Why increased use of Curse words?

I can understand why you would not want swearing on this board. Society deems it to be bad and offensive.

My question is, why does society say some words are bad and others are ok.

Take the words "Sh*t" and "poop". Most everyone will agree that the former is a swear word and the latter is not. I don't know why. All I know is that when I was growing up I was told not to say sh*t, it is a bad word. I suppose that all of you were told that too. I am sure we will continue to tell our children and grand children that. But why are these words so different. They both describe the exact same thing.

My understanding is that sh*t got is origin as an acronym for "ship high in transport". Somewhere along the way someone decided that this was a bad word and we should not be saying it anymore. I think that a lot of swear words started out as being ok but then people decided they were offensive and shouldn't be used anymore.

Oh well. What can you do...

Try not to curse and be curtious to others around you. ATS/BTS is no place to have the use of vulgar present even if you are heated over a debate/arguement that you've had with another member. These sites are friendly places to share ideas,opinions, and news. There is no room for such exsesive loud and profane language here. It's a simple matter of fallowing the board's rules and regulations. I myself try not to use it much....even if I do, it's sparingly and would relate to the topic at hand. Peaceeeeee.

oh...theres room for it

honestly sure, you could get a thesaurus and find a better word...but who really cares that much? if you dont like the word, piss off


hahahahhaha just trying to stir you up

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Simple, because some are too immature to be let outside of the house, either electronically or physically.

For you Einsteins who take your moral direction from an idiot like an angry old comedian, try using such language around my family in my presence. I will gleefully teach you what happens when you use ill manners around the wrong people.

As far as this site goes, here are the terms and conditions of the board:
www.abovetopsecret.com...
There is a censor in place, feel free to type your vulgarity if you have no moral restraint, it will change it to a (c) or a (v), but I suggest knocking off circumventing the censor.
Intelligent people with intelligent vocabularies can communicate without such words, and intelligent people are aware they will be taken as less intelligent if they use gutter language.

Good to think about. My original post was just a joke, but I do like to consider myself to be intelligent from time to time. Does that mean I'm an idiot for cursing? Probably not. But, I suppose anything's possible.

I think that what you failed to realize, Mr. Crowne, is that vulgarity is becoming more and more a part of a person's vocabulary.

And while I may not be considered as intelligent in some quarters, I must point out that I don't hang around with the ghosts of Einstein and Edison on a daily basis, so, I don't think I'm being made less intelligent by my cursing.

However, there are some who are genuinely unintelligent who use cursing as their primary means of expression, so I can see where you got your assumptions from.

Having said all this, I think I'd like to say that I'm done, but I fear I may have more to say about it yet, in the days to come.

[Edited on 23-2-2004 by Loki]

Originally posted by Loki
Does that mean I'm an idiot for cursing? Probably not. But, I suppose anything's possible.

...made less intelligent by my cursing.

[Edited on 23-2-2004 by Loki]

no loki, cursing does not make you any less intelligent. everyone, no matter how intelligent, understand the connatations of curse words so youre excuse can be you're trying to "reach out to a larger audience"

Originally posted by John Nada
I feel there are good points on both sides of the fence here, particularly TC's:

"I will gleefully teach you what happens when you use ill manners around the wrong people."

I couldn't agree more, I'd react in exactly the same way. However, there are times when I am infuriated, having a bad day for whatever reason e.t.c. when I do indeed swear, alot!!! If I'm angry and in no mood to put up with someones BS, I'll gladly go for the throat. This is not a regular thing but it does happen. Some will choose to be clever with their words and hint at an insult rather than just spit it out, which I think is showing a lack of honesty and respect to the other person.
If the time calls for it just tell it as it is, don't skinny dip around the subject.
I'm sure many could be forgiven for these occasional and heart-felt outbursts, but it is when people just spit out insults for the sake of it and haven't actually got a brain in their head to have a point, then there's a problem. You don't win an argument with language, but if called for you can certainly make your feelings known.

At the end of the day it's just noises coming out of a voice box from some puny organism.

Great...so, let me get this straight...the proper way to respond to someone who did something inappropriate is to beat them for it?

