Please stop calling things in this game "cancer"

silvereyes

Please stop, out of common decency and courtesy. It's a loaded term associated with staggering real-world emotional trauma for a large portion of the population, and it makes me cringe every time I see it used flippantly about video game mechanics.

I propose a more widely acceptable term: "diarrhea".

Usage examples:

"It's pure diarrhea in pvp and that's why everyone is running it."

"getting killed by a sword and board heavy armor proc wearing cloak lethal arrow spammer stam nb. Pure diarrhea."

" LFG tool was worst than diarrhea this last weekend."

Pixel_Zealot

I think it's called 'cancer' as certain games are killing 'gaming'.

Cancer runs in my family and I've lost too many to it, but it's not necessary to be so sensitive about a word.

technohic

They are using it in a proper way.

can·cer
ˈkansər/Submit
noun
the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
"he's got cancer"
a malignant growth or tumor resulting from the division of abnormal cells.
plural noun: cancers
"most skin cancers are curable"
synonyms: malignant growth, cancerous growth, tumor, malignancy; More
a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil or destructive and hard to contain or eradicate.
"racism is a cancer sweeping across Europe"
synonyms: evil, blight, scourge, poison, canker, plague; archaicpestilence
"the cancer of slavery spread across the continent"

I don't think that needs to be changed because someone decides to own it as their word to be sensitive about. Quit looking for things to be offended and you likely will not be offended by things that are not intended to offend in the first place

Turelus

I was actually shocked to hear a friend use this term recently.

Having close friends who have lost family to cancer, members of my family who have gone through it I generally try to avoid ever using the term. I do on occasion let it slip out but generally when I am in full on fuming rant mode about something.

Still, it would be nice if we as the community could find a word which might represent our displeasure whilst not using a term which reminds many of the loss of those close to them.

I do like the word diarrhoea, I think I'll pick that up for use in my own vocabulary.

(also I have just learnt this is another word us Brits spell differently from you Yanks, jolly pip!)

Daraugh

I agree, it's exactly the wrong word to use for something like a video game.

People already use the word "potato" for stuff that's shite, so how about extending that?

[Deleted User]

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ArchMikem

Pixel_Zealot wrote: »

I think it's called 'cancer' as certain games are killing 'gaming'.

Cancer runs in my family and I've lost too many to it, but it's not necessary to be so sensitive about a word.

Cancer survivor myself.

I agree the word itself doesn't need to be so sensitized, but at the same time it's become such a common, wide spread term that I can't go ten minutes into a video game without hear/reading someone claim something is Cancer.

That build is Cancer.

That ability is Cancer.

You're Cancer.

I mean Jesus guys, my Stage 3 Lymphoma was actually Cancer, what ever happened to the simple word, 'bad'?

psychotic13

Pixel_Zealot wrote: »

I think it's called 'cancer' as certain games are killing 'gaming'.

Cancer runs in my family and I've lost too many to it, but it's not necessary to be so sensitive about a word.

Of course it is, its actually pathetic to use such terms to describe something in the game you don't like, grow up

SolidusPrime

While I don't disagree with your reasoning, an internet message board dedicated to a video game is probably the last place you should look for empathy or understanding.

To be honest, I am quite surprised that the first reply didn't tell you how "cancerous" your post was, just for the "lulz". I guess most of the kids are in school right now though.

TheNuminous1

technohic wrote: »

They are using it in a proper way.

can·cer
ˈkansər/Submit
noun
the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
"he's got cancer"
a malignant growth or tumor resulting from the division of abnormal cells.
plural noun: cancers
"most skin cancers are curable"
synonyms: malignant growth, cancerous growth, tumor, malignancy; More
a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil or destructive and hard to contain or eradicate.
"racism is a cancer sweeping across Europe"
synonyms: evil, blight, scourge, poison, canker, plague; archaicpestilence
"the cancer of slavery spread across the continent"

I don't think that needs to be changed because someone decides to own it as their word to be sensitive about. Quit looking for things to be offended and you likely will not be offended by things that are not intended to offend in the first place

technohic wrote: »

They are using it in a proper way.

