WARNING: Explicit Content Within!

[NurseUrsus]

Words are words. Cussing/swearing words have meaning like anything else. To me, hearing the word sex irl has my face turning red more often than fuc%, since the later is used as a more general exclamation at times...while sex is sex, since actual sex is sometimes gender, but gender is hardly ever sex-sex. Sex sex sex sex sex sex sex...this is kind of embarrassing. Fuc%.

cr@p/$#!t = poop/feces

fuc% = sex

b!tc# = female dog

@$$ = donkey

And yes, but no...that's my chat/discussion/online-ish accent, I only use full, uncensored swearing in the IC.

:3 <( <3 )

[chrian.]

I've never swear in my mother tongue, but I sometimes swear in English. So yeah, I guess that could be normal if you swear in your RP (in a reasonable way) though, I haven't created any characters yet but when I do, I could use some swearing to highlight his/her personalities though

[Gosunkgugi]

In real life as in writing, I try to avoid swearing. Not because I have anything against it, really, but because it has a much stronger effect when used sparingly and in violent bursts.

[aarondalea]

I tend to swear quite a bit in real life, out of habit really. When writing, though, I tend to not make my characters swear unless it fits their background and where they're from. I would definitely not let a highly-protected, well-to-do princess or prince just swear out of nowhere. It would just seem so out of character, and that's the main thing I try to avoid while roleplaying myself. In my eyes, within my own posts, it feels as if, if I make a character swear, the character just discredits him or herself in my eyes (Yes, I like to see my characters as separate people from myself).
Other than that, in terms of other people's roleplays, I don't really care if they swear. They can if they want to; I really wouldn't care, because this swearing would show me another side of the character that these other people are trying to portray within the roleplay. Though, the use of asterisks does get on my nerves sometimes, but I suppose it's a hint that these people are trying hard to incorporate themselves into their characters?

[koolkatt634844]

When writing, I usually don't swear, and I don't usually swear in real life, either. I guess it depends on the situation your character is in, and their personality. I have nothing against swearing, I just never grew up cussing, but have grown used to being around people that do. That's probably why I'm okay with it in writing, yet usually never use it in my posts.

[Echo-19]

I was raised to think that language was "wrong". As I grew I realized it isn't wrong but often just misused. The way people use "swear words" is often completely inaccurate to the definition. I know saying something is slang is a reasonable way to use things inaccurately. Even I do from time to time. But you should at least know what they mean before you use them.
Using it in an RP can often reflect the mentality of your character. The more you swear, I find, the less intelligent your character appears. RPers are generally intelligent people and I think that finding a more creative way to curse in an RP can reflect you as a person.
This is also a generalization so I am wrong a large portion of the time. Mostly this applies to people who have just discovered cursing and use it as a subconscious form of rebellion.

[Mackamp]

I think that cussing in general show everyone around you who you are. A person that has a lack of vocabulary and conscious. There are a million words to express yourself and you choose a handful of words that have less meaning.

[Imaveronica]

I think swearing in writing can be okay, for role play as long as everyone is okay with it. Aside from that it really depends on the type of literature. Everything in moderation right?

[FyreT1ger]

I don't really use curse words in either real life or role play, because like other people on this thread have said, using inappropriate language often shows lack of intelligence. I actually prefer to use words like ass and bitch in their appropriate context. The only reason many of these words are actually considered bad or inappropriate words is when they aren't used in context. I do use damn and hell though, as descriptors or simply pissed off characters. Hell to me describes the absolute worst place anyone could be, and also describes the absolute worst position a person could be in a situation. (e.g. Hellish circumstances - the absolute worst circumstances ever been in.) Damn means essentially to send to Hell, so to use it in writing or speech is to ask for the absolute worst thing to happen to whatever the target is. I also don't consider pissed off or crap as curse words, and use them frequently as you can see.

I don't know how long it's been on this site, but I notice that whenever I start a blank reply post either in the forum here or in a role play there's this little message that says: "Words are powerful; write carefully, with precision and meaning. Use your words to nurture, not destroy." That's the exact quote. I think that's a good point. I also have first hand experience with how much words do hurt. Sticks and stones can break bones, but broken bones heal. Wounded hearts can't. That's the power of words, and from my earlier definitions of certain commonly used words, I do consider it wrong to use those words as weapons against another person.

There's a quote:"The pen is mightier than the sword." Writing gives words a permanent place where others can see it. The Jungle was a book written about the meat-packing industry. This book brought attention to horrible things within the industry and encouraged meat-packers to change how they did their work. It is further proof that words are powerful. Because words do have power, we all must be careful how we use them, which is why I don't use certain words outside of their context.

As for using the Lord's name in vain, using it as a curse or swear is irreverent and disrespectful of the Name.That's why I don't use the name God or Jesus Christ, except in prayers or discussing the Bible. I do agree with the person who said Christians shouldn't use the term Christian and then do things that are against God's law.

I've been going through the first epistle of John the Apostle in my church's Sunday Bible service. One statement repeated in that book is that anyone who makes a habit of doing evil or sinning is not a Christian or follower of God. With that statement, I doubt I need to say that I'm a Christian too, but I did anyway. :)

[Alan23]

Personally, I think censorship of so called "bad language' is ridiculous. If you are intelligent enough to have a hobby in which creative writing skills are required, then obviously you are mature enough to handle such things. Personally, I think a good rant of swearing is very entertaining. Furthermore, it is somewhat difficult to make dialogue realistic, without using the kind of words that people use in real life.

If I do have a personal dislike, it is racist terms, of which one which I will not repeat here (begins with "N") is especially offensive. But even then, I can see there may be times when it is used IN character only.

Now, at the risk of offending some, I have to say that it is obvious that RPG is an American site... only Americans could have conniptions hearing a word that means sex or feces, yet be quite happy to read descriptions of people getting killed or injured.

[Writersblock]

I do think that swearing can sometimes be used, but it's very context bound. One can argue that swearing makes people more real, more relatable, but since i don't usually swear myself, it doesn't carry that feeling to me. I'd say that in fantasy literature swearing somehow feels out of place. It's okay in crime and thriller stories of course, but e.g. in Narnia or middle-earth, just out of place. It's escape from the real world and then, maybe, I don't need reminding some of the aspects of the real world i don't enjoy.

[thelordgeneral]

I've always been of the opinion that censorship of speech regardless of the reason is a big negative; I curse fairly frequently and fluidly. However I also realize there's a time and a place - I'm not about to spew fuck, shit, and piss in the middle of a church. This extends to my writing. My characters will swear like a sailor, if the environment they're in allows for it.

You may ask yourself why I swear so frequently, and that is simple. Those words exist to exude a level of passion about the topic. To neglect them as a part of your vocabulary, whether it be in your own conversation or your writing, is to neglect the passion they represent.

Ultimately, to denote a set of words as taboo is to limit your vocabulary, regardless of the reason you do it. I'm not against anyone who chooses to not use these words, but I am very against people policing the use of these words.