DireWolfM14 Used “Retard” as an Insult Repeatedly

[oneadvocate]

A review of DireWolfM14’s https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=2003859 public record shows he has made use of “retard,” “retarded” and the like as an insult repeatedly. He has been a member since April 4, 2018, and his profile contains 6,856 posts spread across 344 pages. I didn't include “retort” or any quotes from others because private messages and anything he deleted don't show up on the profile.

I reviewed his history to determine whether his use of those words was an isolated error or part of a pattern. The answer is obvious; it is a pattern.

That is significant. We are not talking about mere antiquated vocabulary here. Educators, the medical community, disability groups, and society at large have put aside this kind of terminology for good reason, having found it offensive and stigmatizing to those with intellectual disabilities.

Members of Bitcointalk may have their differences. One can denounce an argument as wrong, dishonest, or ridiculous without having to degrade people with intellectual disabilities.

Examine the dates and the repetition in his posts and form your own opinion: is it right to humiliate fellow members with slurs?

[DireWolfM14]

obvious; it is a pattern.

As you obvious as looking into who was the target of said insult?

Aren't you still banned?

[_act_]

Examine the dates and the repetition in his posts and form your own opinion: is it right to humiliate fellow members with slurs?

DireWolfM14 is a reputable member on this forum, that is all what I know about him. He is contributing something meaningful while posting.

Let me answer you questions.
You can go and read about the forum rules, there is no where that states that someone should not call his forum mate this or that. But take it like that and also contribute something good on this forum.

[LoyceV]

Members of Bitcointalk may have their differences. One can denounce an argument as wrong, dishonest, or ridiculous without having to degrade people with intellectual disabilities.

Examine the dates and the repetition in his posts and form your own opinion: is it right to humiliate fellow members with slurs?

If you don't like it, Ignore him. You can't seriously expect everyone on the internet to follow your preference.
It's freedom of speech. Cherish it, it's already so rare online!

Allow me to save half an hour of typing by quoting myself on the subject:

I find these statements deeply offensive

That's okay. You're free to feel offended whenever you choose to do so.

and contrary to the values that this forum is built on.

That's not at all what this forum is about:

the forum's mission to be as free as possible

This is not the first time I see people advocate for less freedom and more rules. Not only here, many people do the same in real life. But they don't realize those freedoms are lost forever once they're gone.

If this type of behavior is allowed in this forum, then here will be turned into another racism breading ground.

I've seen these discussions long before you joined, and the longer I'm here, the more I appreciate theymos' stance on the subject: freedom of speech above censorship.

To quote myself on the subject:

Use the Ignore button, problem solved. You can't possible expect everyone on the internet to be nice to you.
This forum gives users the freedom to be as rude as they want, just like it gives anyone else the freedom to be as nice as they want. Enjoy the freedom to choose your style, but let others enjoy the same freedom.

I have no problem with anyone's style as long as it's not pointing me.

Well, then that's your problem. It's simple as that. I would have started this sentence with "I'm sorry to say, ....", but then I realized that would go against the point I'm trying to make. Hurting someone's feelings is allowed. Grow a thicker skin, and stop caring. It's really that simple.
Who cares, you don't know the person, you don't have to meet him, and yet, you choose to read his posts while you can easily ignore them at the click of a button! Why make yourself suffer for something that can only get worse if you give it more attention?

I'm usually quite polite on Bitcointalk, up to the point where the Cat and now others started calling me Switzerland. But I highly appreciate the freedom to not be polite if someone wants to. Your hurt feelings don't take away someone else's right to say what he wants.

Bitcointalk offers more freedom than any other forum I know. You can choose to be an asshole or you can be a nice person. It's entirely up to you how you want to come across. If you're a snowflake, you might get offended. That's okay.

So what?

