Censorship

[solana]

point made

[meadow]

pilvikki: i didn't miss it at all. i hear and read it loud and clear. i'm allowed to voice my opinions, no? i'm allowed to bring up other issues related to this discussion, am i not?

solana: seriously, point made about you as well.

[Bedford]

The problem with replacement of cuss words is that the filter needs to be better. I once belonged to a website that had roosterroachs and roostery instead of cockroachs and cocky.

[meadow]

of course the real solution to that is we all act like adults, get over ourselves and use whatever words we feel necessary to express ourselves. but that would require being actual adults and then acting like it.

i don't see that happening.

i think the filter should just be a serious of nonsense symbols if it's gonna 'filter' anything.

[Flawless]

you don't like cussing? don't read it. period.

Actually, to be honest meadow, I normally don't read your posts, like, at all...So I will continue to follow your advice.

However, what I don't think you understand is that every time you make a post and you are cussing you are representing BF. We have visitors here all the time, many of them from other Q&A sites that they might not have felt welcome at and then they come here and see you cussing up a storm and complaining about people thinking you should tone it down a bit and then flameing that person (or people in some cases) and then what would they want to do with BF? They would just see it as another CS or AIH and whatnot and wouldn't want anything to do with this place. I know that if I was just a random visitor and I was going through the posts and came across yours I wouldn't have anything to do with BF.

[meadow]

Flawless: first of all, i'm not the only one who cusses. so stop singling me out in this. second, i'm not really interested in what people i don't even KNOW or have ever heard of think of me. if i did that i would be a people pleaser and that is my worst nightmare by far.

if someone is offended by the odd fuck or shit in the forum? well.... i would tend to think that maybe they probably couldn't handle life here at BF. cause i don't ever have to cuss to get my point across but life without cussing is like life without sex or chocolate. what's the point?

you certainly have every right to voice what you see. but i'm not going to sit here and have a bunch of people try to dictate my behavior as an adult to me. period. i'm an ADULT and don't really enjoy people telling me what to do. i don't let anyone in real life ever TELL me what to do. my dad? nope. boss? hell no. The Man? definitely not!

i'm really wondering just how many "visitors" we actually manage to get. i doubt it's some kind of massive deluge of people like everyone is trying to make it appear to be. i'm not interested in having even more people here who are two faced, backstabbing, pussyfooting and only want to "play nice" at all costs. that's boring, it makes life very uninteresting and will turn this joint into a total snoozefest.

[Sarah]

If this suggestion becomes a rule, what happens if I say the F word in the random thoughts forum? Does the post get deleted?

I find it hard to believe that people refuse to join/are leaving due to some cussing... really? I don't like it in excessive amounts, but I think if anything is driving people away it is the bickering that keeps popping up more and more, and not one's personal vocabulary preferences. I respect this suggestion, I really do, but I don't see anything wrong with the occasional swear in a post if it helps convey how the person is truly feeling.

[Silke]

Rings in the water. There really wasn´t much bickering to start with, but it came more and more with cursing because, belive it or not, some people get offended by it. Right or wrong I won´t say, but some people do. Some people love cussing, and again; right or wrong I won´t say.

Should we respect the people who get offended, and stop, or should we respect the cusser´s right to cuss?

So far no one is dictating anyone, meadow. It is a descussion about a rule that might be where everyone say what is on their minds.

Solana is right; some people have been attacked for their opinions. A good rule to descussion is to attack the opinion, not the person uttering it. Sentences like "I don´t agree because - " is better than "thinking that is fucking stupid because -".

Flawless is right; all of us represent BF to visitors, and I for one wouldn´t be here if I came by the site today. I´m staying, sure, but as fights evolve it get´s less intresting. I won´t say I´m not to blame, I´ve been bickering as well and probably should have taken it to PM´s to get my steam off instead of continuing in public to make the enviroment worse for all. Sorry.

Point is however, reducing cussing, chursing and swearing to some fourums as is suggested is a win/win situation. People who want to swear get to swear, people who thinks it ruins conversations don´t have their conversations ruined.

And as to censorship, mabey just delite the word. There would be huge gramatical errors in the sentences, sure, but a f**k doesn´t get ridd of swearing.

[Valleysailor]

I have read every post on this discussion. I have a pretty good mental image of most of the people here, and I hope after all this time, most of you have a pretty good mental image of me as well.
Most of you already know that I work for the high Court and therefore, my language is proper all day, every day. Foul language? I can take it or leave it. My husband is a construction worker, so there is no level of cussing I have not been exposed to. It does not offend my delicate sensitive nature. I have been known to let the F-bomb fly from time to time, but mostly find that I am quite capable of making my point with my other vocabulary skills. If I am on a website and the cussing, or the negativity, or whatever were to offend me, I would use the click button that most all computers have and find somewhere else to go. No one is being held here or anywhere on the internet against their will. If you don't like what you read, use your back button and look at something else. Have we become so politically correct in this world that people are afraid to express their opinion even if that includes the occasional expletive? Have we become so sensitive in our political correctness that we must have filters to change a word so that our eyes not even glimpse it? Ahhh, if only the world were truly so perfect...

I would not leave this site because meadow likes to cuss. I would not leave it because whiffey likes to insult people. I would not leave it because MargeC can be an antagonist. I would not even leave it because Bedford in his delusional manner of thinking really believes he is a penguin and immortal. I came to this site because Yogi is a nice guy and he made a nice place here for people to come and enjoy themselves. I stay because of nice people like Haysi, Sandra, ST Vandal, ohlea, bea, Messy, and the others who have befriended me here. You know who you are. And my personal opinion is if you don't like what you find here, go back to school and get your degree at the same university I graduated from -- Screw U!

