Citizens of Whyville,
I was just recently reading Simgirl's article in the censorship
section of the Whyville Times and I totally agree about us begin able to say
"dumb" or "stupid", etc. I know that Whyville is trying to protect
little kids, but at my school little grade threes are cursing and badmouthing everybody more then grade sevens and eights do.
I know that Whyville tries to keep track of all of the conversations, and I understand that they also don't want us saying the most obscure words. If some people or their parents don't want their children to hear these words, then they shouldn't have them on chat lines or on Whyville, I think. Also, where you go to change your password, there are two little boxes and one says "words I don't want to hear" -- these people could just
type in the words they don't like, and voila!
I'm not trying to say that Whyville is to overprotective, but when you filter out words like suck and dumb, well, come on, that's going just a little too far. I love hanging out on Whyville and I love meeting new people, but I am 13 and I'm not allowed to say, "suck"? Heck I was calling my sister an "idioc jerk" when I was little, and now that I'm 13 I am banned from saying that? Some people under a certain age aren't even allowed to talk on Whyville. Don't you think that that is going WAY too FAR?!
Whyville is a great website that attracts different people who speak different languages all over the world. You learn stuff by playing games and doing activities, but we are not able to be free on Whyville. Where I live it is a democracy and we are allowed to be free, say whatever we want, do whatever we want, and talk to whomever we want. But when we come on Whyville we can do whatever we want and talk to whoever we want, but is there something missing? We can't say whatever we want.
Well that is what I had to say. If you agree then great, if you
don't then that is fine to, but decide for yourself.
*~*GGbabe*~*
Editor's Note: With regard to your comment about kids under age 13 not being allowed to talk on Whyville, that is a matter of the U.S. government's requirements. We are legally required to get permission from your parents before we can allow you to chat, use Y-mail, or use the BBS. It's the government's way of encouraging parents to get a little more involved in their kids' internet habits -- an idea we highly support!
As for your comment that you can say and do anything you want in your home country, the truth is, you can't! Theft, murder, racist hiring... all these things and much more are almost certainly illegal where you live. In Whyville, we happen to have some stricter rules -- but so does your school, I bet! Can you curse a blue streak in front of your teacher? I think not! Did you ever wonder why all this is true?
I'd love to hear your answers...
Times Editor
