Pakistan bans rude text messages

Text messaging has long been derided for diminished linguistic skills and increased profanity, especially among yoof. In a bid to tackle the issue, officials in Pakistan have forced mobile operators to block all texts that feature specific offensive words. The country's telecoms regulator, the Pakistan Telecomminication …

[Anonymous Coward]

What a nice list

When they have the term "flogging the dolphin" on the list and they don't have "Brit" then you have to laugh at there doble standards.

It's ok for them to shorten British as a term for indviduals but to do it to there nationals, well nuff said. Bunch of crooks.

[thenim]

I think you've got the wrong end of the stick there mate. It's all about the context in which such terms are used - "Brit" has never been used in any derogatory context, where as the other word has. Just like many other commonly frowned upon words...

Blame history, not double standards...

On the other hand, it is a daft idea - people will simply move to other expressions which imply the same thing - they can't control free thinking (at least not yet...)...

[Hasham]

Look how stupid you are

The term Brit has never been used in a pejorative sense. Reg is a place for reasonably smart people. Really, what are you doing on this website?

[Jan 0]

You may not use it pejoratively, but I find it offensive.

I'd rather be called a "Limey" than a "Brit".

[HipposRule]

I'm not a Brit, I'm English ( Before someons goes off on a we're Norse/Saxon/whatever probably not technically but that's what I prefer)

[No, I will not fix your computer]

Re: What a nice list

Personally I like living in a country that allows me to text my best mate with "Morning you rancid cum bucket, I hope you didn't take that rancid munter to tuna town on your spam bus last night" but I like in a culture where we take a personal responsibility for our actions.

That said, if I'd been brought up ina different culture or am texting someone else who was brought up in a different culture you have to consider that you may not be operating in full awareness, for example, I don't believe that anywhere considers "Brit" to be a derogatory term, whereas "Paki" is often, and so using it might cause offense, for the same reason, just because "Nigger" is derived from the latin word for black (or wrongly often thought to be from Nigerian), it doesn't mean that it's OK to use, just because you know where the word came from. For the same reason, the word "Boss" is not used in some parts of the world as it had been used for a white man owning slaves, so the word is avoided.

This is not a double (or even doble, which I believe was someone from a district of Vienna) standard, it's called cultural awareness.

[AlexH]

@AC 15:39 - You really are an idiot.

Back in your box!

[Rich 30]

surely the 'yoofs' will get round this by spelling words purposefully wrong. Maybe backwards? Maybe swappiing the first and last letters? the two middle letters? Anything...

[IR]

There will be some awesome slang coming out of there pretty soon then!

[Anonymous Coward]

Lesson 1 in how to make yourself a laughing stock.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lesson 1?

Given youtube, facebook, wikipedia etc, etc, etc, I think it's now Volume seven, Lesson 1.

[Hasham]

So Proud

As a Pakistani-born Brit, it's good to see the government of Pakistan tackling what's fundamentally wrong with and destroying the country - the texting of rude words - rather than wasting their time on inane and pointless diversions such as education, security, and economic, social, and political reform. With this new ban in place, it's only a short matter of time till Pakistan stops being a broken, superstitious, corrupt third would country and is the envy of the world.

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't panic your British. That said you have to wonder who exactly they are filtering when the list is mostly English words, seems the french and other languages that can be used there are non offencive. Just English and one of the local dialects from what it appears.

[Christoph]

Expect the standard response

"Watchdog director Muhammad Talib Doger " will find his name being used as an obscenity as a substitute for the banned words. As will any politician who supports this. Are they then going to ban their own names?

The whole idea is ludicrous - do they seriously think they can keep up with new terms and creative misspellings?

[Just Thinking]

Well I misread it as Dalib Todger so I am sure you are right.

[Ralph B]

dwn w DIS sort of tng

WL, let's hOp dey cn also handL rude txtspk. d sly cnts.

[M Gale]

1 7h1|\|k 7h3 0lD u53|\|37 h4x0r5 h4v3 4 f3w TR1x

Though to be honest, that title is probably far more offensive (to the eyes at least) than a few stray fucks and bollocks.

[It wasnt me]

Good.

Its reassuring to know that the Pakistan authorities have their ship in such good order that they can now concentrate on this sort of stuff.

Last I read they had porous borders with countries sponsoring terrorists, a huge mountain range full of terrorists, were blowing up foreign cricket teams, and harbouring Wheelie-bin laden. Not to mention wondering dangerously toward displacing democracy with some 16th C religious system of government. I guess that must all be in the past now though. Congratulations on your progress Pakistan.

[Anonymous Coward]

Really?

Yes because this is all Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's fault, instead of focusing on regulating the telecommunication industry they should focus on eliminating terrorists, route the corruption out from Pakistan's cricket team and should especially focus on fixing the democracy system in Pakistan.

Next, we should all occupy OFCOM until they sort out all the economic problems in the UK.

[Lockwood]

"I made a deposit in the bank earlier, you should see it in your account now" is offensive?

[Ken Hagan]

Sounds like it. Presumably these people have never even heard of Scunthorpe.

[Monkey Bob]

Profanisaurus app...

Surely it would be more entertaining to submit Profanisaurus entries to the Pakistan "Telecomminication" Authority, whoever gets the most added to the naughty list wins!

Or just call it first to 5?

[Velv]

We need this sort of filtering the UK too. It's getting harder and harder to decipher the shit that gets sent every day.

SPEAK ENGLISH BOY, and bring back T9

[Flocke Kroes]

Scunthorpe & Penistone

I am sure Pakistan has equivalents where the locals will not be able to text their addresses.

[bluesxman]

Word list please

Surely I'm not the only one who wants to see the list, if only for the 'eight obscenities involving the word "foot"'! I'd like to be able to pick up some new colourful phrases.

[Nathan 13]

Have they included the words

Bomb, Plane, Semtex, Detonator, London Underground, Heathrow Airport, Infidels, YeeHah (or is it Jihad?) Thought not LOL

[Anonymous Coward]

May as well ban a few other words too. No need for 'bad' when 'un-good' will do just as well...

[HipposRule]

Too much 1984

The post is required, and must contain letters.

[Bakunin]

Oh, for fsck sake.

So the "yoof" go ahead and create whole new words. Your Newspeak mentality wont stop the meaning from getting through.

At best you'll just create a generation of good poets.

Bunch of null pointers.

[Andy Fletcher]

Please don't...

...ever make me read anything on The Guardian again. What is it with analy retentive websites that never link to sources. If they can't provide a source, they don't have news, they have hearsay.

[Anonymous Coward]

surely Mr Doger's rude word list...

...should be referred to as "Doger's Profanisaurus"

[Anonymous Coward]

Is Reverse dutch steamboat allowed?

Look it up!

[Niall]

I'm glad someone is thinking of the children

Plus it's about time governments had the foresight to censor their citizens.

Nothing brings prosperity and civil obedience faster, right?

[Anonymous Coward]

Censors mindset

I suspect "Hindustan ki jai" may loom large.

[Anonymous Coward]

A new sport is born.

Hours of fun to be had, beating the censor and finding new words (rather than waste their time on the old ones).

Certainly more enjoyable than all the hours I had to mindlessly learn some archaic religious nonsense.