FanPost

Profanity

In the game thread today a debate sprung up about the use of profanity on the site. Some naughty word use by Brian B and later greg456 and Ash offended BShakey and gejoe.

I don't think this will be the last time this issue comes up so I thought it best we confront it now. What does everyone think? Specifically what are JD's thoughts, since it's his world and we're all living in it. He hasn't minded before--a search of 'fuck' reveals some creative uses of the syllable.

Personally I'm kind of a nut for freedom. I think the idea that people have a right not to be offended is incredibly misguided and dangerous. Here's Salman Rushdie on the issue:

The idea that any kind of free society can be constructed in which people will never be offended or insulted is absurd. So too is the notion that people should have the right to call on the law to defend them against being offended or insulted. A fundamental decision needs to be made: do we want to live in a free society or not? Democracy is not a tea party where people sit around making polite conversation. In democracies people get extremely upset with each other. They argue vehemently against each other's positions. (But they don't shoot.)

I don't think we should interact in a sandbox in which no word choice which may offend someone is allowed. Some say that profanity is lazy or overused speech, but sometimes it is the most efficient way to convey a thought and elicit the intended reaction.

Again I'm interested in hearing people's thoughts. I did specifically not put up a poll, because the idea of a vote to determine whether certain speech is popular enough to exist makes my blood boil.