Who else is fed up with swearing on MN?

[ByJingoes]

I have been trying to have this discussion on another thread, but don't want to hijack it further.

I am thoroughly sick of excessive swearing on MN. I am sick of encountering posters with sweary names (not least because I have to hide MN as soon as the children come into the room).

MNHQ, could you please look at this again? Every time I mention this on threads, I am told that I have a cat's bum face (which is immensely irritating) and to eff off to Nethuns - yet I loathe the huggy/kissy/hunny stuff, and detest moderation. We are all adults and don't need to be censored. However, part of being an adult surely means having some consideration for other people too?

Here is Justine in May 2005:

"Hi all,
We've had a few complaints about obscene language on the boards. Our policy on this is that we would appreciate it if people would keep foul and abusive language to a minimum and that if you feel it necessary to swear to make your point then use asterisks please [...] we don't want to be over-prudish about this - we're not talking minor offenses here - and sometimes (parking attendant, gp receptionist annecdotes etc etc) we agree that nothing else but a swear word will do but it's a fair point that lots of members look at mumsnet with kids who may be early readers at their side and as the saying goes... less is more sometimes, so if you could use your discretion it would be much appreciated.

Ta very much."

That seems eminently sensible - but MN seems to have somehow slithered into a site for sweary people only.

Am I the only person who is utterly fed up with it?

Actually I don't know who was being an arse. I know someone was.

Sorry. Everyone.

I think it shows 2 things 1.a poor vocabulary (regardless of what pictish says) and 2. a wish to shock. Either way it is boring.

I mostly don't mind it. Particularly the gratuitous fucks and cunts

I do object to the use of whore/bitch/slag to label women, as happens on many a thread. I am always feel strangely proud when posters object en masse to that sort of thing.

But swearing generally is great.

This part of your post, OP, made me laugh out loud for the first time today...

Every time I mention this on threads, I am told that I have a cat's bum face (which is immensely irritating) and to eff off to Nethuns

So thanks for that.

Right on Puddlejumper - we watched Mr Fry's take on swearing last night as well....and I agree with him unequivocally.

Swearing is so great!

6am until midnight I ahve tp keep my sweary self under control

I like that I can say it on here and it won't be parroted at me at school time tomorrow

LIssie I presume you watched that film last night then? Dh narked me off completely all the way through going on about how they stufied it an uni and walked through this and that

think it is quite helpful for children to learn swear words, what they mean, when it's ok to use them and when it's less advisable and why are some combinations of letters considered to be more offensive than others and so on - I don't get why cunt is somehow an extra specially daring word or, worse, more insulting than other comparable terms

can anyone explain?

peachy, nah. I watched Game of Thrones instead. it was ace

If you light Stephen Fry for Qi or similar you ahve to use special lighting to cope with his chins apparently, this is so true that Dh even covered it in his BBC lighting module at uni

Judisciously used is fine. Every other word is a bit pointless because if you're swearing for impact then it defeats the object.

Lucky you. Gah!

I never get the limited vocabulary argument. I find it jaded, predictable and it is trotted out all the time regardless of how often people point out that Stephen Fry, Chaucer and I can all turn a phrase but sometimes fuck is just the best word.

Of course there are people who cannot express themselves without profanity and that is sad because, whilst expressive, it is not especially informative.

But I can express myself with or without bad language. It is a choice which a site for parents is allowed to offer.

I don't like profanity in titles because I think that is just bad manners.
But the 'my children may see' thing does not make sense.

Why would a child who has never heard 'fuck' ask about that word but not about 'rape' or 'anal' ?

They should not be looking at your screen.

toosoon

it wasn't me

< holds hands up >

OP, FWIW, I don't really like swearing in thread titles either. Because they do stand out, and look a bit attention-seeking. I have absolutely no philosophy to back it up though, and am aware that probably makes me a hypocrite.

I tend to simply not click on them, tbh

Such is MN. It's idiosyncrasies and tolerance is why I like it.

Mitchiest I do that with the boys; it can be quite effective when sat tehe and they are saying @so and so is a bugger' to explain exactly what bugger means LOL

(disclaimer: boys year 6 and 7; not littlies!)

I did not notice any special lighting for his chins when he was filming something in my friend's house or at a bar or outside in the wild

My word of the day is 'wankfrippery' - thank you Pinot

Not swearing in thread titles is probably a reasonable request. This is a site for adults though. There are lots of things your children shouldn't be reading about on here. From hamsters - or was it a gerbil- in soup to threads about domestic abuse.

I think 'f**k' looks ridiculous. Do the stars blank the word from your brain?

I do not get offended by it at all, and would loathe the censorship.

I do think that offense at swearwords is rather prissy.

And the fact that children could see is not a valid argument. Justine said that ion the current sex ad thread - that this is a site for adults.

Agree that children should not be looking at the screen.

Actually Pagwatch, the subject of swearing always makes me think of you since I read Mumsnet Rules and realised you had the first quoted post in the book with a swearword in it :o

It's Chaos' word, Narky, I just snaffled it from her :)

We have a policy of keeping laptops downstairs. It's impossible to stop teenagers walking past and seeing the MN thread titles. Then I get the accusations of hypocrisy that I tell them off for swearing but am reading posts with sometimes quite bad swearing in them.

For this reason I tend to visit MN less and less frequently.

I don't really swear in RL.

I don't swear that much on here.

But love the swearing.

I have a professional job, I'm a middle aged mother, so my outward persona in RL is mostly a sensible rationale together kind of person, but in private way from the kids (which MN is) I want to be the louder swearier I don't give a shit kind of person that I also am.

We are mothers, but we are loud lewd raucous opinionated bolshy and bitchy, as well as all that other selfless caring stuff that we do most of time, I love that.

Sometimes in RL I miss the old loud lewd raucous bitchy me, so I come to MN to find her again..

The argument that people MN with their children is odd, Justine's email seems to suggest some posters cosy up with their children to post . Do people do that?

Then thank yiu Chaos.

christ, no

And let the out of the cupboard??