I'm not going to let online F-bombs upset me, but YMMV.

It's me that missed the point.

The OP is just asking nicely to take it down a notch. Instead, people come out swinging against the "word police" because they are already in combat mode, looking for perceived slights.

…and I apologize for the offense. I try to use it as a powerful emphasis, not as a usual part of my vocabulary . In any case, I apologize for any offense.

You may offend the word police

Oops, I've probably blown my limit already

Let’s not be assholes. It’s not that hard to understand that some people might be offended at posts filled with a barrage of F-bombs.

…doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

but it isn't a constant barrage either.

Occasionally, all of us get upset and this is the place where we can vent, this is the place where we can talk to what is, in a very real way, our family and trust that someone here understands.

And sometimes, that venting is profane.

Have you seen what's happening in the world? In our country? In the streets of our cities?

It is not a time for hearts and flowers.

...voicing theirs? We all have the right. Apart from the language the OP referred to, DUers can be pretty vicious to one another. I felt the post was a good reminder that there are a variety of sensibilities in our community and it won't hurt us to be aware of others. Call it "woke" if you want, but it helps make communities work better. This is a community that feels like family to a lot of people and we need that sense of belonging. But when we're deliberately insensitive or hateful, it damages the entire community.

And yes, all of us here have seen what's happening in the world. The OP wasn't referring to an occasional outburst triggered by outrage. They were referring to consistent spewing of language that is offensive to many as a course of normal communication.

You must have cap blindness.

But directing it at fellow DUers.

As my favorite protest sign says, “Only 6 weeks [at that time] into this administration and I’m using ‘fuck’ like it’s a comma.”

Please don’t go all word police on those of us who do use ALL CAPS and say FUCK FUCK FUCK a lot. There are a lot of cunty people (British usage) tearing down everything our country has functioned on for 250 years. Honestly, if you don’t like that we use lots of salty language about it, you might be on the wrong board.

We have a country in the worst trouble since the civil war. Need to concentrate on that. Not spelling, grammar, profanity

We're all adults here. I'll drop a fuck bomb when I deem appropriate, no offense.

You can always filter the thread titles out that use the words you find offensive.

And I get many don't care, and it's not even the word "fuck." It's the tone of some people's language as they speak to others, and when people belittle others I just don't get it.

I have many words filtered but sadly it only applies to titles. not the body of the text.

we have the ‘alert’ tab. When people are extremely rude, we use it.
The reality is that many people here are angry and frustrated by the inability to do more than vote, protest and try to educate neighbors. DU is a safe place to vent

...safe place to be hateful and abusive is another.

We have the alert tab

If that offends you, I don't care. We need to concentrate on the welfare of the country, not the sensitivities of absolutely everyone

I usually ignore the abusive ones on here most of the time, but it bugs me that they feel like can act all self righteous & above the site rules. We're all supposedly on the same team idk why some feel the need to be control freaks.

Civility
No personal attacks or flaming
Do not personally attack, insult, flame, threaten, bully, harass, stalk, negatively call-out, ascribe ugly ulterior motives to, or make baseless claims about any member of this community. Do not post in a manner that is hostile, abusive, or aggressive toward any member of this community.

The OP couched the thread mostly in terms of salty language, not civility. I one thousand percent agree with civility and don’t give two fucks about salty language. So which do we really mean in this thread? Maybe some clarification would help guide the discussion.

so i typed in a wrong letter for the first one: OSPD
and wondered why you would include Official Scrabble Players Dictionary

Giving you a rec because it's making me think.

It's not just the swearing, it's the blatant lack of respect.

And the name calling and the doubling and tripling down.

Thanks.

You get it, it seems to escape a few others.

...

I'm unclear what you are upset about. People using the words in reference to actions or policies by politicians, etc.., or people calling others out on this board by using profanity? Can you clarify this?

It's not the word "fuck" as a few here seem to think, and maybe that is simply my inability to adequately convey my thoughts, it certainly happens. It's the blatant disrespect, screaming at others and doubling down on it when challenged. I really hope people don't talk like that to others in their face to face conversations but who knows. It just strikes me that here, though while we share a diverse set of opinions, there seems little need to belittle and scream at others.

I suspect if these folks were in a room with the same people they are talking to here, they might be a bit kinder. I may very well be wrong.

because some people on here are sycophants. In their mind, no one they like in the real world can ever do wrong. Even when the vast majority of posters see that they do wrong, the sycophants vehemently defend them. It's no different than dealing with a cultist. That's the frustrating part for many on here, myself included.

is that what you mean?

I will probably continue to use the f-bomb, though it is ineloquent and crude. But please avail yourself of the alert button. No one should use profanity at another member on this board or abusive language. I do understand that people are very angry and upset about what is happening to our country.

Good morning. Fuck you I will have any type of morning I want to. In the south that was considered vulgar and trashy. Every culture is different.

it AMAZES me what offends people in the south and what does not

a study that said people who swear were more intelligent. But, wtf do I know?

that that study was conducted by people who swear.

