Language is a very is a very personal topic...but it's a complicated social phenomena. Different people will respond to different language in radically different ways.
As a "habitual swearer" (spend time with me personally and you'll hear all manner of expletives uttered except the "C" word that my wife does not allow me to use) I've learned that in a small, personal conversation, pretty much anything goes. However, in public, I've learned that there are lines one does not cross.
At one point, I did a workshop in NYC called Digital Imaging For Photographers. In the audience were New York City photogs–a lot of them my personal friends. During the workshop (since I was in front of my NYC friends) I liberally used the "F" word a lot...(some of my best friends were sitting in front and they "got it"). At the end of the day, one of the sponsors came up to me and said "ya know, I lost count of the number of times you said the "F" word before lunch. The count was 80 times...he told me something that day that has stuck with me ever since...if you have no self discipline in your language, you loose the attention of the audience. If you pick and choose when and if to use certain words, they actually garner more importance and have greater impact. If you say those word all the time, their meaning and value diminish.
After that discussion, I vowed to never say the "F" word when I was wearing a mic. Why? Because in almost all cases, the "F" word isn't needed if you can find an alternative. Saying the "F" word turns some people against you regardless of the audience (although inside of NYC it's less of a problem than the rest of the country).
Ever since, I've been very careful of the words I choose to use...and I literally quit using the "F" word in public. I found alternatives that were equally effective and weren't as socially unacceptable.
So, I became a master of using terms like "F'ing", "Friggin" and even tended to over-use "fracking" (which started as a reference to Battlestar Galactica before fracking became associated with a more derogatory anti-envoronmental terms for raping the earth to get oil & gas).
As an author, I can tell you that exactly what words you choose matter. You can choose to go full bore and type the entire actual "F" word (sorry, I'm not gonna do it) or you can choose to use alternative language. Yes, the alternatives get the same point across without the tendency to offend the listeners (or readers).
Is using a euphemism for a certain word the same as using the word? Of course not–otherwise we wouldn't have euphemisms. DOH...I mean if you don't understand the differences then your brain ain't working.
There are lines you can cross in private that you shouldn't cross in public (although with the recent brouhaha with the Clippers owner talking to his girlfriend, I'm not so sure what's private vs public).
LuLa is a public forum...when you type some words, they go out to the internet never to be removed. It's exists for ever...so, if you want to make a point, it behooves you to understand the implications of what you type.
You can type the full word or you can type the euphemism (or alternative words). Is there a different? For darn sure tooting...
Try using the full "N" word in public surrounded by black people and see if the full word and the euphemism, "N Word", results in different physical injuries.
Yeah the words you type here on LuLa make a difference...using a euphemism vs the actual words makes a world of difference. In once case (the euphemism) you are giving the reader a degree of respect that the euphemism is enough of an emphasis that you don't need to use the full typed word. Nobody should be upset with the euphemism, even if everybody knows the meaning...using the full typed word is a sign of disrespect to the reader.
So, you might wonder why me (as the "pit bull of LuLa") should be so offended by somebody actually typing out the full "F" word, I'll tell you...it shows a lack of respect for the community and the reader. Allowing that to continue brings down the value and usefulness of the community because to sends the forums down a dark, stinky hole.
If you don't have the creativity or language skills to get your meaning across without resorting to typing out words that offend, then we really don't need you around here IMHO.
Also, if you think that I'm a obnoxious arse (note I didn't type a$$), that's ok...I can live with that. I write aggressively...I don't take prisoners and I don't suffer fools graciously. But I don't do Ad Hominem attacks (as a general rule unless an Ad Hominem attack is first launched at me). I attack ideas...and yes, I'm pretty good at doing that, and yes that can piss people off (am I allowed to type piss?).
Look...some people loose control over their emotions when posting on line. I don't...I've been posting online since the very early AOL and Compuserve days...I get right up to the line, but try really hard not to cross lines.
And yes, I understand the irony that my complaining about somebody typing the "F" word lead to the closing of a thread...but that thread had died way before.
So, think before you type (I always do) and see if you can craft your language to get you point across without using offending language. I mean WTF? I know some people here are not native English speakers (and I congratulate then for the English–cause I can't read their native tongues–I'm just a dumb American).
LuLa is Mike's (and now Kev's) place...they set the rules. But it would be useful for everybody here to respect the LuLa community and do nothing to soil it.
To finish off my story about no "F" words when a mic is on (you never heard me say that on any of the LuLA videos). Epson wanted to tape an interview with me to promote one of the new printers with new inksets. The video would ONLY be used in-house and not shown publicly. The video director wanted me say "With this new Epson inkset, I'm upset because with the new inks, it means I'll need to reprint my whole friggin' portfolio (insert full "F" word here). Normally, I can get something in 2-3 takes...but since I had a mic on, I had a real hard time getting the line right. I kept fumbling over the "F" word...I was really upset but the Epson guy (the same guy that mentioned my 80+ "F" words before lunch) thought is was incredibly funny!
Come on folks...you all know better. Be careful what you type...it can't be undone (but it can be edited by the moderators if need be and I suspect it will be for the foreseeable future based on this latest locked thread).