The only right answer

Discrimination and racism is all part of freedom of speech. You can't have freedom of speech without someone else having the same freedom, and as I once read: freedom of speech is especially necessary for controversial subjects! You don't need freedom of speech to say bunnies are fluffy.
So if someone wants to discriminate: let them! Use ignore if you want, discuss with them, try to change their mind (as if that's ever worked on the internet) or just move on with your day. Who cares what an anonymous person on the internet says? See my personal text to see how much I care.

Besides, as long as hell doesn't freeze over, you can have any race, nationality or gender you want on Bitcointalk. There's an attack helicopter as Global Moderator, that's all fine

How about if the admin filter some keywords(foul words), such that when you use them, you will be handed ban.

It's always amazing how people volunteer to give up the freedoms they've been given. It's truely scary, not only online but also in real life.
Bitcointalk is the only forum I know that allows freedom of speech. If you don't like it, go to SJW forum.

What the f*ck, do you think censoring *BEEP* is going to make the forum any better? I miss TMAN, go read Poetry, by TMAN.

If I'm offended by someone online, it means I am doing something wrong by being offended by someone or I did something wrong to attract an attack on me?

If you choose to be offended by something an anonymous person says on the big mean internet, you're doing something wrong. Why would you choose to give someone such power over you?

What is your understanding of freedom of speech? Do you know that there is an unofficial rule that says "No trolling?". If freedom of speech is what you think it is, why will such a rule apply?

Calling an idiot an idiot is not trolling. A bit more context:

However, trolling isn't allowed. If a user is habitually posting obviously false nonsense ("obviously false nonsense" to an outsider, NOT to someone who follows or is involved in the discussion) just to stir up trouble, then it's considered trolling, which is prohibited. Such cases should be thoroughly documented in the report though (There are tons of reports that just say "trolling", but moderators don't have time to look through each user's post).

To quote myself on the subject:

Just recently, I saw several posts saying: "I hope I'm not offending anyone", and it's been on my mind for a while now.

I only recently realized why this is so common in English. In Dutch, "offended" and "insulted" are the same word ("beledigd"). But lately, it seems like people treat the word "offending" as if it's "insulting".
I'd say insulting isn't needed and makes you look bad, but being offended is a choice of the receiver, and honestly I'm offended by people who want to limit their own freedom of speech out of fear that someone might get his feelings hurt on the internet! Oh noes!

It's okay to offended people! Offensive jokes are often funny. Don't let SJW decide what you're allowed to say or even think!

Trying to be nice doesn't hurt you, but don't let someone's made up feelings stop you from speaking your mind.

I can't agree with you. You can also gently criticize a person. To insult is only to insult, nothing more. And it is not right to talk about freedom of expression while insulting a person.

I am insulted by the very fact that you think you can have freedom of speech without being allowed to insult someone. So by your own definition you're not allowed to say that!
Luckily for you, you actually have the right to say pretty much anything you want on this forum. And as a Thick-Skinned Gang Leader, I can handle anything you throw at me.

For example, I insulted you and you did it to me. What's the matter here? What did the forum gain from this? When viewed from the outside, the forum is seen as a place where racism, neopotism and swearing are falling.

It's the internet, I couldn't care less about your race. You can claim to be a Smurf if you want too. It can't be checked anyway, so why do you even care?
I think I'm usually pretty friendly, and I usually don't try very hard to insult people. But I can understand why others do that, and I highly value their right to do so. If someone, especially in an anonymous environment, treats others badly, it tells you a lot about them. But how you handle it says a lot about you.

Don't you really see these kinds of statements make the forum look bad?

No. It's what makes this forum great and unique! If you don't like it, you may want to go to a heavily censored SJW forum where your fragile feelings are protected. Bitcoin is about freedom, and you can't have freedom to say what you want without other people having the same freedom to say what they want. Grow a thicker skin or choose to have a fragile ego hurt.
I'm pretty sure there are already texts that you don't like embedded in the Bitcoin blockchain. It's okay. You don't have to read it. Why would you even bother to read things on a website if it insults you?