Nevertheless, I don't mind being sensitive to those folks my language may offend.

Thanks for the laugh.

it doesn't fucking OFFEND me......LEARN HOW TO USE THE IGNORE FUNCTION

*edited to not use the word FUCKING twice

enables you to........purify your experience

And I wasn't lecturing despite what some would have others believe (the "word police" replies). I'm trying to understand why some opt for blatant disrespect and then double down when challenged on it. And yes, I have a few people on ignore and every now and then I remove them and hope things improve... in some cases they do, in others not so much. Enjoy the day.

'F..k.' I rarely use it.

If people don’t comport themselves to my standards, I simply place them on ignore. I can’t control their behavior, but I can exercise some control over my own experience.

It’s a “let go or be dragged” kind of thing for me.

as you can see from most of the responses all you get is more of what you were talking about, unfortunately.

Everyone is a comedian after all.

And it really wasn't about the word "fuck" which most seem to be responding to, it was about disrespect and doubling down when called on it. Oh well, onwards!

In a few minutes I will go into work and be surrounded by unbearable fools who don't think before running their mouths. To say anything in return is useless. If they could understand what part of what they say is foolish they wouldn't be saying it. I just keep my thoughts to myself all day.

Polite, well mannered, low key.
Not graphic, nitty gritty, full force stuff.

We are mostly older, smart, political junkies.
Not typically over the top kind of people.

Occasionally we get strong spice or energy, which is fine with me.

screaming into the void, dropping F-bombs on the universe. Dropping F-bombs on others on the forum and being otherwise disrespectful is against the TOS. I try to respect the generalized fury of others; if it's directed at me or others personally I ignore it, or alert if it's really nasty. Screaming in all-caps on a message board is mostly a harmless outlet for the angst a person might feel but can't express IRL.

You might wish to reread my post though, I was asking questions, not censoring anyone.

... your choice of words!" is still censorship. Stop being offended.

you do realize you are attempting to politely censor the OP, don't you? The OPs voicing their opinion is no different than all caps screeching and F-bombs flying. Why don't YOU and anyone else offended by the OPs post use the ignore feature?

... are attempting to censor me.

I'm suggesting any offense he feels comes out of himself. The words don't do shit to anyone anywhere, all umbrage is self induced. Stop being offended.

Just wondering if you’re serious .

Btw, the TOS requires polite censorship re how we speak to each other. Ignoring that condition for posting here is what you are talking about, right?

Alternatively, if it is unacceptable to ask for respect from each other, then I guess I can say that "Stop being offended" is the most clueless thing (from a Democrat) I will read all day (I hope).

As noted in my OP... it just makes no sense to me. But apparently that means I am censoring people, too touchy, word police, etc etc. Most people seem to understand what I meant, others just get offended. Go figure.

------

"I can't help but wonder if the way some people here speak to the rest of us... ALL CAPS, screaming at and belittling us, unable to stop using the word "fuck" in ALL CAPS... do you speak to people in your day to day, face to face existence in the same way?"

My grammar is better on DU than in RL, but that's about it. I would never want to bar people from using any particular words here. And as far as foul language goes, which ones are the really bad ones and which ones are more minor? It varies widely between different communities. But another thing to consider is maybe the problem isn't those offensive posts. Maybe we need to think about why exactly some words are such triggers for us.

Last edited Fri Nov 14, 2025, 12:35 AM - Edit history (3)

Then 14 years ago, I had a really shitty rubbish ;-/ job and found stress relief in swearing a lot and then it just stayed that way. (My mentor and his wife were decent-at least they were legitimately elite. The students were mostly mediocre douchebags who needed to be told to get over themselves.
You have to be blunt about these things.

In the future elites will need a lot of forgiveness and mediocre, elite-adjacent types will get way less than elites. As solidarity is the actually intelligent survival strategy of the non-elite or even the better elites. I had an elite mentor but was also civilized.
They thought I was “crazy” simply for being evolved enough to be disgusted. Thankfully they had me see a genuinely decent and civilized psychiatrist and therapist outside their sleazy school.
I have some sympathy for elites who are decent. Look at Dr Fauci. Being elite is not easy when you are decent since most so called elites are neither elite nor civilized and you can’t help knowing them you are elite. A problem we rabble will never face. I was very sympathetic to Dr Fauci. He was the best type of elite and they have to hard. )

I can no longer discuss some things, the tech industry (Google/Facebook/Musk/Palantir etc) for instance, without profanity. I am never rude or snarky to DUers and in fact even edited a mildly snippy post from a few days back. Public figures though are fair game in my book since I will never be in the same room with them .

I try to rein it in for different reasons than those you mentioned though luv2fly. Social media and the industries I consider a tumor on society cash in on anything spectacular or clickbaity - something I do disapprove of. Conflict, drama, theatre etc drive engagement of the lowest common denominator kind and I want those industries (reality tv, influencing etc) to die. So being the change even though in a different context works for me. DU is an old school message board. My hope is that only boards like these-much closer to the old web-survive AI. Social media, influencing etc should die except for celebrities/politicians/journalists and people who cannot be anonymous as that’s the nature of those professions.
I never want the irl and online worlds to blur. That’s what got us here.