Good to know, I'll write that down.

let's see...Punish inappropriate behaviour with inappropriate behaviour.

Originally posted by Loki Having said all this, I think I'd like to say that I'm done, but I fear I may have more to say about it yet, in the days to come.

Yes indeed you are done with gratuitous and unnecessary cursing and vulgarities. I think there have been enough comments in this thread from those who shape and influence AboveTopSecret.com policy for our members to understand the rationale behind the desire to keep discussion freeform and civil at the same time.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Originally posted by Loki
Having said all this, I think I'd like to say that I'm done, but I fear I may have more to say about it yet, in the days to come.

Yes indeed you are done with gratuitous and unnecessary cursing and vulgarities. I think there have been enough comments in this thread from those who shape and influence AboveTopSecret.com policy for our members to understand the rationale behind the desire to keep discussion freeform and civil at the same time.

Am........am I being Censored, dear William?

Gosh...I was just trying to lay down my rationale on the subject without the use of curse words, which I think I did...but, I can't help but feel the sting of a veiled insult...Oh well. I guess I have to put up with it.

Cursing for no particular reason is not allowed, how hard is that to comprehend. Why is everyone so upset by this? is it appropriate to curse randomly and excessively in school? At work? With your parents? In front of your children? At family gatherings?

I know that there are many who are used to swearing a good deal in everyday life. I indeed am one of them, while drinking with friends, at work, on the footy field and so forth.

But if I go to my parents for dinner I do not sit there and say 'this food is f***** good s***' or 'pass me the f***** sauce'. If I am at a business meeting I don't tell clients or partners to 'sit your f**** a*** down' or 'lets talk some s***'.

However, in a business meeting if there is a heated argument, cursing might slip out. Or if there is a death or some sort of extreme family circumstances, again it is again perhaps appropriate.

Just using these examples to point out that there are times when vulgarity is appropriate, there are times when it is not. The majority of the time it is not appropriate on ATS. Those are the simple facts, a long time ago there was to be no swearing at all, I personally fought hard to allow members to use such language if the circumstances were appropriate. It is saddening to see people now trying to take it too far, and being upset when told they are not allowed to be excessively vulgar.

Cursing for the sake of cursing, or for the sake of being lazy, only detract from the image and appeal of ATS.

I just realized I never swear in real life.

But I do swear when I'm on ATS/BTS (although only a few times).

Originally posted by Kano
Cursing for no particular reason is not allowed, how hard is that to comprehend. Why is everyone so upset by this? is it appropriate to curse randomly and excessively in school? At work? With your parents? In front of your children? At family gatherings?

I know that there are many who are used to swearing a good deal in everyday life. I indeed am one of them, while drinking with friends, at work, on the footy field and so forth.

But if I go to my parents for dinner I do not sit there and say 'this food is f***** good s***' or 'pass me the f***** sauce'. If I am at a business meeting I don't tell clients or partners to 'sit your f**** a*** down' or 'lets talk some s***'.

However, in a business meeting if there is a heated argument, cursing might slip out. Or if there is a death or some sort of extreme family circumstances, again it is again perhaps appropriate.

Just using these examples to point out that there are times when vulgarity is appropriate, there are times when it is not. The majority of the time it is not appropriate on ATS. Those are the simple facts, a long time ago there was to be no swearing at all, I personally fought hard to allow members to use such language if the circumstances were appropriate. It is saddening to see people now trying to take it too far, and being upset when told they are not allowed to be excessively vulgar.

Cursing for the sake of cursing, or for the sake of being lazy, only detract from the image and appeal of ATS.

I wasn't trying to say anything otherwise. I don't know how you all read my post, but I meant it as an endorsement of swearing only in the appropriate venues.

SORRY IF YOU THINK I MEANT THAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL CUSS OUT EVERYONE WHEN EVER WE WANT.

So, some of you guys are saying that cursing is nothing compared to the hatred and violent stuff happening around.

So it is ok to commit a mistake as long as another mistake is of a bigger issue?

Do one big wrong justify another small wrong?