A Poll On Rough Words in the Titles

[Nic2004]

There is currently a thread running in ATMB that concerns all those that post here. It can be found HERE
Your impressions and input are invited.
Nic

[silenus]

I’ve got no fucking problem with it. Unless someone is reading over your shoulder when you call up the front page, who’s going to notice?

[Nic2004]

silenus Please make you opinion heard.

Originally Posted by C K Dexterhaven

Moderator attitude has always been that this is not a site for children, and that we don’t want to limit language. However, if there are posters who are offended by crude language and don’t go to a forum on account of seeing it in the titles, we could think about it. My own guess is that we don’t have many posters who care, but I’m willing to take a poll. Let’s do it confidentially: if you would prefer that thread titles be limited to G-rated language, please send me an email: ckdexthavn@aol.com . Be sure your email has a subject line like “Thread titles” (emails with subject lines “Buy viagara!” tend to get deleted without being read) and be sure to tell me WHY.

[ZipperJJ]

I find it strange that I find it a bit offensive. But I do.

Not personally offensive, but I don’t like to see it because I feel like it gives the SDMB community a bit of a bad name.

I don’t mind seeing swearing or violence or gore on the TV. But my main argument for that is that people can easily review and then choose what not to watch. Thread titles serve as our guide to threads - I feel like if the foul language is up there in the review then it’s not so easy to avoid it.

Makes us look a lot less smarterer than we really are (or rather, want people to think we are).

[Q.E.D]

@ZipperJJ

Thread titles serve as our guide to threads - I feel like if the foul language is up there in the review then it’s not so easy to avoid it.

It’s even less easy to avoid it if there’s no profanity in the tread title, but the thread itself is full of it. If the title contains profanity, you can be reasonably sure that the body of the thread does, as well. But if it doesn’t, you have no idea.

[Sunrazor]

Profanity is, indeed, an indicator of the poster’s language skills, though not all use of scatalogical, sexual or other profanity is necessarily bad. Take, for instance, Jonathan Swift’s poem, “The Lady’s Dressing Room” or just about any page from Kurt Vonnegut’s “Breakfast of Champions.”

Once one takes that position, however, one cannot, with any consistency, say, “But not in titles.” My advice would be, if you are confident that you write as well as Swift or Vonnegut, then by all means, drop all the f-bombs you think necessary to make your point. Just know that others judge you whether you ask to be judged or not.

[Anaamika]

I don’t think profanity is really an indication of a poster’s verbal or written skills unless that is all they do. Creativity can be expressed with or without profanity.

Put me down squarely on the side of curse away, damnit! Thread titles or wherever you like. And don’t read in front of your children/spouse/boss/what-have-you.

[Spice_Weasel]

I have no problem with rough words in the thread titles. In fact, with regards to certain Pit threads, I would prefer MORE rough words so I knew what the fuck I was clicking on.