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Use of asterisks

Posted: January 23rd, 2017, 7:21 am
by Belindi
It's probably impossible to refer to etymological issues on this discussion forum because some common four letter Anglo -Saxon based words are unprintable. This prudish practice reduces the academic level to which this website may aspire.

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 27th, 2017, 2:54 pm
by LuckyR
Belindi wrote:It's probably impossible to refer to etymological issues on this discussion forum because some common four letter Anglo -Saxon based words are unprintable. This prudish practice reduces the academic level to which this website may aspire.
...uummmm... hence the "use of asterisks", right?

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 27th, 2017, 3:43 pm
by Belindi
LuckyR wrote:
Belindi wrote:It's probably impossible to refer to etymological issues on this discussion forum because some common four letter Anglo -Saxon based words are unprintable. This prudish practice reduces the academic level to which this website may aspire.
...uummmm... hence the "use of asterisks", right?
Yes. However I druther raise the tone and this was my real agenda in posting my complaint.

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 27th, 2017, 5:40 pm
by LuckyR
Belindi wrote:
LuckyR wrote: (Nested quote removed.)


...uummmm... hence the "use of asterisks", right?
Yes. However I druther raise the tone and this was my real agenda in posting my complaint.
I find avoidance of unprintable words to be mildly humorous and way, way more interesting, if for no other reason than the fact that it take more effort and creativity to avoid the use of them than to use them. And since they have lost all shock value, what is really the point of them?

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 28th, 2017, 6:10 am
by Belindi
Lucky R wrote:
I find avoidance of unprintable words to be mildly humorous and way, way more interesting, if for no other reason than the fact that it take more effort and creativity to avoid the use of them than to use them. And since they have lost all shock value, what is really the point of them?
Yes, and yes.

The point of mainly four- letter Anglo Saxon terms for anatomical, sexual, and excretory functions is they are so much more the accessible language of the people than are Latinate terms. Prudery was the attitude of upward-aspiring lower middle classes and I'd rather not try to join in.

Those Anglo-Saxon terms have their place in serious literature. It's quite apalling that a forum that pretends to philosophy cannot print common or garden lexical items.

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 28th, 2017, 4:49 pm
by Gertie
It does seem **** silly. It might be a server thing, some are set up that way I think as other boards using the server might be more family friendly or wotnot. There's probably a button somewhere an Admin can click it on or off.

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 28th, 2017, 10:52 pm
by LuckyR
Belindi wrote:Lucky R wrote:
I find avoidance of unprintable words to be mildly humorous and way, way more interesting, if for no other reason than the fact that it take more effort and creativity to avoid the use of them than to use them. And since they have lost all shock value, what is really the point of them?
Yes, and yes.

The point of mainly four- letter Anglo Saxon terms for anatomical, sexual, and excretory functions is they are so much more the accessible language of the people than are Latinate terms. Prudery was the attitude of upward-aspiring lower middle classes and I'd rather not try to join in.

Those Anglo-Saxon terms have their place in serious literature. It's quite apalling that a forum that pretends to philosophy cannot print common or garden lexical items.
I don't agree with censorship, but then again I am not really subject to it since I don't communicate that way, regardless.

Re: Use of asterisks

Posted: January 29th, 2017, 5:42 am
by Belindi
Lucky wrote:
I don't agree with censorship, but then again I am not really subject to it since I don't communicate that way, regardless.
My complaint is not specially about censorship, although I don't approve of that either. My complaint is that those words are in actual fact real words that have etymological pedigrees which originally have nothing to do with bad language . They became bad language when old English became the language of common peasants and other powerless people . Continued usage amid hegemonic disapprobation of the lower sort of people encouraged those disempowered ones to use their old vocabulary as acts of defiance.

-- Updated January 29th, 2017, 5:46 am to add the following --
Belindi wrote:Lucky wrote:
I don't agree with censorship, but then again I am not really subject to it since I don't communicate that way, regardless.
My complaint is not specially about censorship, although I don't approve of that either. My complaint is that those words are in actual fact real words that have etymological pedigrees which originally have nothing to do with bad language . They became bad language when old English became the language of common peasants and other powerless people . Continued usage amid hegemonic disapprobation of the lower sort of people encouraged those disempowered ones to use their old vocabulary as acts of defiance.
I can write the above without asterisks but if I chose to illustrate which old English words I referred to I would not be permitted to do so. It would be quite interesting to know the motives for those rules, including the social forces that legitimate those rules.