TaurusZA.5493 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Hi everyone Almost every day when I play this game, I see some mechanic or boss or map described as "kitten" by players in map chat. As someone living with kitten and who has lost several people close to me to this terrible disease, I can assure you that the Triple Trouble Wurm, the Sunqua Peak fractal and the Serpent's Ire meta-event are definitely nowhere near what real kitten is, and are infinitely preferable to the realities of chemotherapy, hospital admissions, debilitating fatigue, side effects, anxiety and fear that real kitten patients experience. I believe in free speech and wouldn't report or cancel someone for anything they say, but I want to draw awareness to this and the impact that it has on people living with this awful disease. I'm sure that most people will just laugh at this post and tell me to suck it up - for those of you that can't understand my point, I really, really hope you never have to experience this dreadful disease. But if this gets at least one person to stop using that term to describe annoying things in the game, then it has done its job. 12 3 17 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draxynnic.3719 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Took me a moment to figure out what exactly you meant. Says something when that needs to be kittenised. 5 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaurusZA.5493 Posted October 4, 2023 Author Share Posted October 4, 2023 Well even ArenaNet censors this word. I didn't realise that it would be kittenised! So for those reading this post, the word that I meant is a disease resulting from the rapid growth and multiplication of abnormal cells, and is also the name of a sign of the zodiac for people born between 21 June and 22 July. 6 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vayne.8563 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Block the people that do it, if it bothers you. Sadly, it's a cultural thing. Words do change definition over time. If you play FPS games, you hear that all the time, and people don't think twice about it, because they don't know better. The best way to handle this is to block the offenders, and then you will eventually have a lot less of it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAlcedo.3281 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 (edited) Ofcourse people use kitten as a slur when every bad word gets censored to kitten on this forum. What a kittening kitten World we live in. Edited October 4, 2023 by DanAlcedo.3281 2 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya.9075 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 It is a sad thing that people still use this word that way. People should stop using different diagnosis in a toxic way, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. When I see someone using the word autism in a toxic way, it becomes too personal since I live with someone that has this. And he is the smartest, sweetest and most amazing person I know. I know how people tend to misunderstand them, and using that word the way they do is just wrong. Also as a side note: They may appear to lack empathy, but this is a myth and based on misunderstandings. 6 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNecrosanct.4028 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 (edited) 7 hours ago, TaurusZA.5493 said: Hi everyone Almost every day when I play this game, I see some mechanic or boss or map described as "kitten" by players in map chat. As someone living with kitten and who has lost several people close to me to this terrible disease, I can assure you that the Triple Trouble Wurm, the Sunqua Peak fractal and the Serpent's Ire meta-event are definitely nowhere near what real kitten is, and are infinitely preferable to the realities of chemotherapy, hospital admissions, debilitating fatigue, side effects, anxiety and fear that real kitten patients experience. I believe in free speech and wouldn't report or cancel someone for anything they say, but I want to draw awareness to this and the impact that it has on people living with this awful disease. I'm sure that most people will just laugh at this post and tell me to suck it up - for those of you that can't understand my point, I really, really hope you never have to experience this dreadful disease. But if this gets at least one person to stop using that term to describe annoying things in the game, then it has done its job. Diseases have been used as slurs and curses for as long as I can remember, not just the one you are referring to. And it's been going on since long before any of us were born. Yes, it's a horrible disease. There are many horrible diseases. I've seen my father waste away in little over a month to it. I've seen my mother go through it twice. She survived both times but the word became quite triggering to her due to her experiences, which is a very human reaction. I've seen my husband slowly being claimed by Alzheimer's before he opted for euthanasia instead of waiting for the disease to first claim his mind and personality, then his life. I wouldn't use them as slurs myself, not because I'm principally opposed to it but because it will undoubtedly remind me of those times. These memories surface on their own often enough. I don't need to do anything specific to remind myself and add to it. So I don't like it either. I've seen the suffering these diseases cause to the ones who have it and those who love them. Whenever I see someone using diseases as a slur I just think they're probably the lucky ones who haven't experienced anything like that yet. I know complaining about it is useless in the majority of cases, because a lot of people also simply don't care. Some even double down or go after you personally for being "too sensitive" or "weak". Ignore them. Take solace in the fact that no one on this planet can avoid witnessing the suffering of a loved one, so one day they will regrettably know what it's like. But in lieu of reprimanding them for doing something I personally don't like that almost everyone does at some point in their lives, I choose to interpret them as the lucky ones who haven't had to witness the suffering of a loved one. Not for their sake, but for my own. I don't need to bring myself down on account of someone's choice of words. Not in this case, at least. Edited October 4, 2023 by TheNecrosanct.4028 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNecrosanct.4028 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 4 hours ago, TaurusZA.5493 said: Well even ArenaNet censors this word. I didn't realise that it would be kittenised! So for those reading this post, the word that I meant is a disease resulting from the rapid growth and multiplication of abnormal cells, and is also the name of a sign of the zodiac for people born between 21 June and 22 July. The word "chemotherapy" gave it away. