A mini-note about language on the forum

[Seaside]

I once heard a soldier singing a song with a couple of lines that went like this:

"I put my hand upon her twat
She said "G.I., you hit the spot!'"

My favorite insult is from Stephen King, as follows:

"You asshole-licking toilet-hound!"

[tipsy]

stu, i say swear all you f***ing want, cause a couple of months ago when i joined, i googled the words "vegan" and "message boards" and this was like number two or three on the list that popped up!

so i say F*** that S***!!

[Seaside]

Hmmm, I'm pretty easygoing but I really don't like it when people mispell the word "count". Maybe it sounds better when pronounced in a different accent?

[Korn]

I think any cunt who is small-minded enough to be offended by swearing, can **** off.

The reason we ask people to moderate their language a bit, is that we don't want to people leave because of offensive language. Now, what people find offensive and not is definitely subjective, and we don't censor swear words anymore (haven't done that for quite a while), but probably would - if a lot of people would have used a language that many others found offensive.

When a post is being responded to on a public forum, not only the person we respond to is reading that message is reading it, but dozens - if not hundreds - of others are too.

If you're an atheist and talk with another atheist and you write that Jesus or Krishna was a ****, then maybe the person you talk with will agree, but these posts will also be read by people who will 'observe' this language in the same way as if he would have done if you were sitting around the same table in real life. He (which may be a Christian or a Hindu) will therefore feel that you told him that you think that Jesus or Krishna was a ****, and find the statement offensive, since he is a Christian or Hindu and therefore have a very different relationship to Krishna or Jesus than these posters. Maybe he isn't even offended by what they write, but wonder if it's needed to use such a language since we have all kinds of people in here.

That's why we ask people to post as if they were not 'talking' only with one person, but also with people who may find their language offensive.

Personally, I don't think it has so much to do with being small-minded, but with the fact that we are more or less trained to react differently.

Some people are offended by language, and some people are offended by being asked to moderate their language. If you belong to the latter category, please don't think of it as your language is being censored (it isn't), but as a way to make more people feel at home here than they would if we would have a lot of swearing. We don't - we probably have less use of ****-words than any average TV-station, so I don't see language as a problem here - but that's probably partially because people basically moderate themselves a bit.

I've been touring with people using a language that makes eg. Stu's (occasional) use of words appear as coming from a Catholic monk of the highest order, and I'm not offended by these words... but I am glad people generally use a language here that doesn't cause a lot of potential vegans/members etc. to run away.

[horselesspaul]

I use alternate characters to avoid some people's company work machine language filters, rather that to avoid offense, in the hope that I can express myself fully without ruling out the participation of others.
M@nchester C*ty, L*verp00l ...there, just like that.

[Korn]

M@nchester C*ty, L*verp00l ...there, just like that.

I missed that one. :-D

[horselesspaul]

I'm pretty limited in my life interests...

[Festered]

Ah, nothing like a sweeping generalisation to start the day, eh?
So anyone who uses a swear word, is implicitly short on vocabulary. Wow.

Well now it's my turn to make a sweeping generalisation. Anybody who allows themselves to be offended by meaningless swear words, must have been brought up in a cardboard box, and have no concept of reality nor priority.

My vocabulary is pretty good. More comprehensive than most, I reckon. I use swear words. They are a part of my vocabulary. If I was to censor them out of my use of the language, I would in fact be disrespecting any intelligent, free-thinking individual who reads or hears it. If anyone feels disrespected by it, then good. I have no respect for such idiots.

And I was not "raised with that sort of language". I always got in big trouble if I swore at home. But I choose to swear.
And all this "grow up" nonsense... What in God's name is that all about? Do you have to stop swearing when you reach a certain age? No (in fact, I started). Is swearing a sign of immaturity? No (except to small-minded bigots).

My grandmother said a similar thing to me the last time I saw her, when I said I see nothing wrong with swearing whilst in an informal environment. I wouldn't do it in say, a work meeting or whilst out for a posh dinner or the like.
She said it's a sign of a limited vocabulary to which I replied by reminding her I have written two theses to first grade standard and have a Master's degree in social sciences which requires the vocabulary of a wordsmith. So she could stick the lack of vocab theory up her ****ing arse.