Forum Decorum... Total lack of it!!!!

Originally posted by orfeo
I suppose that I will accept that swearing isn't necessarily deleterious to society. If we could eliminate all the usage around here that's aimed at putting someone down, I'd be happier.

You're right that I object to the 'content' in one sense. I object to the tone that is conveyed by it. You (generic) choose to use a swear word instead of an ordin ...[text shortened]... ed. I laughed, because the usage was witty and couldn't have been achieved with any other word.

Well that's cool, orfeo.

One last thing though.

What I'm saying is that I think the attitude being expressed is not really a helpful one, especially in a Debates forum.

Must all of our posts be helpful? I am right there with you that we should consider how we speak to people ('naughty' words or no), and I completely agree that language can set a tone or mood and that we should strive to create an appropriate one. Still, isn't there some room for a little crassness?

My wife, my daughter (4), and myself love our colorful language. In fact, we are bilingual verbal artists! I just wanted to get in here and counter the idea that the frequency of profanity used in a person's speech makes a strong estimator of a person's intelligence or education.

most of the time they're used as interchangeable adjectives

I know! Isn't that wonderful? What other kinds of words can get that kind of mileage? OK, besides pronouns. 🙂

Originally posted by RookRAK
Perhaps you are onto something! I wonder if anyone ever got a PhD by studying behavior in internet forums?

I dunno, is there any re$earch incentive?

Originally posted by Tirau Dan
Come on mods... do something.

The name calling and insults in here make adult debate a joke.
The same people, same egos, same arguements, same insults.
Every thread seems to be taken over by the commie haters and the wafflers.

So ...[text shortened]... was better controlled .. by the mods if necessary.

Good night.

Dan,

I agree with a lot of what you say, but I will not and can't tolerate the idea that we can't police ourselves. I have never tried to get a post removed and I don't see the point.

We are all over 13 here. Let the doo-doo hit the fan. It is just grist for the humor mill, or at least it could be if we all put our minds to the task.

Name calling is just a lack of ability to argue and think on ones feet. And it is really a good way to stretch the polemic of a potential debating foe. Nothing gets the dander up like a "chimpish" attack on what we identify as sacred, ie, our identity. Even fake and phony identities that we adopt for use in fantasy worlds like the internet.

So. Let er' rip, I say. No blood -- no foul. Just foul taste, maybe.

Mike