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebulous.2934 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Ah the star sign that looks like a crab. Yeah those not immediately affected by a condition rarely think about it. I hardly ever think about alzhimers or dementia for example. I would guess for the folks Op mentioned 🦀 is simply a word to express a bad time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apraxis.4803 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Imma be real with you.... I thought this was an elaborate shite-post 😅 but I do commiserate with your sentiments. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remus Darkblight.1673 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 2 hours ago, Zebulous.2934 said: Ah the star sign that looks like a crab. Yeah those not immediately affected by a condition rarely think about it. I hardly ever think about alzhimers or dementia for example. I would guess for the folks Op mentioned 🦀 is simply a word to express a bad time. It's a bit like when people describe something they dislike as "gay". Even though that probably does have deliberately offensive roots, I'm fairly sure anyone saying that these days doesn't mean it to be offensive, nor are they necessarily homophobic. To them it's just a word, and is dissociated from it's meaning in that context. I do understand where this post is coming from though, because I really dislike that disease and it is one of the things that gets to me whenever it turns up in the media. Hence, I don't feel comfortable describing things using it either, almost like saying it evokes it. 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobx.1758 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 8 hours ago, TaurusZA.5493 said: Triple Trouble Wurm, the Sunqua Peak fractal and the Serpent's Ire meta-event are definitely nowhere near what real kitten is Of course they're not, kittens are cute and fluffy which can't really be said about wurms or sunqua! 8 hours ago, TaurusZA.5493 said: Well even ArenaNet censors this word. I didn't realise that it would be kittenised! So for those reading this post, the word that I meant is a disease resulting from the rapid growth and multiplication of abnormal cells, and is also the name of a sign of the zodiac for people born between 21 June and 22 July. Yeah, I think the part about chemotherapy in your OP made it clear what you're talking about 😉 But why is this censored on the forum? I don't know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashantara.8731 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 8 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said: Took me a moment to figure out what exactly you meant. Ditto. @TaurusZA.5493, I 100% agree. It is the same with autism, which is also used as an offensive/derogative term. There is a saying in German: "Dear God, let brain pour from the Heavens." 😄 Some people don't even think about what words come floating out of their mouth and how those words might affect others. 🤦♀️ 7 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drarnor Kunoram.5180 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 8 hours ago, MrGarlic.1834 said: I agree with the OP. It is, in my opinion, immature to label a computer game annoyance to a sinister disease. That said. There are many people playing this game who are on the autism spectrum or have behavioural abnormalities who have no empathy, through no fault of their own, who might use this term of reference without realising or caring about the impact their words cause. But I do wish people would stop using it in this manner. Autistic people tend to be extremely empathetic towards others in my experience. Being autistic is no excuse for being a jerk, or even a factor. Some social cues may get missed, but that's as close as it gets. 1 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnackParty.3178 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Can we talk about the kitten home instance, collection? 1 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draxynnic.3719 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 1 hour ago, Remus Darkblight.1673 said: It's a bit like when people describe something they dislike as "gay". Even though that probably does have deliberately offensive roots, I'm fairly sure anyone saying that these days doesn't mean it to be offensive, nor are they necessarily homophobic. To them it's just a word, and is dissociated from it's meaning in that context. I do understand where this post is coming from though, because I really dislike that disease and it is one of the things that gets to me whenever it turns up in the media. Hence, I don't feel comfortable describing things using it either, almost like saying it evokes it. I think there is a distinction in that... the medical condition being discussed is universally regarded as bad, so using it to label something else as bad is not being deliberately derogatory to people who have it. However, I can definitely see how using it casually would be insensitive, especially around people for whom it might be stirring up unpleasant memories. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliamRationem.5172 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Just my opinion, but I think the world could generally benefit from less censorship at this time. Does that mean there's any gain from people using this word to describe trivial matters or that they're right for doing so? Of course not. On the other hand, we could just toughen up and accept that people will say stupid things instead of demanding somebody else do something about it. Having said that, if we must go the other way, I know people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and so request that we rename icebrood saga. 1 2 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKatt.6740 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 Alright, I guess I'll be the bad guy here: it's a YOU problem. I actually saw this in another thread when someone was discussing arachniphobia, because Guild Wars 2 has a lot of spiders in it and things that look like spiders (thinking of the little jade spiderbots.....so cute). And they were asking if there was a way to turn the spiders off or disable the models or things like that because spiders were triggering. But the answer there is much the same as the answer here: No. Deal with it. That's not to be insensitive. I purrsonally lost my mother to the Big C, so I get it. At the same time though, welcome to the sandbox. And it's not YOUR sandbox, it belongs to all of us. And asking for something to be censored, either willingly or authoritatively, is wrong. A lot of people are going to say that it's a game and it's different but that's not true. It is a game, yes, but the people are real, and the people are the same as any that you might meet if you went to the grocery store, or the post office (do people still go to the post office?) or the park (Actually do people still go the park? I gotta get out more). You're going to hear or see things that are going to make you uncomfortable. Life is uncomfortable. And the most you can do, which honestly