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A comment on Lyft’s algorithm is trying to block people with names like ‘Dick’ and ‘Cummings’. Parent comment

Re:Lyft’s algorithm is trying to block people with names lik... by lokedhs on Sunday January 12, 2020 @07:50AM (#22026061)
If you yell insults at me, I will be offended. It doesn't matter if the words you use are "fuck off", "f*k off" or even "would you be so kind as to vacate the premises by the violent application of a large phallic-shaped object on your rear end".

The entire discussion here has been about being offended by a word, even though that word is used in a context which is not offensive at all.

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Re:Lyft’s algorithm is trying to block people with names lik... by cortesoft on Sunday January 12, 2020 @05:27PM (#22030016)
Right, but that is because of a flaw in their attempts to fix the problem of trying to stop people who are setting their names in attempt to insult and offend people.

Some people are trying to insult and offend, so they set their names as offensive and insulting names... in an attempt to stop that, Lyft messed up and blocked non-offensive names that share the same words as the offensive ones.

That doesn't mean words can't be insulting and offensive, it just means context matters and algorithms have trouble with context.

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