[brandtrn]

As always, VS has expressed herself beautifully...and, I agree with every single word she said on this subject.

[haysi]

There are definitely posts and threads that I dont like however I will tend to ignore them. I find some swearing funny but at other times it becomes rather innocous and loses its ferocity.

I think that most people accept that swearing and profanity is part of adult life however they have the right to be offended by it if they so wish.

As for people not joining Brainformation because of swearing or because of any particular reason, I am not convinced on that one. I imagine that most people who join this site have a friend or buddy who is a member. Either that or they were looking for information about BRAS

[meadow]

and that is why VS is one of my all time favorite people, period. not just on the Internets, but in real life.

very well said, hot momma. and i agree with EVERYTHING you say!

[pilvikki]

for people to come and enjoy themselves.

right. and if i don't enjoy the swearing and bickering i'm free to take my leave?

sigh. how do i know what is in a post before i read it? meadow and i agree on many things, violently disagree on others. nothing wrong with that, i often disagree with skinjob, bedford et al, but there is a point when it gets personal and that's when the whole thing falls apart.

swearing is no big deal per se. anybody can do that. like getting pregnant, a large segment of society can, but decides to refrain from it for whatever reasons.

i like variety and discussion, and many a time have agreed to disagree without any ill will. i just prefer disagreements on what i consider ADULT level, not what someone else considers ADULT level. and when i speak up, i'm being irritating, but good for me for finally having the guts to open my mouth. yay. if i say nothing, i'm a wimp.

so i can't win.

and the reason i'm still here being irritable and crabby is because i like most people here even they're irritable and crabby; it all depends how it's worded.

why don't we just go for a vote: how many of us enjoy backbiting, name calling, juvenile language, and endless me-me-me and my rights-my rights-my rights-my fucking rights!!!

[solana]

extremely well said P


I agree with every word.....

and

as for the vote?

why don't we just go for a vote: how many of us enjoy backbiting, name calling, juvenile language, and endless me-me-me and my rights-my rights-my rights-my fucking rights!!!

( among other things...)

I do not..

[meadow]

and again: it's not all about me. but i feel that if more people on this forum took the stance i do...this wouldn't even be a damn issue. i respect a lot of people here that i don't necessarily like most of the time.

i don't understand how choosing to act like adults is so hard? really. i literally read every single thing posted on this forum. including the crap that makes me want to punch that person in the face. and i walk away much, much more than i don't. but they still have the absolute right to post their stuff! even if i hate that person with a passion, they still got a right to post it. and i can choose to either ignore it, respond to something specific about one part of it or i can tell them that i think they are a raving fucking idiot.

it's all about choice and being an adult. and sometimes as an adult, i choose to express myself in a way that other people might not like. oh well. there are plenty here that choose to express their thoughts in a manner i find wimpy, pussyfooting and full of snide innuendo. they choose to not really express themselves but play the politically correct card or the "i don't want to hurt precious feelings!" card. i find both stupid, irritating and pointless.

but guess what? they can still feel free to post that all they want. i don't like it but i'm not the only person on this forum. i support everyone on this forum to express themselves fully, even if it's not "polite" or "nice" or is full of expletetives. in fact, those are the ones i love the best. even if i don't agree, i love seeing someone just get all passionate and pissed off, no matter what subject is at hand.

i don't ever back-bite or back-stab. i've managed to discover most of those 'guilty' of that tend to be thought of as 'nice' and people who don't rock the boat. yeah, cause they are talking shit behind everyone's back. i might name-call but i'll do it to your face at least. i've got enough respect to make sure you know it's me doing it and not leave it to an assumption!!!!! so don't mistake name calling for back-biting. they aren't the same thing at all.

i'm fighting for EVERYONE'S RIGHT TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES AS THEY SEE FIT AS WE ARE ALL GROWN ASS PEOPLE. not just me, but EVERYONE.

i just happen to not enjoy having people i don't know and probably don't like dictating to me how my behavior should be and what it should entail. i don't do that to you...don't do it to me. period!

[Bedford]

In other words, Meadow doesn't want anyone to criticize her boorish behavior.

[solana]

[threenorns]

anybody who knows me knows there's usually a blue cloud floating aroud my head.

however, i think that only meadow should be allowed to swear for three reasons:

1. i find myself much less inclined to do so lest ppl confuse my posts with hers (since hers are easily as long as many of mine tend to be, even if the actual content is much less).

2. i don't NEED to use profanity to tear a strip off someone. i have an IQ and a vocabulary and a great mental collection of quotable quotes that do the job in a much more creative and inventive way.

3. she seems to have a driving need to sound like a refugee from the worst slum in the world, so let her be happy.


btw: in all this blatherig about "free speech", too often is forgotten that one's right to free speech ends where another's rights begin.

[Silke]

why don't we just go for a vote: how many of us enjoy backbiting, name calling, juvenile language, and endless me-me-me and my rights-my rights-my rights-my fucking rights!!!

I don´t. And as threenorns said: the right to free speach ends where other right begin. Free speach doesn´t give anyone the right of namecalling or insult; to your face or behind it. Need to say what needs to be said? Everything can be said without those things, so saying things whatever way it needs to be said is frankly no argument. Try a few other ways first. And meadow; this might be closely related to what you are saying but is no attack at your behaviour spesificly. it goes for all (me included).

[threenorns]

now there's my point: when was the last time someone had to include a disclaimer in their post?