How about if the admin filter some keywords(foul words), such that when you use them, you will be handed ban. Such as 7days ban, few days signature ban, read only mode etc. This will promote peaceful co-existence and curtail to the barest minimum any form of bullying, unfriendliness, acrimony or as the case may be.

I'm offended by your suggestion. Now you deserve a 7 day ban

You should spend 2.5 minutes to listen to this guy: the only proper response to someone who says: "I'm offended!" is: "I don't care!".

Here's another 9 minutes worth of your time: Rowan Atkinson on free speech.

For me, the best way to increase society's resistance to insulting or offensive speech is to allow a lot more of it. As with childhood diseases, you can better resist those germs to which you have been exposed. We need to build our immunity to taking offence, so that we can deal with the issues that perfectly justified criticism can raise. Our priority should be to deal with the message, not the messenger.

Did you notice how I completely ignored anything Satofan44 said? That's intentional: it's completely irrelevant to the discussion on freedom of speech.

Remember:

"I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire*

[oneadvocate]

There is a tendency to make much of “free speech” when one is not the object of it. But put that same tone on your work, your posts, or your reputation, and all of a sudden it is deemed uncalled for or in violation of the rules. One cannot have it both ways. Nor does merit offer a free pass. If there's an issue with a post, a claim, trust feedback, or a service, then make the case and back it up. Insulting nicknames won't prove anything or advance the conversation. As for the usual deflections of “just ignore him,” or “the rules don’t prohibit that word,” or appeals to free speech, they are beside the point. The behavior is the issue; deal with it rather than make excuses.

[AB de Royse777]

What is your opinion about "narcissist" sir?
JollyGood used that word 14 times since 1st January 2025 against me (you may find one or two false positive) according to the archive.

[Stalker22]

~
The behavior is the issue; deal with it rather than make excuses.

To whom are you talking?  And how do you propose that "bad" behavior actually gets dealt with?

[PrivacyG]

There are people who wish death on others here and the solution is very simple, the Ignore button.  The solution is not to cry and ask for them to be punished.  Isolation from the rest of the community where they eventually find them selves talking to no body because every body ignores them is a lot worse than simply getting a ban notification.

Anyway.  Insults on the Internet have been around ever since the Internet.  And as annoying as they some times are, ignoring or blocking them is almost always an option.  I find it extremely immature that some people can not take an Internet insult, we are all behind screens and can wish and call any body what ever we like.  It is what it is.  I would much rather have this Internet than an ultra filtered one where any phrase may be seen as harassment and emotional sensibility is prioritized.

Grow up.

[oneadvocate]

If you agree with Dire on this, then yeah, you are condoning disabilities. Not gonna dress that up. He did not call somebody wrong. He called them retarded. Then he said he likes doing it. And if you never had a disability, or nobody in your family has, sit down. Seriously. You heard it as an insult your whole life so it sounds normal to you. It is not normal to the person who has actually dealt with it. Quote the post and argue the post. The second you co-sign "retarded" you already left the argument. You are just fine with disability being the put-down. Disagree all you want. Leave that word out of it. If the word is part of why you are on his side, then you answered it yourself.

[Stalker22]

So I will ask again: who should take action regarding this, and what should they do?  What exactly are you proposing here?

[mikeywith]

I reviewed his history to determine

"Idle hands are the devil's playthings"

[yahoo62278]

If you agree with Dire on this, then yeah, you are condoning disabilities. Not gonna dress that up. He did not call somebody wrong. He called them retarded. Then he said he likes doing it. And if you never had a disability, or nobody in your family has, sit down. Seriously. You heard it as an insult your whole life so it sounds normal to you. It is not normal to the person who has actually dealt with it. Quote the post and argue the post. The second you co-sign "retarded" you already left the argument. You are just fine with disability being the put-down. Disagree all you want. Leave that word out of it. If the word is part of why you are on his side, then you answered it yourself.

So because a few people have an issue with 1 word we should now ban it? This is an online forum, if you can't handle the use of 1 word from someone you have never seen or will ever see in real life, how are you going to navigate through life with all of the ugly we see in the world everyday? What are you 12?

