Swearing and vulgarity.

I certainly can't disagree with that.

The way we use language does say a lot about our character. I know that (as an ex sailor) I've known the struggle of cleaning my vocabulary from time to time.

 

I hereby grant you the * Honorary Best Answer * award.

 

You rang? It's funny, I'm working on a blog entry for my site (one of those "it's done when it's done") that kind-of relates to this.

... and that's why it's frustrating when people see zero difference; there are those who seem to consider saying things like "ignorant" or "incompetent" is the equivalent of flipping them the bird, taking a dump in their cornflakes, whilst dropping f-bomb laden insults about their mother's loose morals.

I encounter this on a lot of web forums, many of which suffer from the exact opposite problem. What I can only classify as "toxic positivity", the social dialogue equivalent of "false simplicity". This repeated attitude "we want to keep this a friendly place" to the point they openly invite scammers and support/promote outright scams, but JOE FORBID anyone point out that it's a scam, call the people doing it scammers, or refer to those who fall for the scams as "gullible".

The same lame-duck excuse of "If you can't say anything nice" oft mated to "it's not what you said, but how you said it."

BULLSHIT, it's exactly what's being said and don't pretend otherwise. People don't want to hear that wordpress has security holes big enough to sail the USS IOWA through, that jQuery is a laundry list of how not to use JavaScript, or the simple fact that garbage like bootcrap and w3.css were clearly created, documented, supported, and used by people not qualified to write a single huffing line of HTML.

Hell, just jokingly calling bootstrap "bootcrap" is ban-worthy in some places. That's how utterly idiotic this "civility" asshattery has gotten.

But that's no reason to dive for the F-bomb. Lands sake, the F-bomb is more about being lazy and lacking creativity. As Patton joked:

-- General George S. Patton Jr.

Though the big determining factor should remain "can the language be backed up by actual substance, legitimate complaints, and an intent to try and make improvements?" This is where the toxic positivity becomes a true issue as you're basically not "allowed" anymore to say anything negative about anything, as that's being "confrontational" -- a scale of idiocy ranking right up there with "give them all trophies". Heavens to Betsy, don't you DARE try and confront something wrong, or bad, or even outright evil. No, just shut up, sit there like a good little drone, and continue to believe that the diarrhea in a waffle cone the dirtbags are peddling is actually chocolate ice cream.

It is a mindset and methodology designed to make people not question things, to compromise critical thinking skills the same way things like politics and religions like. You see it using all those classical propaganda techniques such as glittering generalities, bandwagon, transfer, plain folks, and the REAL laugh of it all, name calling.

Propaganda style name calling is not about profanity -- heretic, blasphemer, non-believer -- those are some common ones that are used the same way as n***er by the 'faithful' but few seem to treat the same way. Truly nefarious name-calling includes terms like "dreamer", or "idealist". What the {lazy expletive} is wrong with having dreams and ideals? There are words and phrases are far more powerful than "snowflake" or "libtard" for the simple fact they have the negative connotation yet easily slip under the radar on offensiveness.

Just look at the negative connotation and sense some people try to use on the word "liberal" -- which means "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.".

Which is why I find plastered on fake smiles, platitudes, and disingenuous back-slapping flattery a thousand times more offensive than an entire strip club full of profanity. Yet, the "societal norm" seems to be to maintain that false sense of safety, like some sort of bizzaroland version of the Stepford Wives.

A great example of how we're going too far is the word retard: To be slowed or hindered. If you are retarded, there is nothing wrong and no stigma to being retarded. It is only an insult when levied against people who are not retarded, who act like they are. But no, now the term is considered "dated" and even medical journals are changing "Mental retardation" -- the proper scientific clinical name -- to "cognitive disability" does not one damned thing to cure the condition or help the people who have it... much less not all retarded people should be called disabled. They're just SLOW, doesn't mean incapable. In that way, the new "softer" language is in fact MORE OFFENSIVE!

Particularly when "cognitive disability" more accurately describes delusional people, like those who believe in fairy tales like the magical man in the sky who created everything.

But then most things people get truly offended over is most always rooted in confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. "But it works for me", or "It works", when no, no it doesn't. Again, see halfwitted mentally-enfeebled incompetent trash like bootcrap, where even the examples on the official site are clearly written by incompetent fools unqualified to write HTML, much less tell others how to do so.

BUT JOE FORBID you come right out and say that... or provide examples and explanations of why that's true. No, that's instant permaban at dens of suck-ups and sycophants like SitePoint or Hashnode. "Wah wah, somebody said something negative!" -- yeah, well suck it up princess.

There's nothing wrong with calling something stupid, I don't even get upset if you call me a f***ing moron... so long as you back it up with actual arguments, valid counterpoints, and an explanation.

There is a world of difference between:

"This is f***ing trash you morons"

and...

"It relies on DIV for nothing, classes for nothing, non-semantic markup, presentational classes, static style in the markup, presentational images in the markup, extra tags for no good reason, an inaccessible and broken document structure, gibberish use of numbered headings, and an overall failure to meet the most basic of accessibility norms. All this combines to result in using five to ten times the HTML needed to do the job, reeking badly of developer ignorance and incompetence. I have to question if the people who created it even understand the most rudimentary concepts of what HTML is and what it is for. In no way, shape, or form are any of the claims made about it being "easier", "simpler" or "speeding up development" true. People only think it's true because the propaganda says it and bandwagon/testimonial creates confirmation bias."

... and yet most places, both examples would be treated the same in terms of getting a warning or even a ban. Worse, MOST people end up more offended by the latter.

F*** that.

 

@deathshadow, you're not a writer by trade but your eloquent entertaining usage of the English language has no parallel here on DP, and I am not a base flatterer. Thank you for your post.

 

Just listen to your whole tone and demeanor is just negative and very passive aggressive.
I'm done here I'm not going to get into a debate with someone like yourself, no you don't have to do anything but your OPNIONS, THOUGHTS & BELIEFS do not make you RIGHT nor do mine but you're replies to people on here are just very passive progressive and I'm getting such negative vibes from you, so you carry on doing you boo and I'll do me.

 

I just love it when members on here assume that they are amateur psychiatrists. Very laughable and entertaining. But at least you didn't resort to any swearing when you did my psychological profile.

 

Humility in a mod is a good thing. It allows for evolution and change if necessary. What more could one ask for?

 

I feel that you're asking a lot of questions, which I am not sure how deep you'd like to/is useful for the community in general to develop.

Free speech Vs. Hate speech, Mod work (quality) on DP, If there should be new rules/forum features?

If someone falls through the lines of "don't spam" "don't cheat" don't lie" with offensive posts to the eye,

I would suggest a premium feature to "hide from my sight" selected parts of even my own messages, and allow ALL/premium members to select a "SFW" DP version where stupid posts, offensive or even brain damaging low arguments are Actively marked as such by Training Mods, oversighted, to slowly create stronger threads (All newbie threads on "how ssl this" closed and directed to active SSL guides, Q&A threads that don't just fluff).

Let me know if you think I answered the questions in any way, really would love to develop on any.

Especially "forum features", -mind you now, I've been away from so long from DP I am learning how the forum works all over again.

Very glad to find back vibrant conversations when returning to the forum. I'll take that over

LOL

 

Enquiring minds need to know......and I'm happy that collectively, we have not become boring.