Confusing Restricted Names

[Ayuhra]

It's a problem that arises as a consequence of businesses seeking to appeal to a 'global audience'. What they often really mean with such double speak is that they desire a one size fits all approach.

I loathe it, personally. I'm sure most people can agree that there are certain words that absolutely should be banned outright. However, a lot of words are filtered out because they are offensive in one country but mean something completely innocent in another. Furthermore, the severity of a word can differ significantly from region to region - a word may very well be technically offensive in one region of the UK, for example, but in another it'll be used affectionately.

Context is important - and unfortunately, businesses do not want to hire enough people to fairly judge such cases. More and more moderation is being made entirely automatic, or pre-empted through filters that can and do go awry with unexpected blips that unfairly punish innocent players.

The best I can suggest is to just put every potential name through an internet search to see if it translates to anything potentially offensive/questionable.

It's more than just that in some cases, though. Some names are blocked because they CONTAIN a word that the filter finds offensive. That limits options a bit. ....Filters like that also make forums a hoot. WoW forums uses that filter and it censors a certain word for the human behind which is an issue in a game where "Assassin" is a playable class (it's a Rogue specialization).

[ItMe]

It's more than just that in some cases, though. Some names are blocked because they CONTAIN a word that the filter finds offensive. That limits options a bit.

Yeah, that stuff is always good for a laugh.
Reminds me of how Pokemon named a creature Cofagrigus... but you can't trade it (or was it you can't wonder trade it) without giving it a nickname. Otherwise the in game censors get tripped by letters 3-5 in its own natural name.