
Google bans family cafe for offensive content for posting photo of British dish - wil421
https://reclaimthenet.org/google-bans-fannys-cafe-faggots-peas/
======
_bxg1
It's pretty understandable that they'd get flagged for the word as a result of
oversimplified heuristics. However, it should also be expected that there'd be
an appeals process for (inevitable) mistakes like this. But of course Google
declines to put any effort into that sort of thing, so here we are.

~~~
ajross
From the article it doesn't look like an appeal was even attempted, though. In
fact, it doesn't even look like the journalist herself tried to get a
statement from Google before publishing. Also, it's worth pointing out that
the headline is wrong. The cafe wasn't "banned", Google rejected an ad
purchase.

I think it's very reasonable to ding Google on bad customer service where they
won't provide it. But you still need to ask for that service first.

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pwinnski
The irony of banning a UK ad because a word is offensive in the US, while
letting other ads for the same place which name includes a word offensive in
the UK (but not the US), is delicious.

The internet is American, apparently.

~~~
inflatableDodo
> includes a word offensive in the UK

In the UK, 'fanny' is pretty much the least offensive term for female genitals
available, other than vagina, however vagina is considered a bit clinical. A
friend of mine uses the term 'foo-foo' instead, which I find hysterically
funny.

~~~
carlmr
>A friend of mine uses the term 'foo-foo' instead, which I find hysterically
funny.

Are they French by any chance? The French have the word foufoune. (pronounced
foo-foon)

~~~
inflatableDodo
I didn't know that, thanks. That is probably where she has got it from. She's
English, however her partner is French but grew up in the UK.

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metalliqaz
It's pretty clear who will win this one. Google. Even though the word isn't a
pejorative in England, it will disappear because online it's status in the US
is what matters.

~~~
faceplanted
Faggot is still a pejorative in the UK, it's just _also_ a food.

~~~
hprotagonist
And also (by way of `fascis`), a bundle of wood.

Quoting etymonline.com here,

 _The explanation that male homosexuals were called faggots because they were
burned at the stake as punishment is an etymological urban legend. Burning
sometimes was a punishment meted out to homosexuals in Christian Europe (on
the suggestion of the Biblical fate of Sodom and Gomorrah), but in England,
where parliament had made homosexuality a capital offense in 1533, hanging was
the method prescribed. Use of faggot in connection with public executions had
long been obscure English historical trivia by the time the word began to be
used for "male homosexual" in 20th century American slang, whereas the
contemptuous slang word for "woman" (in common with the other possible sources
or influences listed here) was in active use early 20c., by D.H. Lawrence and
James Joyce, among others._

[https://www.etymonline.com/word/faggot#etymonline_v_1077](https://www.etymonline.com/word/faggot#etymonline_v_1077)

------
Nursie
For Americans....

In this case Faggots are basically big meatballs made from the cheaper cuts of
meat as well as some liver. I guess think meatloaf, but in ball form. Same
sort economic niche, not a poverty food but something for people on a budget.

Usually served with peas and thick, brown onion gravy. Can be a pretty good,
hearty meal. It's years since I've had it though, as it's not really from my
region.

~~~
DanBC
For some reason the HN software killed your other comment in this thread. This
one:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20920071](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20920071)

I vouched for it, but I have no idea if my vouches count for anything.

~~~
Nursie
That's pretty ironic :)

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GuB-42
Google algorithms could use some improvement... Searching for "faggots and
peas" in Google correctly identifies the dish. Even the urban dictionary
(linked by Google) describes the dish first. Looks like they went with a
simple word list rather than use their own engine.

Or maybe Google finds the dish itself offensive, a recurring theme with
British cuisine :)

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Digit-Al
This seems odd to me. With products such as Translate Google is investing a
lot of time and money into understanding context in language. (I imagine it's
helpful for search as well.) It seems inconceivable that their "context
engine" could misunderstand "faggots and peas" considering a Google search for
that gives many valid results, and it seems unlikely that they wouldn't apply
such context understanding across their product line.

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting it's not true, I'm just puzzled as to how
it could happen.

~~~
scarejunba
Even in a 200 person company there are often product inconsistencies. Think
about how you'd build this thing in a minimal way. You wouldn't "integrate
with the context-aware Translate or Search API", you'd "just build a blacklist
and improve it if necessary". It's not at all unbelievable.

------
hprotagonist
the scunthorpe problem will never die.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_problem)

------
nullc
I was expecting spotted dick.

~~~
Digit-Al
Ditto.

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goatinaboat
I am reminded of the conference NIPS being forced to re-brand because the word
“nips” is offensive apparently. It’s not been used as a racial pejorative
since the 1940s. A nip is a synonym for a wee dram, over here, if it means
anything at all. Or an abbreviation of catnip perhaps.

~~~
hprotagonist
and IIRC the hubbub was over "nip -> nipple" anyway.

~~~
goatinaboat
Scraping the very bottom of the outrage barrel. Oops I said bottom!

It worked though, the NIPS organisers rolled over straight away. Just what you
want in people who might need to make an ethical stand over abuse of their
work.

------
microtherion
When I read the headline, my first guess was that this was about Spotted Dick.

~~~
walshemj
I bet Nigella Lawson has the similar problem on her cookery sites :-)

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iron0013
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a site that was more transparently a propaganda
operation than reclaimthenet.org

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julienreszka
I would be infuriated if something like this happened to my business. Is this
real? It looks like a joke.

~~~
vmilner
See also (2013)

[https://metro.co.uk/2013/11/06/faggots-firm-fights-for-
its-f...](https://metro.co.uk/2013/11/06/faggots-firm-fights-for-its-food-on-
facebook-4176812/)

------
FearNotDaniel
This reads like the kind of anti-European 'outrage' the Daily Mail has been
spouting for the last 30 years or so. I suppose they have to find a new target
now. Google is the new EU?

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jrochkind1
In 2019, I have to wonder if in fact someone knew exactly what they were
doing, and engineering this controversy.

OK, but probably not. (Is "faggot" not actually a pejorative for gay in the
UK?) But the question should at least be entertained.

~~~
ghostbrainalpha
I think your original intuition might be right.

I've been to Fanny's and ordered this dish. It was nothing special, and
definitely not ad worthy, unless some marketing company is literally making
ads out of every single thing on the menu.

Edit: Apparently my pallet is wrong. The Faggots received several positive
mentions on the Trip Adviser Page, so it may make sense to promote that as a
featured item.

[https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186463-d33610...](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186463-d3361001-Reviews-
Fanny_s_Rest_Stop-Newport_South_Wales_Wales.html)

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zer0faith
I'd be curious to know if this was found by a algorithm or a person.

~~~
mark-r
Since we're talking about Google, it's 99.999% likely to be an algorithm.

