# Who the \[f@#k\] do you think you're fooling? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 16, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590 "2009-03-16T03:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/41 "2009-03-17T05:17:17Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > OK, having talked it over with **Gfactor** , I’m throwing in the towel on this one - too much trouble. We’ll go back to what we had before, which was basically: (a) Profanity is permitted in thread titles. (b) Don’t go nuts. (c) We reserve the right to do something about titles we think are over the top. Cool, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/42 "2009-03-17T08:02:11Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > OK, having talked it over with **Gfactor** , I’m throwing in the towel on this one - too much trouble. We’ll go back to what we had before, which was basically: (a) Profanity is permitted in thread titles. (b) Don’t go nuts. (c) We reserve the right to do something about titles we think are over the top. This will of course dash our plans to market the Pit as the place to advertise Girl Scout cookies and flowers for mom, but we’ll think of something. Just for clarity’s sake: as \*\*Scissorjack \*\*has said > [@](#): > > And if you can swear in thread titles, why not in threads themselves? It does seem a tad illogical to allowing swearing in titles but not in posts. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/43 "2009-03-17T12:49:13Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Just for clarity’s sake: as \*\*Scissorjack \*\*has said > > It does seem a tad illogical to allowing swearing in titles but not in posts. Yes, it would be illogical, if there were such a rule. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/44 "2009-03-17T13:02:42Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Yes, it would be illogical, if there were such a rule. I see the rules were amended yesterday: > [@](#): > > \*Don’t go nuts in thread titles > > Profanity is permitted, but don’t get carried away. We reserve the right to do something about thread titles we think are over the top. > > Observe the Pit language rules > > A few expressions are not to be directed at other posters; a few others should be used sparingly - here’s a list. We may update the list from time to time. We reserve the right to take appropriate action in cases of posts we find exceptionally cruel, shocking, or crazy, regardless of target.\* [no sarcasm intended]That seems reasonable[/no sarcasm intended] ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/45 "2009-03-17T18:04:09Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Yes, it would be illogical, if there were such a rule. I’m thinking he (or she?) is referring to the old Pit rules, regarding profanity against posters, rather than this new “play nice” BS, no? Might as well call it the Bakery, rather than the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/46 "2009-03-18T16:10:14Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I don’t know of any equivalent to tons of phrases that involve profanity. Your choice of “how much money would it take to get you off the air forever?” emphatically does not convey the same point. > > How about [fuck me pumps](http://www.sex-lexis.com/F-Word-Dictionary/fuck-me%20pumps)? > > Face it. The English language and its billions of speakers are collectively more creative than you are. You can only substitute your euphemisms at a cost in directness and clarity, the very objectives you’re striving to meet. Those are commonly called “FMPs” nor can I think of a time where your absolutely HAVE to have that term in a thread _title_. Although sometimes there is no real substitute for profanity, I can’t think of any time when you can’t hold off for _one fucking line._ It was a rule that many many board members have requested. I can think of no reason why you have to have profanity in a thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/47 "2009-03-18T19:02:12Z")
Hey, who remembers > [@Straight Dope Message Board](#): > > **We have one rule: Don’t be a jerk** ? Remember how refreshing and enlightened that seemed at first, in its elegant simplicity, back in the day? It covers everything. I miss those days, when we were so innocent and perhaps even a bit naïve in comparison to now. Now the rules have expanded into a whole fucking book if you printed out all the pages. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/48 "2009-03-23T09:52:21Z")
Funny. To me this seemed like the easiest rule to enforce and comply with. This issue has come up several times over the years. Management always sided with not making it a rule until now. I never had a strong opinion either way but I was willing to support those who objected to the profanity in thread titles. Doesn’t seem like it would overly constrain anyone. It’s strange that this is the rule they decide to retract. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/49 "2009-03-24T18:37:12Z")
I recall, years ago, there was at least one thread in which someone asked all the Dopers to please refrain from using profanity in thread titles. The reasons given, if I recall correctly, were that (1) the appearance of such words would trip some sort of filter that was on a workplace computer, so that the main page wouldn’t even display if such an “offensive” thread title appeared on it, and/or (2) the person didn’t want offensive thread titles prominently displayed on his computer screen while he was reading the Dope at work and/or at home with the kiddies in the same room. As I recall, there was much discussion, with some people in favor, some opposed, and some willing to go along with whatever the rest wanted, but in the end, there was a distinct lack of consensus that such restrictions would be a good thing, and the idea died out. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590/50 "2009-03-24T19:54:42Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I recall, years ago, there was at least one thread in which someone asked all the Dopers to please refrain from using profanity in thread titles. The reasons given, if I recall correctly, were that (1) the appearance of such words would trip some sort of filter that was on a workplace computer, so that the main page wouldn’t even display if such an “offensive” thread title appeared on it, and/or (2) the person didn’t want offensive thread titles prominently displayed on his computer screen while he was reading the Dope at work and/or at home with the kiddies in the same room. As I recall, there was much discussion, with some people in favor, some opposed, and some willing to go along with whatever the rest wanted, but in the end, there was a distinct lack of consensus that such restrictions would be a good thing, and the idea died out. Yes, but I remember it slightly differently. I think the consensus was that there should not be a 'rule" (and back in those days there were few rules, so no one wanted more) but that it would be common courtesy to go along with the request, so posters should do so without a rule forcing them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-the-f-k-do-you-think-youre-fooling/489590.md?page=2)