Blue language

From AJS.COM

Blue language is my analysis of the use of off-color language by Blizzard (the creators of World of Warcraft). Why do I care? For the most part, I would not. So-called "vulgarities" don't bother me, but Blizzard likes to tell people what they can and cannot say while setting a tacit set of community standards which are less strict than their explicit rules. For example, they have repeatedly given players in-game warnings for the use of the phrase, "WTF" because it represents the use of "obfuscated vulgarity." This seems odd, but reasonable, until you look over the following list of things that Blizzard has done.

Disclosure

I have been warned in-game for vulgarity. It wasn't obfuscated, and I don't contend that what I said was reasonable. I argued with them, at the time, that their reasons for warning me were very, very questionable (I was reporting some very abusive and harassing chat by someone else, and was in turn warned for my use of an off-hand comment that wasn't directed at anyone... if you've ever done HR you know why this is horribly, horribly wrong), but I don't dispute that ruling, and this not about that warning. I only say that here so that you know that I'm not grinding an axe. I've just seen a lot of other people posting to Blizzard's forums about being warned or banned for langauge that it seems Blizzard feels free to use.

The List

Software

• The "World of Warcraft" directory in a standard install contains a Blizzard-created subdirectory called "WTF".

Quests

• What the Flux? - quest in Searing Gorge
• [http://www.thottbot.com/?qu=9898 Nothin' Says Lovin' Like a Big Stinger - quest in Zangramarsh

Forum postings (so-called "blue" posts from Blizzard employees)

• User: Drysc (Blizzard Poster) Re: Non-Epic Flying mount land speed 01/26/2007 12:39:23 AM EST "[...] allow you access to key locations only accessible to flying mounts, as well as allowing you to freakin' fly around."