By the way, if you disagree with any of the rules for whatever reason, you're free to state your argument. After all, this IS the debate spot!

Bumping this up again.

I've decided to just do all my cussing in Svenska. HA!

These are great rules!

*Bump*

This is partially a bump. And partially because I protest your flower picking example.

Being called a FREAK is a compliment.

Free Rational Ethical Awesome K....

Okay, I can't think of a "k"
kan you? ;)

*Bump*

knowledgeable, kind, kickass? :P

I was more looking for a noun to finish it up nicely. But those work too ;)

Took the liberty to bump this for you. Have a good weekend, everyone! TGIF!

New banner, Carly? I like!

No, I don't believe I've changed the banner... LOL!

not allowing cursing is a form of clasism

Neo-Clasism, is it?

I thought it was new! Man, I tell you, I'm losing it. And what's wrong with not allowing swearing?

Nothing, ThinkPink. In all debates that I have attended, swearing is banned. Otherwise it just descends into name calling and ugliness.

ill explain

my grandfather who is a english profesor at ucsc
explianed this to me.
curse words were the words of the "lower class". when the classes changed(im not saying there are no more classes) those words became bad by decleration of the upperclass. so by not allowing cursing u are being classist so. fuck shit danm hell

yeah but people don't use them in that context anymore and they can be offending so don't

who is offend by curse words.
u r right they are not used in context anymore they are totaly meaningless
fuck is an ajictive a verd a noun an adverb a pronoun and prety much every other part of speach. im not saying we should curse at eachother(although thats cool to freedom of speech hell yea!!) but fuck and words like it dont impeed on ur abilty to live be free or be happy

There are a number of reasons I added no swear words as a rule to this spot.

As you can probably tell by looking around, people, including me, have used swearing in a lot of arguments. And when they have been used thus far, they have not been reprimanded (in general) by me or anyone else. Why is that?

The Doc brought up that swearing can emphasize a point, and so far, that's how they have been used. However, they can also be used to immaturely sling dirt at an opponent you are frustrated with. When that has happened (whether swears were used or not), the person HAS been told to calm down and the person targeted in general knew enough not to respond to such remarks.

Secondly, there are some people who are offended by cursing! Just because I'm not, or debs probably isn't, doesn't mean those folks don't exist. I have friends who I watch my mouth around. They aren't elitist, they just feel there are better ways of expressing yourself, and expanding your vocabulary.

Thirdly, I want this to be a comfortable, welcoming spot for everyone of all ideas, faiths, political views and opinions. Some people are intimidated by swear words, or there are some younger kids (who may or may not swear themselves) whose parents might not like the idea that they're reading about people needlessly throwing swears around.

In addition to all those things, even though this is an informal debate spot, needless swearing (which I may or may not use in every day life) tends to cheapen a conversation. If they are used at the right time, they can be very effective. However, it's been my experience that those who use a swear every other word are only trying to disguise the fact that they have no real argument.

Also, it's just common courtesy.

couldn't have said it better cinders
plus if you were in a official debate competition and you used swearing you would probably get points deducted or may even be disqualified

Helvete

helvete?

lets deal swearing as emphisis in swearing at eachother out. people get offened by couintless things. i know peole who would be offened by all the religious questions. we cany live in fear of offending people. if we did we wouldnt really be able to live. to restate the deal i am proposing swearing as emphisis in ohterwise out. fuck yea!

Hell, in Swedish, I believe.

Look, I'm all for political incorrectness, trust me. But mostly, it's because I want to keep an air of formality. Intelligent people can swear appropriately (the doctor is a great example) and that is fine. Needless swearing, just to show people that you can, is pointless. The thing is, a good debater swears to emphasize a point, but they can easily make that point without swears. A bad debater uses swears to disguise their lack of argument. It comes off as not thought-out or, in some cases if it's just a rebuttal, as thickheaded or stubborn.

im glad we agree

okay well i'd just like to say that i don't agree
i don't think swearing should be used in the debate spot at all for suposed enphasise but if you must then i guess i'll just grumble under my breath *mutters*

y

Whoa, whoa, whoa, I said they CAN be used, but a good debater can make the same point WITHOUT them, which is why the rule is still in effect.

we agree that swearing can be used so how is the rule in effect
we should give her a chance to argue otherwise but other than that is seams like the rule should be dead

is her me? i think the reason have already been clearly stated so basically
1. it offends people so why swear when it's not needed? i mean do you get offended when people don't swear or something?
2. as said above by cinders it's not needed to support a good argument so there's no reason for it
3. it only make you look weaker as a debater as it looks like you don't have the confidence in your own argument to let it stand on it's own

finally cinders made this spot and therefore made the rules and that rule has already been set in place as it would be at any official competition

in response to amazondebs
1. does swearing offend you? if we lived our lives in feer of offending people then we wouldnt be able to live our lives
2. just becuase it is not a nessity does not meen it should be banned. do u think all non-nesseities should be banned?
3. it is my choice on wheather or not i want to look week. how does cursingmake u look week. u say that a good debator can think of a diffrent way to get there point across but that doesnt justify the bann
finnaly at the beggining of the page cinders said that these rules are up for debate so this rule is up for debate.and in conclusion because it helps my argument fuck! shit! Dam! Hell!

