WARNING: Explicit TomTom Voices

[bobaloolie]

My letter to TomTom:

I have been browsing the Voices through the TomTom web browser, and must say I am shocked and disappointed. There was abusive and sexual language that my kids could have heard. There was no warning that there was explicit language in some of these voices.

Do you not screen the voices that you post there? Is TomTom not concerned about the dignity of its products, not to mention its customers?

I highly suggest you screen the Voices you post there, and mark them explicit for those whose minds require such input.

I am awaiting your response. I am still in a 30 day trial of your product, and am considering returning it if you do not reconsider the obscenity on your browser.

 

[baggss]

I was rather surprised that those made it there myself. I'm neither shocked nor offended, simply surprised that TT didn't think better about this.

 

[Smokiewolf]

I was rather surprised that those made it there myself. I'm neither shocked nor offended, simply surprised that TT didn't think better about this.

That suprises me too, in this age of political correctness...

 

[baggss]

I wonder if this has to do with the fact that TT is a European based company. Sometimes they don't get the American sense of morals/standards and in Europe I don't think those voice would cause a stir. Then again I could be completely out to lunch here.

 

[Smokiewolf]

I wonder if this has to do with the fact that TT is a European based company. Sometimes they don't get the American sense of morals/standards and in Europe I don't think those voice would cause a stir. Then again I could be completely out to lunch here.

Ya know, I was wondering the same thing! But you would think that the American division would have a cadre of american lawyers supervising!!!

 

[Pedro2NR]

those voices are owned by satnavvoices

 

[dawidgatti]

Eh people, get a life... kids? in the US kids use TomTom in their cars?

 

[bobaloolie]

Eh people, get a life... kids? in the US kids use TomTom in their cars?

Ya. All the more, then, TomTom's responsibility to keep their products moral.

 

[dawidgatti]

it is normal.

 

[bobaloolie]

it is normal.

Yup. That's the problem.

 

[SShadow]

Man, I had a long winded tirade that I've thought better than to post here (looks like it ended up almost as long, my apologies).

But I will sum it up by saying, if you don't want your kid(s) to hear something, don't download it. Or, here's a thought, if they do hear it, explain to them that it is foul language from someone who was not brought up correctly and proper people don't use that kind of language.
In this day and age your children will hear more cuss words by the time they're 5 years old than we did by the time we were 15. It's the way things are today.
But if you take the time to explain things to them, and explain right and wrong, then there should hopefully be no issue.
I'm the first to admit that I swear more often than I should, especially around my little guy. But we have sat him down and explained to him that it is not polite to say such words and that he is not allowed to decide those words until he is an adult (he's only 4 right now) and he understands.
I'm a firm believer of not hiding my child (soon to be 2 children) away from the "nasty" stuff of the world. I explain things to the best of my ability and I don't sugar coat anything. If they understand things, then they should better able to react in a correct and proper manner.
I am not trying to tell you how to raise your children, but you shouldn't be telling others how to manage their things either (IE telling TT to moderate their user submitted content.) It should be up to you to monitor your child.

Now before this starts a flame war, this is just my opinion, and you can take it or leave it - I don't want to start a fight. I'm waving the white flag before the first shot is fired at me!

 

[boren]

Why must your morals be everyone else's morals? Sshadow said it much more eloquantly than I could, thank you.

 

[bobaloolie]

Now before this starts a flame war, this is just my opinion, and you can take it or leave it - I don't want to start a fight. I'm waving the white flag before the first shot is fired at me!

No, this isn't the place for a moral debate---especially one where we say that society has no responsibility---only parents. It is quite clear what the fruit of your philosophy is: moral chaos.

What if TomTom and MTV and the sitcoms and Hollywood actually took moral responsibility for their content, focusing on truth and beauty rather than illusions and lust?

That's my point. TomTom... do the right thing, and label your Voices. Once you click on a voice, you're going to hear whatever that voice contains without warning. Put it another way: even Hollywood, television, and the music industry have the courtesy to label their products "Explicit."

I wish our culture would wake up and recognize that we have responsibility to one another---not just our kids. If we all imitated the Man in your icon, this world would be a better place.

 

[Thom]

First...

I have morals, but they differ from my neighbors. I think that any company that tried to cater to someone elses morals would soon find themselved without a product to offer.

