Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB posting

[Phoenix]

Is it just me being an old fogey or is it still unacceptable for people to put swear words - spelt out in FULL - like "sh...", "cr..." or even the F-word in their messages or emails or even FB postings?

I cringe whenever I see them, but then I see other people use them fairly frequently.

What do you think?

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I swear like a sailor, but I respect that some people may take offense. If I am speaking to someone who will, I filter and edit, if it's a crony who will not take offense, I do not filter. And then there are times, when even though there may be better words to express myself, an F-bomb is clearly needed and will be dropped.

 

[sillyberry]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

Totally depends on the audience. In an email or text to my best friend or FI (or my mom, because she has a potty mouth too)? Sure, I will type out the 7 words you can't say on television if they add to my point (usually in a "Are you F'ing kidding me!" way). But I would never do that if I wasn't sure that the person on the other wouldn't mind.

And I never swear on Facebook...my friends include my 12 year old niece, my 65 year old aunt, and several former professors! I hate when people swear on there - as well as many other posting behaviors I wonder if will come back to haunt them.

 

[Jennifer W]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I swear like a sailor, but I respect that some people may take offense. If I am speaking to someone who will, I filter and edit, if it's a crony who will not take offense, I do not filter. And then there are times, when even though there may be better words to express myself, an F-bomb is clearly needed and will be dropped.

This. Nicely put!

 

[crown1]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

who among us, does not become "agitated" from time to time and use those words? not many, but using them conversationally, in the situations you mention, seems inappropriate to me. my personal observation, is some feel that it makes them "one of the gang". i prefer "polite" conversation in day to day dealings both online and off. i do admit, to being raised, that it was not acceptable to use that type of language, especially in public. i think younger generations than mine don't subscribe to this philosophy.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I don't express myself that way verbally, so would never use it in text, e-mails, or FB. I tend to hide comments (on FB) from a few associates who do use that kind of language. I'd say 99% of my friends do not use that type of language, I choose to hang out with polite society.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I don't express myself that way verbally, so would never use it in text, e-mails, or FB. I tend to hide comments (on FB) from a few associates who do use that kind of language. I'd say 99% of my friends do not use that type of language, I choose to hang out with polite society.

Haha, that sounded so snobbish. All I'm saying is that birds of a feather flock together, and all of my friends are goody two shoes like me.

 

[elrohwen]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I don't have a problem with it. I use them in real life, but haven't on FB that I remember (I post rarely on FB as it is), but if it was a word I wanted to use that day I would use the full word and not edit it. My FB friends are adults and if they happen to be offended by swear words (not that I can think of anyone who is) they can just skip over reading that comment.

If someone is going to use it I prefer they use the whole word. I think it's just as bad to use sh** as it is to spell it out. If you're in a situation where swearing isn't appropriate, then just use other words - editing them doesn't make them more appropriate, IMO.

 

[princesss]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I don't express myself that way verbally, so would never use it in text, e-mails, or FB. I tend to hide comments (on FB) from a few associates who do use that kind of language. I'd say 99% of my friends do not use that type of language, I choose to hang out with polite society.

Haha, that sounded so snobbish. All I'm saying is that birds of a feather flock together, and all of my friends are goody two shoes like me.

LOL! I love that you came back to clarify. It makes me giggle.

I swear like a sailor, and when I feel like swearing, I do. If I would say it out loud, I'll say it in e-mail/text/FB. The only time that changes is if I e-mail a few of my friends who use company e-mail addresses instead of Gmail. Then I triple check to make sure I don't say anything questionable.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

i don't know any of those words...

 

[Cehrabehra]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I have a potty mouth, no doubt about it and I censor myself a LOT already so if someone cringes on the few times I put swear words in there they're free to remove me from their friend's list.

 

[purselover]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I don't swear on public forums like facebook, but I will in emails to DH or close friends on occasion. They all know me very well in real life so know it's just a bad habit I have.

 

[Pandora II]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I suppose it's also a case of what you regard as swear-words?

There are only about 3 I would consider 'bad' and only 1 of them that I don't ever use.