is what you've done here and that's fine, is politely ask that people stop. Of course, people aren't going to stop, because 95% of all the people you're complaining about will never see this thread and don't visit the forums at all. But if you're having that much of an issue with it then I'm afraid the only real option you have is to just go when something upsets you. You already said you're not interested in the whole censorship approach, and I applaud that. That's a higher road than most people go these days. ANd myself personally I've never described any of the games content in that way (although I might have thought about it every time the "Daily Activity" comes up). But unfortunately I wouldn't expect much to change. You're just gonna have to take control of your own experience here. If you're in a place and you don't like what you're hearing, turn the chat off. You can do that, you know. Switch over to the Combat tab which is there by default and all the map chat goes away. Not like you need it, we all know how the world bosses work by now. Or go somewhere else. But I'm afraid if you're expecting a new kind of decorum in the player base, well, I think we've been waiting for that since Rome. Anyway, hope everything works out for you. I'll be pulling for ya. 6 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowKatt.6740 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 1 hour ago, SnackParty.3178 said: Can we talk about the kitten home instance, collection? You know I finally got around to doing that. Very underwhelming. And I think I'm missing one because the kittens still won't share their soup with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HnRkLnXqZ.1870 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 It is just a phase. A buzzword used for a certain time period. It is not ideal and I get you point. The English language has tons of words to describe things, it even borrows from various other languages. But for certain iconic things, people often rely on commonly used words. For negative things, they tend to exaggerate. It is a human behavior, cannot shut it up. You can prohibit using it if you are in charge of a group. But that usually leads to people bypassing the prohibition to look cool. The only true way of getting such words out of other people's common vocabulary is to replace them. That happens automatically over time. What I would like to see from ANet is a 'custom' option for the profanity-filter. It could access a .txt file in the GW2 folder and block all words which are in that file. This feature would solve a lot of problems and make a lot of people very happy. Most people I have met do not use the profanity filter, because it blocks too much. But a customizable version could work out. I gonna add it to the QOL thread as well. Chances are low that they do it, but it is worth a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGrimm.5624 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 (edited) 12 hours ago, TaurusZA.5493 said: Hi everyone Almost every day when I play this game, I see some mechanic or boss or map described as "kitten" by players in map chat. As someone living with kitten and who has lost several people close to me to this terrible disease, I can assure you that the Triple Trouble Wurm, the Sunqua Peak fractal and the Serpent's Ire meta-event are definitely nowhere near what real kitten is, and are infinitely preferable to the realities of chemotherapy, hospital admissions, debilitating fatigue, side effects, anxiety and fear that real kitten patients experience. I believe in free speech and wouldn't report or cancel someone for anything they say, but I want to draw awareness to this and the impact that it has on people living with this awful disease. I'm sure that most people will just laugh at this post and tell me to suck it up - for those of you that can't understand my point, I really, really hope you never have to experience this dreadful disease. But if this gets at least one person to stop using that term to describe annoying things in the game, then it has done its job. Thoughts are with you. Been there done that. Had a player in WvW whisper me I hope you die of kitten. Since they didn't block me after the whispered I replied I was. Had gone thru surgery and was going thru radiation at the time. Got a reply what so I told them. After a conversation they actually came back with a sorry, hadn't really thought about the word as a condition. Told them I was sorry I frustrated them by whatever I had done and hope they had better hunting. And recommended not to add it to their bucket list, choose skydiving or such instead. Edited October 4, 2023 by TheGrimm.5624 spelling 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGrimm.5624 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 2 hours ago, SnackParty.3178 said: Can we talk about the kitten home instance, collection? Yes it's worth going after, and remember Halloween is coming up if you don't have ghost kitty yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthan.5236 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 I think it is pretty common nowadays - not only used in gaming. As long as they do not use it to attack other people ... but just do describe that they do not like certain stuff ... it is okay. If ArenaNet thinks it is super bad - they should put a filter in the game for it. But it is not necessary to punish people for using it. In most cases ignoring it should just be fine. Afaik it is usually used for stuff that you really hate. Not just dislike a little bit. Similar like "toxic" nowadays is overused and used with a different (wrong) meaning. I mean a person that you call toxic does not even have toxines usually. You just don't like them. Wiktionary explains the word this thread is about as slang for "Extremely unpleasant and annoying." 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teknomancer.4895 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 1 hour ago, TheGrimm.5624 said: Yes it's worth going after, and remember Halloween is coming up if you don't have ghost kitty yet. This one is so underwhelming, it just stands in some out of the way spot. Doesn't move doesn't do anything, just stands there in a blue mist. I keep hoping the black ones will start hitting it with their snowball fight or something, but they never go near. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy.5981 Posted October 4, 2023 Share Posted October 4, 2023 (edited) As someone who has lost two Grandparents, a Cousin, an Aunt, my Mum and is currently supporting my Dad during treatment for this type of illness I do understand where the OP is coming from. However personally I'm not going to lose any sleep over someone whom I will never meet using the word in a context that they may have no experience of. Life is too short to put up with this sort of kitten and there are greater things to worry about. Edited October 4, 2023 by Andy.5981 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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