I never use expletives when I write.
I can’t see the point.
If you can’t make your idea / opinion known / clear without having to resort to the use of expletives, then I would have to question your abilities as a writer.
Twenty Major‘s use of the expletive is interesting, as he does it in a particular manner. The first couple of times I read him I was offended on certain levels, but now I’m not.
However other bloggers make use of expletives when they don’t need to.
Mulley, for example, has quite a good rant today about online advertising. Whether I agree with his opinion or not (I don’t) I would have considered his piece to be well written except for the use of expletives. It’s not as if he can’t express himself without using them, so why does he?
Personally it makes no sense to me.
Don’t people care about language any more?
I don’t generally use them in writing myself, but some people can do it with great style. Stephen Fry springs to mind.
Does the point become less valid because of the language?
I tend to use profane wording when I’m still angry about something. I know we shouldn’t write emails and blogs and the like when we’re angry but sometimes you have to.
I don’t think the point loses its validity, but I would wonder if its impact might be diluted.
I won’t object to people using expletives when they write, if only they would use grammar and spelling.
I know I am preaching to the choir, here – but the proliferation of ‘text-speak’ on social networking sites is ridiculous. If someone is going to take the time to post a message or send a reply, the least they can do is take the few addition seconds to type REAL words… young people these days don’t seem to give an f-u-k about the proper use of language.
It bothers me to hear that people who use expletives are poor writers or somehow less articulate. I don’t think that’s true.
I agree that expletives probably aren’t appropriate in a blog post whose aim is to inform, but they have stylistic power that you just can’t replicate with drier language.
Although easily over-done, It’s called colourful language for a reason.
>Don’t people care about language any more?
An arse by another other name! 🙂
It depends on the writer me thinks. Swear or not to swear! that is the question! isn’t an indicator of intelligence, creativity, morals, ethics or beliefs. It’s the way one chooses to speak, or how not to speak or in this instance, the way one chooses to write.
As Stephen Fry once said “If I had a large amount of money I should found a hospital for those whose grip upon the world is so tenuous that they can be severely offended by words and phrases yet remain all unoffended by the injustice, violence and oppression that howls daily.”
It’s funny really because I never use expletives in my every day comings and goings but I like to swear like the feckin oirish when I write sometimes :)(well not exactly!) but I use it more as slang and avoid it if I’m writing something professional that involves work, but if I’m just writing something personal like in a blog or journal, then I really ink before I think like, and I guess it’s just my style be gorah 🙂
I am sure the Sunday Times would edit expletives out of Damien’s next column. They place advertising next to articles no?
Chris
Damien writes for the Tribune 🙂
Michele
Chris must have been listening to Marian Finnucane 🙂
@Francis – I’ve posted a few times about the “txtspeek”, bad grammar etc., and it still drives me mad. It’s even worse when you get sales and support queries written in that “style”. You spend more time and energy trying to decipher the message than actually answering the query or resolving the issue.
@Simon – While I would agree that the use of an expletive can have impact my point was that in many cases it’s unnecessary.
I wasn’t expecting to spark off such a heated debate 🙂
Michele
Michele, I don’t strongly agree or disagree here – I’m just curious why you use Mulley’s post as an example. Were you prompted by the post (which you coincidently disagree with) to write about this or were you intending to write about it anyway? If this post was not prompted by Mulley’s post you would strengthen your point greatly by also making reference to a post or two which you DO agree with that is slightly overly “colourful”…
I think it weakens your overall point to divert attention to your disagreement with Mulley’s post.
Just my €0.02
😉
Expletives or not, I find Damien Mulley’s blogs interesting because I feel that he’s having a conversation with me. I’ve only read a few of your posts but I get the distinct impression of being lectured at.
Live and let,
Paige
I curse all the time when I write. I don’t like the idea of magic words you can’t use.