appropriate language on a forum
 

I found this on the Studebaker drivers forum and it struck home with me.




What we quickly learned is that a keyboard and computer screen make us brave, maybe braver than we've ever been. And we learned we could say anything - literally anything.



That is exactly when The World Wide Web stopped feeling like a huge family room and started feeling like a little court room. Every post is a trial. Every word will be argued, debated, juried and judged. Every photo will be inspected thoroughly for signs of... anything that anyone can find wrong. Every flaw will be pointed out, every comparison will be made, every right will be invoked, every meme will be created, every unicorn will be interrogated. There is no end to it; this great, big, stupid argument we call the internet.





It's like, somewhere along the line, we decided that our opinions were more important than the things that brought us to them.





There's plenty of space here for differences and disagreements, but I will not save room at the table for aggression or harassment.





If you wouldn't say it to my face, then don't say it. Go find somewhere else to pretend to be brave.

Here it is with more context:

Jamie the Very Worst Missionary: Say anything.

That's the easiest way to get along with people

I'm the same person in IRL as I am on a web forum. I just don't have the energy to keep track of multiple personae. :)

Good article.

sad to say that my sarcasm & dry humor don't always come across well when written. I do try and tone down my potty-mouth, preview my posts & consider if they are appropriate. After all that, I find myself deleting more posts than I submit;)

But, you're much better looking in real life...
Well... until you found the *****in' Bacon avatar!:D


Hey!! the forum blocked b!tchin'...
c'mon now, that just CANT be inappropriate...:D

Hell, how couldn't I!

At least we can still call Dick a dick. :)

that's funny:) I * my cuss words in my posts, used that one just yesterday, but the thread was edited shortly thereafter so is now lost to history:)

2x, great post. I try not to be so judgemental when online and act the same way I do in person.

-J

I fear I approach the edge on occasion. Still I would say it to your face if I find non depreciating humour in something.

There is always a chance something may be taken the wrong way or a person may have too thin a skin is the risk of this I know.

By and large I believe in live and let live. If I found a compulsion to launch a personal attack I would not do it. I have absolutely no desire to upset anyone. What does amaze me is that so many people of such diverse backgrounds can in general communicate and get along as well as they do on this site. I have not missed that on some sites it is otherwise.

Pretending takes too much effort. Before you ask whether someone is pretending in front of you, you need to see if you are worth it to that person. I might pretend to enjoy your silly jokes if you were my biggest client. OTOH, if you can't feed my bottom line, what is he worth of the act? Now if you were a hot girl, I can see that my pretending might get your pants off. You being a guy, I might pretend so you KEEP YOUR PANTS ON.

One thing one needs to remember before posting on a forum...sarcasm and wit are often confused. Also, you can't hear a smile in print like you can in the spoken language.

If there can be confusion, there will be confusion.

Al we are saying
Is give peace a chance.

I am the same way. The people on this forum that have met me in person will attest to that. :D