can·cer
ˈkansər/Submit
noun
the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
"he's got cancer"
a malignant growth or tumor resulting from the division of abnormal cells.
plural noun: cancers
"most skin cancers are curable"
synonyms: malignant growth, cancerous growth, tumor, malignancy; More
a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil or destructive and hard to contain or eradicate.
"racism is a cancer sweeping across Europe"
synonyms: evil, blight, scourge, poison, canker, plague; archaicpestilence
"the cancer of slavery spread across the continent"

This this exactly. Words have multiple uses and meanings. Just because you get offended dosent mean someone's not using the word correctly.

bunnydaisuki

technohic wrote: »

They are using it in a proper way.

can·cer
ˈkansər/Submit
noun
the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
"he's got cancer"
a malignant growth or tumor resulting from the division of abnormal cells.
plural noun: cancers
"most skin cancers are curable"
synonyms: malignant growth, cancerous growth, tumor, malignancy; More
a practice or phenomenon perceived to be evil or destructive and hard to contain or eradicate.
"racism is a cancer sweeping across Europe"
synonyms: evil, blight, scourge, poison, canker, plague; archaicpestilence
"the cancer of slavery spread across the continent"

I don't think that needs to be changed because someone decides to own it as their word to be sensitive about. Quit looking for things to be offended and you likely will not be offended by things that are not intended to offend in the first place

People need things to complain, just saying. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

silvereyes

Pixel_Zealot wrote: »

I think it's called 'cancer' as certain games are killing 'gaming'.

Cancer runs in my family and I've lost too many to it, but it's not necessary to be so sensitive about a word.

I'm sorry to hear about your family, I really am. It breaks my heart.

I'm also very happy for you that you can hear the term and not feel sensitive about it.

However, neither of those things is really my point. Yes, there are a lot of people like you that the word isn't a problem for, despite the personal associations.

My point is that the word *does* hurt a lot of people, and out of respect to them, perhaps we should stop using it as a catch-all term for "bad thing".

I'm not asking for the word to be banned from the English language, because that would be ridiculous. The word is useful, even as a metaphor. But it is a powerful word, and shouldn't be used as flippantly as I see it used in this game.

SuperLarrio

As someone that enjoys buffalo wing Wednesday...alot, the term diarrhea would be offensive to me

Tryxus

My grandma suffered from cervical cancer for 17 years... I've seen what both the disease and chemo treatment can do to someone, and how it slowly killed her. It's something you don't want to see happen to a loved one...

So yeah, I hate to see ppl use the same word for that to describe something trivial in a game that they don't agree with (or anything they disagree with)

Logicbomb00

Did you write this post after a conversation that was had in one of the guild chats? We were also discussing that the word 'cancer' is both insensitive and downright rude in our opinions. I can't explain why but every time I see someone state something like:

'Velidroth/Vipers is cancer'

it makes my skin crawl. If this is just some random post not associated with that discussion in one of the largest trade guilds in the game then that is just pure wow. Haha. It was also decided in that chat that your opinion is a valid and important one so you have the backing of many many people.

SantieClaws

Khajiit believes it may be a matter of perspective yes.

When bad things happen in Tamriel they are not so good yes. Maybe even very annoying.

They are not though cancer, war, hunger or any equivalent issue.

Words are powerful. So powerful. A few letters can raise the smile or sink the soul. You cannot read the heart of all who will read your letters but you can consider it yes.

Khajiit would say only that perhaps a little thought here and there about the power of the words we use and how we use them sometimes could be a good thing yes.

Yours with paws
Santie Claws

TequilaFire

Problem with words that have multiple use meanings defined in the dictionary.
Some common words even should get censored when used in a context that makes them vulgar, but that is language.
In fact many people in the world today still die from diarrhea because of bad water and food supplies.
The point is to understand what context a word is used in and not be overly sensitive.

Minalan

We call it 'cancer' in this game because 'diarrhea' doesn't last for six *** months like balance and broken set problems do in this game.

How long before we see troll king balanced or how long did we wait for a malubeth fix? How long did the guardian set pull nightblades out of stealth?

Their balance update cycles are too long and far too drastic.

ArchMikem

psychotic13 wrote: »

Pixel_Zealot wrote: »

I think it's called 'cancer' as certain games are killing 'gaming'.

