User blog:MadCrayolaz/Profanity In Chat

The rules as they pertain to chat, profanity in specific, have been an area of controversy.

I myself uphold the fact that any well working Wikia will have separate rules for the Wikia proper and chat. This is mainly due to the fact that the chat does not operate in the same way as message pages and talk sections work. While message walls have the ability for thought out responses, it is limited by the pace at which a conversation can be held. However, on chat, this is not a limitation. Another feature that the chat has is that chat does not keep a record of more than 10 lines in the past half hour prior to joining. Before that, no chat is stored, and as such, there are no chat logs. Talk pages, however, keep a history of all changes, as well as the ability to read the page as it is currently shown.

These differences are why the chat should be maintained as having separate rules. The Wikia and its pages are meant to be a formal space for which to converse, collaborate, and to document information for a specific topic. In this case, it is Combat Arms. It is fair to say that due to the formality, profane language is meant to be prohibited unless it is called for in very specific instances, such as quoting profanity said by characters in the game for lines of dialogue. However, chat does not abide by this. The chat is not a formal space. It is a place to actively discuss things without record of it. While it DOES need regulation, the rules reflected on the site are a poor match for the chat, since they've been made with the mindset of protecting users on the site. Thus, tailor made rules for chat are in order.

Arguments have been made that the chat is part of the Wikia itself, and thus, can't be considered a separate entity or have its own rules. Under that same logic then, the CA Wikia is part of the Wikia network. It can't be a separate entity, and thus, has no right to make any rules of its own, and must only abide by the rules of the Terms of Use. I'm sure you can all agree, however, that this notion is preposterous, and therefore, by extension, so is the notion that the chat cannot have its own set of rules.

To cite other instances where the chat has its own set of rules, here are some very popular Wikias that use this methodology:
 * Borderlands Wikia
 * Call of Duty Wikia
 * Pokemon Wikia

And there are many more out there.

I call for the creation of a formal set of rules that are singularly made for the chat. They must be formed with the Wikia Terms of Use in mind, so as to clearly define what is alright for chat and what is not.

If you agree, disagree, or are just outright confused, comment here. I'd like to make this an official discussion for this topic, and transfer this to a vote at some point.