Another dynamic of the web or of hostile and unprofessional workplaces I hate is mobbing/gossip. I never liked it even wrt causes I support. I take on anyone solo myself to avoid the dynamics of bullying. One person, their sanity and their rights they get from the state (which are not subject to popularity contests) and navigating stupid newer contexts as best as one can . I hate the dynamics of bullying. Besides it is craven. I am anonymous because only really annoying people are out there for no reason. But not to harass like keyboard bullies.

Put them on Ignore and go on with your life.

Never at a DU'r. At least, not yet - but highly unlikely bc of 1) our rules, 2) I'd have be really aggravated, and that's never happened here, 3) typing vs talking gives me time to pause, etc. I just got mildly snippy at some one here recently. Hadn't happened before.

My "F words" go towards very nasty, terribe, despicable, hideous actions certain people are doing in our country, or around the world!

Sometimes, I use "effing", "effin' " instead - to reduce it, or in the sense of a holding back manner.

If you're offended for any use of it, what can I say. Well, we're adults here, many/most adults curse at times. Read it's even psychologically useful at times.

It's about how a few people scream at others and disrespect them and I suspect this is not how they treat people in face to face conversations. At least I hope not.

Don't know if I've seen those. Or few enough not "to stick" in my memory.

There are a few precious souls who can get away with this way of talking; maybe it's because they temper it with humour and kindness, But a steady stream of invective, using base language? Not for me. It get's really old. Makes me think of some of the notable TV series over the past few year. I swear, they paid the writers for nothing. Not interested in a steady stream of 'Fuck you', 'Fuck you yourself'. Maybe it's a Gen z thing.

We all know that language evolves. The way things are going, so many words are becoming dispensabe, made redundant by single, all-purpose words that lack subtleties. Anything not effective? Broken. Anything unpleasant? Evil. In much the same way that this laziness is curtailing our word use and watering down the meaning of what used to be perfectly effective words, swearing is being substituted for using a whole sentence to convey meaning.

Bottom line? It's cheap and it's lazy.

On Edit: Out of curiosity, I clicked on the 'Rec' box, just to see who had recced this thread. No surprises. Love you all.

Yet the realist in me suspects not much will change as evidenced by some of the replies to my OP.

And people telling me to learn how to use the ignore function...

Perhaps one of the most interesting and colorful words in the English language is the word "Fuck." It is the one magical word, which, just by it's sound describes pain, pleasure, love, and hate. In language, "Fuck" falls into many grammatical categories. It can be used as a verb, both transitive (John fucked Mary) and intransitive (Mary was fucked by John). It can be an active verb (Mary doesn't really give a fuck); or an adverb (Mary is really fucking interested in John); and as a noun, (Mary is a terrific fuck). It can be used as an adjective (Mary is fucking beautiful). As you see, there are very few words with the versatility of "Fuck."

Besides It's sexual connotations, this incredible word can be used to describe many situations:

It can be used in an anatomical description

"He's a fucking asshole."

It can be used to tell time

"It's five fucking thirty."

It can be used in business

"How did I end up with this fucking job?"

It can be maternal

as in "Motherfucker."

Valuable Vocabulary Chart Below:

Greetings

"How the fuck are you?"

Fraud

"I got fucked by the car dealer."

Dismay

"Oh, fuck it."

Trouble

"Hell, I guess I'm fucked now."

Aggression

"Fuck you."

Disgust

"Fuck me."

Confusion

"What the fuck...?"

Difficulty

"I don't understand this fucking business."

Despair

"Fucked again."

Exasperation

"For fuck's sake."

Enjoyment

"This is fucking great."

Hostility

"I'm going to knock your fucking head off."

Stupidity

"Geir Bergerud is a Fuckwad!"

Incompetence

"He's such a fuck-up."

Ignorance

"Fuck if I know."

Displeasure

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Lost

"Where the fuck are we?"

Disbelief

"Unfuckingbelievable!"

Retaliation

"Up your fucking ass."

Surprise

"Fuckin A!"

Surprise

"Well, I'll be fucked."

Suspicion

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Contempt

"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on!"

Famous quotes.

General Custer's last words:

"Look at all the fucking Indians!"

Mayor of Hiroshima:

"Holy FUCK!"

Captain of the Titanic:

"Where is all this fucking water coming from?"

The mind boggles at the many creative uses of the word FUCK!
Use it regularly in your daily speech.
It will add to your prestige


Such a versatile fucking word, ain't it?!

And no, I don't care if my fucking vision doesn't use protection and brings home a litter of mini-fucking visions. That would be cute.

The block button is here. When I see a poster constantly swearing in all caps, I just block them. Civility isn't dead. I support you!