Profanity, Language and Threads - ALL members READ

[Jeff1857]

Recently, the Admins have received several complaints and have had several posts flagged for inappropriate language. We will be monitoring the posts more closely and any offensive remarks/language will be removed. Remember, what you think may be funny or not offensive MAY offend someone else. Thanks.....Jeff

[Granny B]

Ditto to Jeff's post.

One other thing we would like for you to remember.  Sometimes high school kids stumble onto the forum looking for information for debates, or classes.  Please remember that if it is language you do not want your children to hear, you should not be posting it on the forum.

Thanks

GoB

[Moh]

What about abbreviations like "wtf" and the flipping-the-bird emoticon? Are they also out of bounds?

[63Wildcat]

Think I'll stick to.... *&^*%&* in order to make my point from now on..

[JT]

If we're going to devolve into a politically-correct nanny community, then I think the admins should reintroduce the word filters.  So anybody who posts the word "f**k" has it censored to a bunch of asterisks by the filter.  Consequently, anything not filtered when posting can be considered permissible, and the onus of enforcing this rule lies with the administrators rather than on the uneven subjectivity of individual members.

The above instructions are simply too nebulous to deduce exactly what is and what is not permitted.  What I may consider to be acceptable might cause a thin-skinned individual (naming no names publicly, but I'm intelligent enough to figure out exactly who you are) to get their panties in a wad.  If we are going to cater to the lowest common denominator, we need to know specifically what offends the aforementioned lowest common denominator.

So let's hear it, Mr Denominator.  What gets your panties in a wad?

[Granny B]

What about abbreviations like "wtf" and the flipping-the-bird emoticon? Are they also out of bounds?

No

Think I'll stick to.... *&^*%&* in order to make my point from now on..

Great idea.

If we're going to devolve into a politically-correct nanny community, then I think the admins should reintroduce the word filters.  So anybody who posts the word "f**k" has it censored to a bunch of asterisks by the filter.  Consequently, anything not filtered when posting can be considered permissible, and the onus of enforcing this rule lies with the administrators rather than on the uneven subjectivity of individual members.

The above instructions are simply too nebulous to deduce exactly what is and what is not permitted.  What I may consider to be acceptable might cause a thin-skinned individual (naming no names publicly, but I'm intelligent enough to figure out exactly who you are) to get their panties in a wad.  If we are going to cater to the lowest common denominator, we need to know specifically what offends the aforementioned lowest common denominator.

So let's hear it, Mr Denominator.  What gets your panties in a wad?

We shouldn't have to use the word filter.  You are an adult and know what words should be unacceptable, and which are not. 

I am included in the same above friendly request as are you.  I have done my share of using words that should be out of bounds.  I hereby resolve to filter myself.  And I am asking you all nicely to cooperate also.

JT, I personally know, you can make a hysterically funny point without the use of dirty language.

[JT]

We shouldn't have to use the word filter.  You are an adult and know what words should be unacceptable, and which are not. 

I am included in the same above friendly request as are you.  I have done my share of using words that should be out of bounds.  I hereby resolve to filter myself.  And I am asking you all nicely to cooperate also.

Your friendly request is entirely reasonable, but you never addressed one of my primary points.  The administration of this rule will be fraught with inconsistencies.  We all have different definitions of what is "unacceptable," and therefore what is "out of bounds" and what is not.  Whose definition are we following?  Yours or mine?  Or will we be kowtowing to every whiny ass who sends Jeff a sniveling email moaning about JT's profanity?  If we go down that route, the goalposts will shift so frequently that it will entirely impossible to express an opinion, valid or otherwise, without the possibility of stepping on somebody's toes.  Do the administrators consider it justifiable to stymie discussion (and that IS inevitable, eventually) to appease a few thin-skinned newcomers?  Encroachments such as these do not recede; they only continue encroaching.

I will self-moderate on the basis of what I consider to be acceptable, unless and until I receive alternative direction.  In my opinion, it would be farcical to forbid the words "WTF" or "azzhole" (peculiarly, the word filter still censors the proper spelling) or "bollocks."  Four-letter words, as demonstrated by Jeff's edit of my previous post, are already verboten.

One other question: what becomes of the Armageddon forum?  By definition, that is a no-holds-barred area.  As it is restricted to members only, kindergarten brats perusing the internet for research purposes (as the basis of a new crayon drawing, perhaps) cannot access it.  I believe it should not be affected by this diktat.

JT, I personally know, you can make a hysterically funny point without the use of dirty language.

Usually, yes.

[Michael]

Hi JT,

you´re a sensitive, well educated man and a talented speaker. I´ll bet you need just a few seconds of reading/listening to see which speach is adequate. I don´t think that we need a large topic with all the words we shouldn´t use in our posts.