For what it's worth I worked in the House of Lords for many years and 'good old anglo-saxon' was used on a most frequent basis by the Right Honourable Members...

 

[meresal]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I will swear in personal texts or emails to friends or siblings.

I never use swear words or profane language in Facebook posts. I have young nieces and nephews that are "friends" and I would never subject them to that, since they would most likely see it.

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I swear like a sailor. I have an 18 year old nephew, a 16 year old niece and a 13 year old niece on my FB friends and being that I know what I was saying at those ages (I started dropping F-bombs young!) I doubt it's something they've never read or heard before.

So no I don't really edit myself on FB status updates. But then again I don't really update my status very often either...

 

[Autumnovember]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

What Davi said

 

[Arkteia]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I am a foreigner, and have noticed that these words do not have the same strength if you use them in a language that is foreign to you. (Except for m...de in French, for some reason it gets to me). Perhaps you have to grow up with them, or your parents and teachers have to repeatedly tell you that they are bad, for you to get the message. For me it was easy to use swear words in Englilsh. But I recently found out that some of my FB friends are religious, and some religions take it very hard. Mormons, for example, do not drink, use drugs, smoke, drink coffee or swear (actually, very sound ideas!). So I stopped swearing because I might inadvertently hurt some people.

This being said, from a foreigner's standpoint, English is very poor in swear words or their combinations. Try using a phrase consisting only of swear words, noun, verb, adjective, every word! And then make a story of such phrases! I take pride in my language. I heard that Spanish is rich as well. Would be interesting to find out...

 

[momhappy]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

No, I don't typically swear in texts, emails, or FB. I don't swear much in general and if do, it's out of major frustration and you can barely hear it because I sort of whisper it

 

[redwood66]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I try not to swear at all IRL. I hate typing and swearing just adds more words to type.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I don't know any of those words...

 

[ckrickett]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I am bad, I swear a lot. However I will not swear anywhere where kids or families could be (malls, restaurants places like that) But if it among friends, family or places where adults congregate I am like a sailor.

 

[jordyonbass]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

When it comes to communication at work I am very professional, more so than my bosses who have no issue using colorful language in their group emails to staff.

But I'm a young Aussie male that loves his decadent metal music, I spend time on the ocean and do soil drilling with sampler machines and am constantly smashing my hands; let's just say that PS gets the G-rated version of Jordy, I probably need a 'Warning: Explicit Content' label on my forehead for everyone else

 

[arkieb1]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I think it's an Aussie thing, most of us are sweet as pie in formal situations like work and when we have to be but the rest of the time, apologies to those that cringe;

 

[dk168]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I swear a lot, however, I avoid doing so in polite company and in front of children.

I don't like to use swear words in full in written communications, and I text long-hand.

It's a generation thing IMHO, and I am in my early 50's.

DK

 

[tyty333]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I rarely swear in real life. I hate reading things that are filled with curse words just for the sake of cursing. On occasion a curse
word is needed to express the severity of something and in that case I can understand. I think the continuous use of curse words
just waters them down. Heck, what will we have left to use when something is really serious?

 

[CJ2008]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I rarely swear in real life. I hate reading things that are filled with curse words just for the sake of cursing. On occasion a curse
word is needed to express the severity of something and in that case I can understand. I think the continuous use of curse words
just waters them down. Heck, what will we have left to use when something is really serious?

This is how I feel.

I trained myself to stop cursing though.

I used to curse a lot.

Now very very once in a while I might use one. But it's rare.

ETA now that I don't curse any more when someone curses every 2 words all I can hear is their curse words and I cringe every time. I don't even hear what they're trying to say because I'm just waiting for the next curse word.

arkie I find it funny now, but I would have appreciated that even more when I used to curse!

 

[OoohShiny]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!

 

[ckrickett]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

I think it's an Aussie thing, most of us are sweet as pie in formal situations like work and when we have to be but the rest of the time, apologies to those that cringe;

LOL. This is me.

 

[kenny]

Re: Putting swear words in text messages, emails and FB post

Of the three (text, email and FB) I only do one, email.

To answer the question ... it depends of the person I'm emailing.
If we both pepper our language with 'French', then yes we both write as we speak.