When people say grow thicker skin or ignore that user, you should just take their advice. No one forced you to read or agree with a users opinion or word choice.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

OP, just keep in mind that even though it's somewhere in the unofficial rules not to use foul language or to insult a member rather than keeping one's posts on-topic, those things are rarely moderated--and on top of that, I've heard worse insults than that in my time here (those who know me can giggle to themselves softly).

If that one word offends you, you're going to have a hell of a time on the forum.  The two options available to you are to put on ignore someone who uses that bad, bad language (which everyone is going to suggest) or to grow a thicker skin, because freedom of speech is generally valued pretty highly and censorship is much less than most other websites you might find yourself writing posts on.  Just keep that in mind.

[oneadvocate]

Test: If you think “retarded” is just a word, PM a moderator and call them retarded. Report what happens.

[LogitechMouse]

Test: If you think “retarded” is just a word, PM a moderator and call them retarded. Report what happens.

Well, I just did sent a PM to a moderator.
Now it's up to you now if you will believe me or not.  
You know what OP, just have a thick skin or just leave the forum. You'll just be having a hard time if even one word stresses you already. I don't see it as a disability. I just see it as a "freedom of speech".

[ryzaadit]

Test: If you think “retarded” is just a word, PM a moderator and call them retarded. Report what happens.

No, need. You can see in public how the staff responds. We've seen worse just than "retarted" word.

I still recall a 2-month-old case where someone opened a thread in META. It's a simple thread topic about spamming service in the local board; in the end, some insults are being thrown out on the thread at the Staff.

You know how the Staff handled it? Pretty chill: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5589772.msg67028456#msg67028456
Once you live long enough on the internet. You will realize that sometimes all you need is to either ignore it or grow thicker skin.


Have you ever played video games? I do. Most of us have already been insulted: "Retard, idiots, your m** *****, s**k m* d***, and others". Do you know what I did in Dota 2? Yeah, I used Mute Chats (Ignore Button) and Mute Mics. Really simple, right ? or you want follow his games? up to u as well. But the Ignore Button should be enough for you since seem you are the guys are not quite comfortable with some insult.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Test: If you think “retarded” is just a word, PM a moderator and call them retarded. Report what happens.

OP, you would be surprised how tolerant moderators here are (although each one is different and all of them are human).  I'm just telling you this:  you might get some support for your argument, but if you're trying to enact change that involves censorship of words that you personally find offensive, it is most likely going to be a frustrating and ultimately, losing battle.

Also, you aren't the first member who's complained about this.  LoyceV's last post points this out perfectly.  None of us except Theymos (AFAIK) is the boss of this place, and unless he decides to ban certain words outright or ban insults generally, it's not going to happen.  

[oneadvocate]

I'm not trying to change or ban anything. Respect for people matters. Advice: Don't say anything on the forum that you wouldn't say to Theymos.

[DireWolfM14]

Respect for people matters.

Wannabe retarded scammers deserve no respect.

Now answer my question, howard; aren't you still banned?

[oneadvocate]

DireWolfM14, make a public apology for using “retard” and “retarded” as insults, and stop using those words that way.

Examples from your posts:

“Red-tags from retarded wannabe scammers”
“You're an AI spamming retard”
“You're such a retard”
“I pride myself in irritating, instigating, aggravating, and overall disturbing retarded wannabe scammers.”
“That's the best a retarded wannabe scammer and his sockpuppet deserve.”
“if this retard actually tried taking his ‘defamation’ suit to court”
“Alts of the same retard”
“This retarded case”
“This retarded, AI spamming nitwit”
“You're still a retard.”
“You are looking more and more retarded with every post.”
“Recognize a retarded wannabe scammer”
“your threats of ‘defamation’ are weak and retarded”
“You're a retarded wanna be scammer”
“Expose retarded wannabe scammers”

That language is an insult aimed at disability. Apologize in this thread, and do not use it again.