Question
EBay to Ban 'Racially Derogatory' Search Terms
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Correspondent
November 15, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - The Internet auction giant eBay plans to implement a "pop-up" notification when "racially derogatory" search terms are entered on the website. EBay will formally announce the change on Wednesday, which the National League of Cities has been pushing.
John Pionke, a media relations official with the National League of Cities (NLC), declined to offer specific examples of the derogatory words in question, but explained that the campaign was started about a year ago by a member of the organization.
Philadelphia Councilwoman Marian Tasco "was doing a search on eBay and something came up that offended her greatly," Pionke said. Tasco chairs the NLC's National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials.
A CNSNews.com search of certain "racially offensive" terms on the site did produce a page of items for sale containing the "n" word. Most of the results were in the form of book or artwork titles.
When asked if such items or their titles would be prohibited from eBay listings, Pionke explained that, "There's going to be like a pop-up on eBay saying that ... the words are not acceptable for usage on eBay."
Pionke said his organization was not pursuing the censorship of sexually or religiously derogatory search terms. The CNSNews.com search produced items for sale that contained the phrase, "bible thumpers," as well as a derogatory term for homosexual.
"I think at this stage we were concerned about certain words that were popping up," Pionke explained. "They might expand that themselves, eBay, but we're targeting this particular area (racially offensive terms) right now."
David Almasi of the conservative Project 21 said the move could restrict the buying power of customers.
"Certainly you don't want to have people using the n-word in an eBay listing," he said, "but if it's something that has to deal with it ... someone can't sell that anymore," he said. Almasi used the example of Randall Kennedy's book "N****r," which bills itself as a scholarly study of the word. Kennedy's book came up during the CNSNews.com search of the eBay listings.
"If you're just making words illegal simply because of their past, especially in eBay's regard, they're potentially knocking themselves out of some commerce," Almasi said. While you're trying to save some people's feelings, you're hurting some other people's collectible options," he added.
While eBay's current listing policies prohibit "profanity or patently offensive language," they do not apply specifically to "racist" words.
Neither Marian Tasco of the National League of Cities, nor representatives from eBay returned telephone calls from CNSNews.com seeking comment for this report.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.a...20041115b.html
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I read this article earlier today when it was mentioned on the Insiders. Likearock, do you know anything about CNSnews.com? It's the first time I've been to the site.
It'll be interesting to see if this is actually announced tomorrow by ebay. The article makes it sound like those words will not be allowed even if it's the name of a book, etc?
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I copied it from the Booksellers board, I've never heard of them.
I recently sold a few books with the famous N word as the title, including the one mentioned in the article. Guess I'm lucky I listed them when I did. I can't see how I'd title it without using that word.
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They are all idiots.
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I mentioned this in another thread a while back but I think it fits here to well to not repeat - I'm still amazed.
I recently had an Auction cancelled at Ebay for Profanity.
The Offending term was in the line Below.
" This Cd is Rare and Herd to Find. It is not even offered for sale at Amazon. "
The Profane word was "Amazon"
Yes -- They can be idiots -
Mike
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Here we go, this could start all kinds of word bannings.
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http://www2.ebay.com/aw/marketing.shtml
Policy Update: Offensive Items Policy
Date: 11/17/04 Time: 09:21:36 AM PST
One of eBay’s key Community Values is that we treat others as we would like to be treated. In keeping with this principle, we are updating our offensive items policy to clarify how terms that are racially or ethnically offensive may be used on the site.
Use of terms that are racially or ethnically offensive to describe items have no place in the eBay marketplace and eBay will not tolerate such material. Further, when selling potentially offensive yet true historical pieces, sellers must ensure that the language in their listings shows appropriate sensitivity to those in the Community that might view it. Sellers may use such words and phrases in the title and description of their listings within media categories such as Books, Movies and Music, provided that the offensive words are actually part of the title of the listed item.
To learn more about this policy update, as well as examples of the types of items that will be removed from the site, please take time to review our Offensive Items policy. To read eBay’s Community Values, please click here.
