## * [Mark Henderson](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/2860/mark-henderson) [asked](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017611#3017611):* We get a fair number of flags for content that some people deem offensive. What would *you* consider offensive? If you can think of some, give an example of "I can see why this is flagged, but I dont think its offensive"
----
** [pauska](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/1949/pauska) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017635#3017635):** Windows Millennium and Vista is pretty offensive :-) But honestly - personal insults is never OK, not on the internet and not in real life. I would be pretty hard on those who are found guilty.
** [Ben Pilbrow](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/1084/ben-pilbrow) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017647#3017647):** Personal attacks are offensive. Personally I don't find bad language offensive, but I know others do and I generally remove it if I see it.
** [ErikA](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/1744/erika) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017657#3017657):** Personal attacks are always offensive, as are racist, sexist, or any other non-respectful rhetoric.
- ** [Mark Henderson](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/2860/mark-henderson) [requested](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017678#3017678):** Can you define "non-respectful" a bit more? For example, is berating someone for not even pressing F1 disrespectful to the user?
** [ErikA](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/1744/erika) [responded](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017723#3017723):** I guess I'm speaking of disrespect by means of either personal attack or otherwise insinuating that someone is "stupid" or something like that.
** [Chris S](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/1506/chris-s) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017717#3017717):** That's pretty rough. I haven't seen the queue so I couldn't say what percentage I would find valid, but I suspect it's a bit low. I know a lot of people don't *want* to hear the truth/answer they already know; that's got to have an impact on the flag queue. I think I hold myself to a higher standard than I would hold other to; but where the line would be I can not say. Examples are going to be really tough in this format.
** [freiheit](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/45/freiheit) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017724#3017724):** I'd see anything that's personally attacking another person as offensive, as well as the obvious sets of "offensive words".
** [WesleyDavid](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/2779/wesleydavid) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017734#3017734):** I view personal attacks that are *meant* as personal to be offensive. I view racism as offensive. I view pornographic contributions to the site as offensive.
I view the chat as an entirely different culture from the main site and also meta as moderately different in culture. A joking "Fuck you!" in chat is all in good fun. A joking "Fuck you!" on the main site is never okay. Meta... maybe... but probably not.
** [voretaq7](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/5477/voretaq7) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017784#3017784):** What would I consider offensive? Personal attacks, obvious bigotry/racism/hate speech, pornography, really vile obscenity (stuff we wouldn't even let fly in The Comms Room).
What is borderline but I wouldn't consider it offensive? F-Bombs not directed as an attack (though I'd insist on editing them out of content on the main site). Off-color jokes about stuffing misbehaving users under the datacenter floor. Politely mocking suggestions that incompetent security auditors attempt to disprove the existence of gravity.... Basically stuff said in good humor or the grand tradition of gentle snark and sarcasm. There is a line. We'll all know it when we see someone step over it (or step over it ourselves), and action will be taken in those cases (right now I'd flag it, as a mod I'd squash it).
** [MDMarra](http://chat.stackexchange.com/users/7326/mdmarra) [answered](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/3017862#3017862):** Personal attacks are always offensive. Profanity is sometimes offensive, depending on context. I tend to have a thicker skin than some. Disagreements about the validity of a question or answer without profanity or insults are silly and should not be flagged as offensive. In my opinion, if something is borderline to me, but a user involved is offended, I'll take action. If it's just people flagging because they disagree, we should beat them with a hose and then make them hug it out.