nickolasanastasiou

While there are rules out there, I think there might not be codified guides for all of the things we do not do in response to one infraction that we might do for another. Another thing to consider is simply that this site has existed for a long time. In some cases, we have members who sign up who are younger than the website itself. While a lot of things have remained the same, there has been some change over time in response to perception of needs and changes in perspective by management in response to an evolving social landscape. In the case of not editing out profanity, that is because the words are owned by the poster and it becomes the poster's liability. If a poster composes something, it is one of the many aspects readers can consider when deciding to deal with or not deal with that person (or the manner in which they might communicate during disagreements, disputes, or other problems may speak to how "reasonable" the person may make oneself appear). The ownership and liability concern also applies to anonymous third-party quotations, but that is why those have grounds for removal (there is no ownership if anonymous). Also, anonymous fabricated statements, if allowed, could be used to plant mental seeds in the course of an argument and create false voices of support or dissent.

In short, profanity is not edited out on the BOI and anonymous third-party quotations are often removed if not given attribution because the weight of their respective presences carries differing sets of implications and potential consequences.