Regards,
eBay
Prohibited and Offensive Items - Offensive Material http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...geName=CMDV:AB
Blanche
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Offensive Material
Overview
eBay's community is a diverse, international group of users with varied backgrounds and beliefs, and it's easy to imagine how some items listed on eBay might be offensive to at least some of our users somewhere in the world. But one of eBay's great strengths is the diversity of its membership and the items they trade, and eBay believes that it's important to respect (and learn from) that diversity. That's why eBay generally permits listings of "practically anything on earth," even items which most of us find offensive.
Fundamentally, though, eBay is a community, and members of a community must respect each other as human beings. Listings that promote hate, violence or racial intolerance (or organizations dedicated to such notions) have no place in a true community-we're all here to trade, do business, and have fun with each other. eBay will not become a platform for those who promote hatred toward their fellow man.
Further, eBay is now a worldwide community with many users residing in countries where the possession or sale of items associated with hate organizations is a criminal offense.
Items that Promote Hatred, Violence or Racial Intolerance
eBay has always exercised judgment in allowing or disallowing certain listings consistent with the spirit of a worldwide community. Therefore, eBay will judiciously disallow listings or items that promote or glorify hatred, violence, or racial intolerance, or items that promote organizations (such as the KKK, Nazis, neo-Nazis, and Aryan Nation) with such views. For example, eBay will generally remove items that bear the marks of such organizations, such as relics from the KKK or Nazi helmets.
Under this policy, eBay may in its discretion, remove items and refund listing fees when the item or description graphically portrays violence or victims of violence, and lacks substantial social, artistic or political value.
For example, eBay may disallow sales of explicit crime scene photographs or morgue photos, while permitting military documentaries or photographs of war victims. eBay may also, in its discretion and out of respect for the families of murder victims, remove listings of items closely associated with individuals notorious for committing murderous acts within the last 100 years, such as personal belongings of such criminals, letters or artwork created by such criminals, or novelty items that bear the name or image of the criminal.
Further, eBay will remove any listing and suspend the users involved where it appears that a person convicted of a violent felony is attempting to use eBay (directly or through another person) to benefit financially from his or her criminal notoriety.
Racially or Ethnically Offensive Historical Items and Reproductions
Accordingly, listings that are racially or ethnically offensive are not permitted on eBay. eBay and its community of users will not tolerate such material.
Occasionally, there may be listings of antiques or historical pieces (often referred to as "Black Americana") that, while unacceptable in today's society, are relics of an era where racially inappropriate and insensitive products were widely available. While these items are offensive to eBay and its community, eBay recognizes that such historical items find their way into museums and private collections, and serve as important tools for education about the past.
eBay permits such listings of historical pieces, but at the request of community members, eBay will not permit listings of racial or ethnically inappropriate reproductions.
Further, when selling potentially offensive yet true historical pieces, sellers must ensure that the language in their listings shows appropriate sensitivity to those in the community that might view it. For example, sellers may not use offensive words and phrases such as "Jap" or "N-word" in the title or description of their listing, even if that word is part of the proper name or trademark of the item. Sellers may, however, display an image of such historical items within their listing even if the offensive word is plainly visible within the historical item.
Racially or Ethnically Offensive Works of Art, including Books, Movies, Music and Artwork
Artists occasionally use offensive words and phrases such as "N-word" and "Jap" in the titles of media items such as books, movies, music and artwork. Examples of such items include books from prominent authors such as Randall Kennedy, Joseph Conrad and H. Rap Brown, and musicians such as John Lennon. Sellers may use such words and phrases in the title and description of their listings within media categories such as Books, Movies and Music, provided that the offensive words are actually part of the title of the listed item. eBay urges all of its community members to treat others as they themselves would like to be treated.
eBay will review listings that are brought to its attention by its worldwide community, and will look at the entire listing to determine whether it falls within this rule.
Examples of items that will generally be removed:
Items that bear symbols of the Nazis, the SS, or the KKK, including authentic German WWII memorabilia that bear such marks
Crime scene photographs
Morgue shots
Letters and artwork from notorious murderers
Electric chairs and related capital punishment items
Examples of items that may generally be listed:
German coins and postage stamps (canceled or otherwise) from the WWII era regardless of markings
WWII memorabilia that does not bear the Nazi or SS markings
Books and movies about WWII or Nazi Germany, even if the Nazi symbol appears on the item
War documentaries or documentary photos portraying victims of war or violence
Items of historical importance associated with acts of violence against public figures