[Rick James]

Since this forum (justifiably) has a filter for naughty, naughty words, and profanity is the quintessential means by which frustration or emphasis is expressed, should forum users actively practice substituting their swears with the NATO phonetic alphabet or other means, a la Something Awful's replacement of the f-bomb with the phrase "gently caress"?

[General Battuta]

FOOKING PRAWNS

[TopAce]

I don't see why a phonetic transcription is any better than the asterisks.

[TESLA]

Fraking Backsterds

[Jeff Vader]

Freedom of ****ing speech ftw. If someone doesn't like reading naughty words, they can enable the filter and they can marvel at the asterisks.

Besides, the filters fail at least in one aspect. I know "*****" often has a negative tone, but it is worth remembering that "*****" is also a synonym for a female dog.

Also, I do occasionally went frustration with phrases like "piss eggs" or "bum grapes".

[The E]

**** No.

If I want to swear like a goddamn sailor, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it with something that silly.

If someone wants to read the forum with the filter engaged, that's their prerogative. However, I am strongly opposed to such a form of ****ing self-censorship like what RickJames is proposing.

[BloodEagle]

And here I thought this was going to be a heated discussion on the detrimental effects upon the willing suspension of disbelief by using modern profane language outside of its setting within fictional works.

But then we get something like this.

Meh.

[Qent]

Phonetic alphabet? How would that even work? Spell it out? That sounds extremely awkward and like it would make swearing no longer any fun.

replacement of the f-bomb with

0b100

[General Battuta]

And here I thought this was going to be a heated discussion on the detrimental effects upon the willing suspension of disbelief by using modern profane language outside of its setting within fictional works.

Actually, I think this is an interesting point.

And frankly, I'm all for using 'modern' profanity in every setting, in every time, everywhere. Including with aliens.

The reason you use profanity is to convey a character's emotional state. Made-up curse words don't do that, they just seem silly. So I think if you're going to use profanity, it has to be modern.

[The E]

The reason you use profanity is to convey a character's emotional state. Made-up curse words don't do that, they just seem silly. So I think if you're going to use profanity, it has to be modern.

Unless you have enough time to develop something like "Frak", using modern language is the way to go.

[Kopachris]

THOSE FOXTROTTING DRAGONS CAN GO TO HOTEL!!!

No, it doesn't quite work very well.

[redsniper]

What the ****? No. This is why we have the profanity filter.

[achtung]

This is not the No Cussing Club.

[Qent]

THOSE FOXTROTTING DRAGONS CAN GO TO HOTEL!!!

No, it doesn't quite work very well.

Oh, like that. Nope, I don't that will work.

Besides what if you really want to foxtrot? She'll get completely the wrong idea.

[The E]

Or those Dragons really are on vacation?

[Galemp]

What the ****? No. This is why we have the profanity filter.

Agreed. (I have it turned on, myself.)

[Rodo]

Any kind of expression for which you need to stop and think how to write it (and for which there's another easier way to express it) IS USELESS.

also... I voted Snuffleupagus just because it has become the easiest way to respond to all polls lately.

[zookeeper]

Meh. Since substitution isn't profanity and will be used by people who wouldn't use the corresponding profanity and because the amount of profanity a person uses tends to be a pretty good indicator of how little they actually have to say (anything of interest, anyway), I'd rather have the real profanity so I'll know more easily at which point I'm just wasting my time and should instead ignore the rest and skip to the next post.

[mister J]

I think the asterisks are fine, so for similar reasons stated by the posts above mine, I voted no.

(Incidentally, what words are included in the filter? How about, say, Meecrob?)

on that thought...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSkOtR3IJfY

[BloodEagle]

And here I thought this was going to be a heated discussion on the detrimental effects upon the willing suspension of disbelief by using modern profane language outside of its setting within fictional works.

Actually, I think this is an interesting point.

And frankly, I'm all for using 'modern' profanity in every setting, in every time, everywhere. Including with aliens.

The reason you use profanity is to convey a character's emotional state. Made-up curse words don't do that, they just seem silly. So I think if you're going to use profanity, it has to be modern.

I never said 'made-up', and I was mainly referring to past settings (I probably should have mentioned that).  You see, it just seems strange to me when medieval knights start dropping F-bombs.