swearing does not offend me personally no, but seriously just what was the point of that last little outburst?
yes sometimes you are always going to offend someone but normally for a good reason or by accident
it's not the fact that it offends people or that it's unnecessary it the two point combined together , why offend someone for no reason? it's just like pointless name calling

finally a lot of people on this site you won't know and so it's just good manners

You know, you are right about the fact that it's about class, mac. You make an excellent argument, but in the end, they don't swear in formal debate, and like I said, I'd like to maintain an air of formality and respect. There are equally strong, or indeed, even stronger adjectives that are more appropriate than cuss words. For example, "The damned president is fucking everything up" could be "the incompetent president is ruining Iraqi society." It's more specific, and makes more sense, and is also more open to be argued. You can argue, "The president isn't incompetent, he's just handling a difficult job, and he isn't ruining Iraq's society, he's providing a better infrastructure and liberating them."

"The damned president is fucking everything up" I mean, you can argue that he isn't "Fucking everything up" but due to a lack of specifics, you can't really say why. And you can't really say "the president isn't damned!" without getting all religious and judgmental about who is or isn't going to Hell.

I just want to keep an air of formality and respect. It's not really respectful to cuss in a debate, though it is appropriate in arguments (and there is a difference between debate for intellectual gain and arguments for the sake of getting angry and only proving your point).

So in the end, it is about class. I want to keep the place kind of classy, like a formal debate might be.

But...

"the fucking damned incompetent president is ruining Iraqi society."

...Makes a stronger point.

Hell, even as an adjunct college prof, the first day of class I told them if they can't handle swearing they need to just go on and drop my class right then and there ;)

but, when you say it to your class at times you may say the first word that comes to your head, on computers, we don't have to do that because we can always wait untill we think of a better word. also, i find swearing for insults too vague, i much prefer using an insult where you know what they mean, such as idiot, where you immedeatly know i think you're stupid, i'm not saying we go as far as the british parliment , where the highest insult is "i strongly disagree with my right honourable friend.", but swearing is un-debateish for instance, i think that if i were to swear at you it would be likely to make you a lot more angry than if i were to use a less vulgar insult that you can get over, and the debate would fall to peices.

i think we should debate this as an actual debate, settle this once and for all, right here, right whenever someone decides to! (however i don't want to do the debating, my debating skills aren't good enough)

Fight!Fight!Fight!...

Ahem, I mean, I agree...

Hooch - sometimes a swear word is the best word. Most of the time if you are talking with me. We do not lok at these words the same as english-speaking countries like the US do. They are just words.

It is amusing to us that Americans get so riled over groups of letters.

but i find a swear word is often auotomaticly said, rather than something you have to type out.

e.g. in a speaking debate someone might say "oh, fuck" you make a mistake, you can't take back what you say, however, we can just delete any swear words we type,

speaking as someone british who has a ameircan friend she think it's shocking when i say things like shag or bloody but i don't say it as respect to her
so shouldn't we not swear on here as repect to americans or anyone that finds it offensive

who do you agree with dazl? and i think that we're on a computer and easily change it is a excellent point hooch!

seeing as she hasn't taken a side, if we do make this into a debate dazl could judge, since most debaters have taken a side.

and mac, how is fuck a pronoun? a pronoun is like he or she, you can't say,
"where is mac?"
"fuck went to the shops."

you say,
"where is mac?"
"he went to the shops."

somehow i doubt you will ever follow in your grandad's footsteps and be an english professor.

Sorry, I meant to finish that thought, but I was hopped up on cold medicine.

I agree with hooch that it should be a debate topic. Would be interesting.

no i will not be an english profesor i am all into debate/politics. i will debate it definitly
as for the pronoun of fuck it was fuck went to the store i have heard it before. i found it online once but couldnt agian srry. i agree with lars. i am american and that is kind of my point it is funny that we care so much. whoever wants to set up that debate contact me my email is Max5470@gmail.com. thanks

o right fuck shit yea!

i meant that we should swear as emiphisis i also have put up a more spesific pick. words are not offensive they are groups of letters. peoples use of the words can be offensive. any group of words put together can be offensive such as all jews have big noses. (i am jewish by the way) none of those words are offensive but put together they are. i am reposting this because it is an important argument

omg i'm getting so tierd of this arguement.

evedently, i think more people decide that swearing SHOULDN'T be alloweed in the debate podium or reply/comment. majoridy rules

but a debate is about a good argument not majorty or right/wrong some one please vollinteer to debate the negitive that we should keep the status quo i will argue the affermitive

i have been misrepresented. i dont think all swearing should not be allowed if it is at someone or in a hateful manner. i think it should be allowed as emphisis and anything that isnt hateful.

I think we should allow words like arse (or ass) crap, hell,..... you get the idea, mild swear words. But I don't think we need to use words like the F word or the S word.... y'know, fudge and ship.

I think we need to apply a 1-funk-per-comment rule. This means that people can only use strong language once per comment and it musn't be trollish.

yes but once you start doing that asa rule people will inevitably break it, people don't follow uncertain rules, although i do like the use of funk and word such as cu** should definatley be banned full stop, i'm sorry i have no logical reason i just think it's a awful word

and yes i agree this debat eis getting kind of tiresome and mac eventually all debates have to be voted on and ended utill the topic is brought up again, however i still think a lot of fans that are regulars on this spot have left to vote