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Censored words - alternative use

Started by Bikemad, August 07, 2017, 09:03:22 AM

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Bikemad

Hi,

I regularly use the Censored words function to do several things in addition to its obvious intended use.

I find it particularly useful for correcting typos, spelling mistakes, punctuation, grammar and adding acronyms etc. without having to edit member's posts.
Here are a few examples:

Censored word               Replacement word
  reccomend        = >          recommend
    dont               = >               don't
    _alan_            = >              _Alan_      (underscores used to indicate spaces)
     _i_                = >                _I_         (underscores used to indicate spaces)                           
     BMS              = >                BMS

Unfortunately, if I enter a Censored word using leading and trailing spaces, it works fine until I reuse the Censored word function again, as the spaces on all of the words in the censored words are lost (but they are still present in the replacement words).

This means that I have to manually replace all the missing leading and trailing spaces every time I add a new word and save it, as failure to do so messes up the whole forum as every lower case "i" is replaced by an upper case " I " (with leading and trailing spaces).

And th I s -I s the un I ntent I onal result.

Although "alan" changes to " Alan ", "Valantino" now becomes "V Alan t I no".  :o

If I were to try to censor the word "tit" with "breast" without using spaces, it would also change words like stitch and altitude into sbreastch and albreastude.  ::)

The spaces in some censored words need to be added, therefore I would be very handy if these spaces were saved and re-displayed correctly like the spaces in the replacement words are.

I have tried using quotes to help define the spaces but this doesn't work.
Is there an easy way to automatically save the leading and trailing spaces on censored words each time that would stop them from disappearing and having to be added manually every time?

I look forward to any useful suggestions that might help me to overcome this minor problem.

Alan

Arantor

There is no easy way to do this because it simply isn't meant to be used in this way, though you might have some luck with the "only match full words" option.

Bikemad

The "Check only whole words" option did not help at all.  :(
I've simply placed all of the Censored words requiring spaces right at the top of the list so I don't have to keep searching down the entire list of words to re-enter the missing spaces each time.

I don't understand why it doesn't retain the leading and trailing spaces in the left column containing the censored words, when it does it perfectly in the right column containing the replacement words.

This very useful feature would be a lot easier to use if it could be fixed to work properly.

I have also used the Censored words function to easily modify hundreds of existing URLs on the forum relating to images that were previously linked to Photobucket prior to their recent ransom/blackmail scheme that was suddenly introduced without prior notice at the end of June.

I simply copied all of my stored images from Photobucket and uploaded them to another webserver using the same directory structure as the Photobucket users and albums and performed a quick and simple redirected all applicable links by simply changing the "photobucket.com/albums/myusername" section of the URL to "newwebserverdomainname/myusername" and it worked great.  8)

Hopefully this information will be useful to others who have also received an extortionate ransom demand from Photobucket.  ;)

Alan

Kindred

Unless people turn off the censor....

It would be better for you to just do a direct replace in the database smf_messages table rather than misusing the censor feature
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Bikemad

Quote from: Kindred on August 11, 2017, 07:41:53 PMUnless people turn off the censor....

Can the censoring be turned off by forum users?  :-\

Quote from: Kindred on August 11, 2017, 07:41:53 PMIt would be better for you to just do a direct replace in the database smf_messages table rather than misusing the censor feature

I don't have direct access to the server files as it is not my forum, so modifying the database smf_messages table is not something I would consider messing around with even if I could.  ;)

Alan

Kindred

By default, yes... forum users can disable the censor in their forum settings/profile
Слaва
Украинi

Please do not PM, IM or Email me with support questions.  You will get better and faster responses in the support boards.  Thank you.

"Loki is not evil, although he is certainly not a force for good. Loki is... complicated."

Illori

Quote from: Kindred on August 12, 2017, 05:27:08 PM
By default, yes... forum users can disable the censor in their forum settings/profile

that is only if the feature is enabled to allow it.

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