I might not want the voices, but others may. It's like rap music to me. If someone wants to listen to it in the privacy of their car, who am I to say they cannot. Will it be on my stereo, Heck no...

Secondly..

If you think that your childern have never heard any of the language contained in the voices, think twice. Unless you keep them locked in their rooms with no TV, Internet and radio and home school them, they could probably teach you things that you've never heard of.

 

[bobaloolie]

First...

I have morals, but they differ from my neighbors.

Exactly. That's why TomTom should label the voices "Explicit", thereby respecting the various and obvious moral standards which exist in society.

What part of this is so difficult to understand??

And no... my children do not have free access to the internet nor television for the very reasons I've described above. They read books and play instruments and create a tonne of art.

 

[SShadow]

If we all imitated the Man in your icon, this world would be a better place.

Seems to me there were many wars started and fought because of (or in the name of) that Man. Just saying... I'm not getting into religious debate because there will never be a winner because you can't prove or disprove faith. It just is. (And for the record I am a non-practicing Roman Catholic. I'm not against believing, I'm against the organization of the religion/church itself. There is something out there - but an single, omnipotent being? Not likely.)

I agree, we should all be better people, be the best person you can be... But the final responsibility for raising our children is our own. We cannot expect society to raise our children - that is our job, and our job alone. You cannot (or should not) hide your child away from that society just because you don't agree with the things society says and does. Otherwise your child will get a shock one day and will not know how to handle the situation. (I keep saying Your Child... But I mean children in general - I cannot assume to know what you do or do not do with your child... I'm generalizing.)
If you don't want you child listening/watching what Hollywood and Television puts on the TV screen or the recording industry puts on their CDs, then don't let your child watch/listen to it. There are people out there that enjoy their "vices" and it is not up to you to decide for them what they want to watch/listen to.

That's all I'm saying. But, yes, it would seem prudent for TT to label their content as explicit - or have a warning appear prior to entry into the voices section. I will conceed that point. But removing the content because it is explicit I draw the line at.

 

[bobaloolie]

Seems to me there were many wars started and fought because of (or in the name of) that Man.

Jesus isn't starting wars, but stubborn, sinful human hearts. It's easy to blame God so we don't have to confront our own souls. It's also easy to turn a blind eye to the injustices of the world. Is it not unjust to expose unsuspecting folks to unwanted and explicit language? You can't protect your own children (like some of your are suggesting) if you have no idea what's coming at you!

Set aside this debate on children and parenting. I---an adult---did not want to hear the lustful and obscene voices that I clicked on. I was curious, hoping for a laugh, a brief moment of entertainment. It wasn't funny, it was offensive, and it ticked me off.

Thanks for recognizing the point here: label the Voices!

 

[SShadow]

I beleive the point I was making about the wars because of/in the name of him was that because of intolerance of others and their beliefs, these wars were started. Instead of being secure in your own beliefs and passing those beliefs to your children and allowing them to make up their own minds, weapons (whether words or steel) were picked up and hurled at people who did not believe the way they did.
I am a strong proponent against having someone else's beliefs/customs/whatever forced upon me. I believe that everyone should be able to believe what they want, and practice what they want as long as I am not forced into it as well. (Door to Door preachers REALLY get on my nerves... And renaming holidays so as to not offend - get a grip and skin, people...) Live and let live.

Thanks for recognizing the point here: label the Voices!

You're welcome, and I concur.

 

[bobaloolie]

I am a strong proponent against having someone else's beliefs/customs/whatever forced upon me.

As a Christian, this is also my belief. Christ never forced, nor does He now, salvation upon anyone. We have free will, a great gift... a powerful gift.

No, you are free to believe what you will. But I also believe that truth is truth, and that truth cannot be true today, and false tomorrow, otherwise it was never true to begin with. There are moral absolutes, written into our souls, into natural law. These are immutable, and from these truths, flow the moral law.

That's why even across cultures, we hold common moral absolutes among Christians, Muslims, Jews etc.

What does this have to do with GPS? Everything! Jesus came to us saying, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." He is the ultimate global positioning system of every soul.

That is the truth, and you are free to accept this or not....

 

[bobaloolie]

P.S. How long before the moderator tells us to move along, eh?... hee hee.