Cancer runs in my family and I've lost too many to it, but it's not necessary to be so sensitive about a word.

Of course it is, its actually pathetic to use such terms to describe something in the game you don't like, grow up

Telling someone to grow up is the vocabulary of a schoolyard bully, and "should" be beneath you.

Wrekkedd

I've also lost people to cancer....words are words, hell I even use it. They aren't going to magically be alive if I stop saying it...

Knootewoot

I always pretend they meant Cancer as genus of crab which was a dub for crap.

This build is Cancer
This build is crab
This build is crap

A Mudcrap would be: Cancer caenum


Cancer is a horrible disease. But i's also just a word and it can mean more then just the disease. I know a lot of people are born under the constellation of Cancer.

Defilted

Please stop censoring my speech op.

anitajoneb17_ESO

Let's say... you ask 10 people around you to stop using a word (in this case, the word "cancer") and you explain why.

Maybe 9 people will tell you to "grow a thicker skin", that you are a "sensitivity dictator", or, more basically, will laugh at you and tell you that they don't care and that they will speak the way they want, because, you know, freedom blablah.

And 1 person will actually listen to you, understand and stop using that word. That 1 person is likely to be far more quiet than the 9 others. But that's one person who will have understood you and changed his/her behaviour. That's one person more than if you had said nothing at all.

Don't give up.

silvereyes

Defilted wrote: »

Please stop censoring my speech op.

You can speak how you will. Nobody is stopping you.

Edit: There is an enormous difference between censorship and a single person requesting a different, less hurtful word to be used.

SuperLarrio

Im not sure why this is even an argument. The very definition of the word have been posted and fits the context that people use it in game...and i too have lost people to cancer.

If anything should be considered offensive it would be calling a build aids...the definition of that phrase has nothing to do with the context its used for gaming.

technohic

Yeah; I lost my father to Pancreatic Cancer and I don't see why it should bother me. It's not like they are going"This is cancer killing this game like technohics dad" Cancer spreads through and kills lots of things. I can't be offended by people using the word to describe just that.

SydneyGrey

My father died from cancer (prostate). Worst day of my life was when I saw him laying dead in a hospital bed.

I don't care if people use the word "cancer" in the way the O.P. is describing. It doesn't make me cringe, or cry, or get angry. It's no big deal. There's no need to get sensitive about it, in my opinion.

silvereyes

Daraugh wrote: »

People already use the word "potato" for stuff that's shite, so how about extending that?

I can get behind this. I kind of pulled the diarrhea term out of my... oh wait.

anitajoneb17_ESO

SuperLarrio wrote: »

If anything should be considered offensive it would be calling a build aids...

Agreed. The only reason why people refer to "aids" is because it's an STD and anything even remotely related to s*x is considered "cool trash talk". And some supposed smell of homophobia. So ridiculous it's laughable. But there's no second or general meaning to that word, so it's a bad reminder for all of us who've lost a loved one to this terrible thing.

Olupajmibanan

A quick analogy from my perspective: in accounting (Europian one, IFRS standards) we always give priority to matter before form. Sorry for mistranslations, it just means that it doesn't matter how it looks like but what does it mean.

IMO same apply here.
You want to describe a bad design in the game, you can use any word you want. And yes, you will most likely use the word that everyone undesrtands within the community. "The forbidden word of this thread" is used so commonly so everybody understand its meaning when used in case to describe bad design in the game.

If you use "the forbidden word of this thread" this way, it's okay. You don't mean anything bad, you don't aim your word at anyone suffering from the disease, it's just your manner of describing things. Completely acceptable (well, by open-minded people).

People are using "the forbidden word of this thread" in every online game for ages. You can't just make them using another word. It's just as if you try to force whole country to not use "piece of cake" term for easy actions but let's say "piece of muffin". Is it possible?

I can't help myself.... proc sets are still a big cancer even after the crit nerf.

kevlarto_ESO

what happened to the old terms "Fail" and "Epic Fail", to be honest cancer is something that should not be taken lightly and really has no place in a video game, if you had a family member go through cancer and pass on, you might not look at the use of the word cancer as inappropriate in a game. Any real life serious or life threating disorders should be kept out of the gaming lexicon.