toothless.

Isolating right-wing instances is enough. Good and entertaining things would happen on enlightened instances naturally as a direct result of their being enlightened, and users on right-wing nodes would get sick of not being able to see or comment on the best content in the fediverse. Users in the middle who could become bigots would choose the good nodes over the bad ones.

If Lemmy succeeds in spite of all this, bigots will fork it and remove the slur filter anyway.

[naryl]

We are never going to remove the slur filter completely (or add an option to that effect), because we dont want to make it easy for right-wingers to use Lemmy.

Uh... you seriously imply that right-wingers can't talk without slurs, and left-wingers never use slurs?

I agree completely with @nelsonblaha. Left and right instances can just isolate each other and let fair competition do its job.