My .02 on the language issue.... In my view what qualifies as objectionable language varies from person to person, but the level of objectionableness should NOT be determined by the person doing the "saying" but by the person required to listen. It takes so very little to be civil... why not just accommodate everyone. In most cases swearing and foul language is an attempt to bully and shock - or a substitute for thoughtful articulation.
If you, as another human being, say to me, "I find that word offensive." Then I find it pretty easy to say, "that's cool - I won't use it anymore where you are forced to hear it." Seems like a pretty easy compromise to me. In fact, I find this effort so trifling that I suspect folks that rise up in defense of their "right to hurl the f-bomb" are probably unwilling to give ground in any situation. This smacks of an attitude that puts personal freedoms and rights above personal responsibility, engaged community and civility. This list hosts folks of all different persuasions, faiths, nationalities and backgrounds. It seems to me to be the minimum effort to simply not use profanity - or at the very least to respond with respect and contrition when someone takes offense. It's not as if writing to the list is the same as shooting off your mouth and saying something offensive due to indiscretion. You have to actually think about what you are typing. Why offend people on purpose? Does it help explain your CF problem or it's solution? Does it encourage anyone - or even constructively criticize? I'm not a prude either - I just find it without merit... useless. Why turn people off? What's the point exactly? I have yet to hear a compelling argument. Mostly, folks just comment on how "unreasonable" people are who get offended - which is just an attempt to enforce the lowest common denominator in the group dynamic. We are a long way from high school folks. We are all old enough to know that the world is a lot bigger than our little slice of it - and the more we learn the more we realize how little we actually know. There's no reason why, on a list as divers as this, a higher standard should not prevail. -mk Mark A. Kruger, CFG, MCSE www.cfwebtools.com www.necfug.com http://mkruger.cfwebtools.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:215114 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