BTW - do you use the word "verboten" normaly? It´s a german word.

Michael

[Granny B]

We shouldn't have to use the word filter.  You are an adult and know what words should be unacceptable, and which are not. 

I am included in the same above friendly request as are you.  I have done my share of using words that should be out of bounds.  I hereby resolve to filter myself.  And I am asking you all nicely to cooperate also.

Your friendly request is entirely reasonable, but you never addressed one of my primary points.  The administration of this rule will be fraught with inconsistencies.  We all have different definitions of what is "unacceptable," and therefore what is "out of bounds" and what is not.  Whose definition are we following?  Yours or mine?  Or will we be kowtowing to every whiny ass who sends Jeff a sniveling email moaning about JT's profanity?  If we go down that route, the goalposts will shift so frequently that it will entirely impossible to express an opinion, valid or otherwise, without the possibility of stepping on somebody's toes.  Do the administrators consider it justifiable to stymie discussion (and that IS inevitable, eventually) to appease a few thin-skinned newcomers?  Encroachments such as these do not recede; they only continue encroaching.

I will self-moderate on the basis of what I consider to be acceptable, unless and until I receive alternative direction.  In my opinion, it would be farcical to forbid the words "WTF" or "azzhole" (peculiarly, the word filter still censors the proper spelling) or "bollocks."  Four-letter words, as demonstrated by Jeff's edit of my previous post, are already verboten.

One other question: what becomes of the Armageddon forum?  By definition, that is a no-holds-barred area.  As it is restricted to members only, kindergarten brats perusing the internet for research purposes (as the basis of a new crayon drawing, perhaps) cannot access it.  I believe it should not be affected by this diktat.

JT, I personally know, you can make a hysterically funny point without the use of dirty language.

Usually, yes.

As I told Moh and you should have read it that way, WTF, in that form and the fingers emoticon are not off limits.  If the  was off limits then it would not be made available to the forum members.  Capiche?

As far as spelling it azzhole, I don't have a problem with it either.  You will have to ask Jeff on that one.  I usually use this  hole  or  es as my epression of it.  Maybe that offends people too, but I will continue to use it myself.  It gets the point across.  And I will continue to use  to express the other. 

I am not lily white, but I do try to be a little humorous with some of it, without being quite so profane.

As to Armageddon, read the rules for Armageddon. Whatever it says goes. I really don't know if guests can get into Armageddon or not.  That would be a Jeff or Pamee question.  Feel free to pm them about it.

Hi JT,

you´re a sensitive, well educated man and a talented speaker. I´ll bet you need just a few seconds of reading/listening to see which speach is adequate. I don´t think that we need a large topic with all the words we shouldn´t use in our posts.

BTW - do you use the word "verboten" normaly? It´s a german word.

Michael

    Actually Michael, when I wrote the first draft of my original post on this thread, I used the word verboten in it.  Then I rethought it, because I believe it means forbidden in German, and declined to use it, because I don't believe we are really forbidding anything here.  We are just asking for cooperation in cleaning up the language a little, without losing the individual flavor of personal interaction and debate.

[Michael]

You´re right GoB verboten means forbidden. Sometimes it´s interesting how some words "conquer" the world. 

Michael

[JeffB]

Sometimes it´s interesting how some words "conquer" the world. 

Exactly Michael..  Heck, until recently I never heard the word Bollocks...   

[63Wildcat]

How about the phrase... "Sod it all" ?    Those of you who have been to England should know that one.

[Granny B]

How about the phrase... "Sod it all" ?    Those of you who have been to England should know that one.

You might as well ask about "bloody hell" while you are at it.

[vikkiw47]

Gee it is amazing how much one can learn on this site!!! 

[JulieJS33]

  Actually Michael, when I wrote the first draft of my original post on this thread, I used the word verboten in it.  Then I rethought it, because I believe it means forbidden in German, and declined to use it, because I don't believe we are really forbidding anything here.  We are just asking for cooperation in cleaning up the language a little, without losing the individual flavor of personal interaction and debate.

WELL...  This just does NOT suprise me at all!  BTW...  If you haven't noticed, my mother has a huge vocabulary and isn't afraid to use it!       Sometimes we had to look at her and say...      I had to walk around with a pocket dictionary growing up.    How many times did I ask her what a word meant and she said, "LOOK IT UP!" 
(BTW...   There was NO internet when we had to do that.  It was Websters Dictionary all the way!" 

And the use of profanity was explained to me as this... 
Those who use profanity to express their thoughts just shows their lack of vocabulary.  They substitute a profane word instead of the word(s) they really should use.  There are plenty of adjectives to use to get your strong point across that are not profane.