I am writing a post, and in it I am planning to do a little swearing. However, the last couple of days I have been out exploring the bloggerhood (“Hey! Evidently LOTS of people have blogs!”), and I have come across not one but TWO bloggers saying something like, “I wish I could swear in this blog,” or “If only bloggers could swear,” or things like that. This gives me pause. I wondered if perhaps they knew something I didn’t know.
Do any of you know of any reason NOT to swear in a blog, other than the possibility of offending people who don’t like swearing? I mean, could it be something like that a blog with swears would get blocked by some people’s browsers, something of that sort?
I don’t swear in my blog because a twelve-year-old I used to babysit for sometimes reads it. So do some of my cousins, who are still in grade school. I know they are all familiar with “swear words” but I guess they don’t need to hear/read them from me. I suppose a filter could block a blog with swear words, but I also wonder how many blogs that filtered house reads anyway? I’m not sure if “Blogger” had any problem with it or not. Sorry that’s not any help!
I guess I just meant that maybe people are worried about who is reading.
I see absolutely no damn reason not to use the occasional swear word.
I don’t know of a technical reason. I don’t think Google blocks it on Blogger.
Although, like Kelsey, it seems to me that it would be a good idea to keep swearing to a minimum if you’re unsure of your readership’s maturity.
Personally, and I don’t meant to come off holier than Thou, I barely swear at all any more, both in conversation and in writing. I used to have the mouth of a sailor, but my husband is extremely conservative when it comes to dropping naughty words, so after I met him he convinced me to clean up my act. His argument has always been that anything that can be communicated with a swear comes off much more effectively and more intelligently if you choose to use other words. I don’t know that this argument is entirely true, but I do know that when I hear people dotting their conversation with F-this and Holy S-that, it totally turns me off. Plus, then if you ever do decide to use a swear, in the heat of an argument for instance, the weight of the word is much more intense (but I guess this only works if the person with whom you are conversing knows that you rarely drop the f bomb). I’ll shut up now.
I try to refrain from swearing when I comment on others’ posts, to be polite. I swear on my blog now and then, but try to refrain from going crazy. However, I swear at home, often when I am conversing with Justin or the dog.
I don’t swear on my blog (or at least try very very hard not to) only because on the day that I really let go, that will be the day that my family/friends/etc find my blog.
Not that I was and f-bomb dropper prior to marriage, but my husband comes from a really staunch religious family where no one swears. Ever. Even if something were to be on fire. So, we don’t swear at our house either. Except when I’m really mad at my husband and I say it just loud enough under my breath that I know he heard me but won’t ask me to repeat it.
Anyway-sorry there-total tangent. To answer your question–no I don’t think there is a ‘rule’ per se–just depends on who you have reading and if you worry that it will offend them (or don’t care). Though I try not to, it doesn’t bother me for the most part when I read it on other blogs.
I suppose it’s possible someone’s work firewall security whatsit might block a sweary blog, but I’ve never heard of that happening with mine, and I sure do love to spread a rich, creamy layer of cussin’ on it.
I kind of consider it a blog litmus test, if someone is going to get all offended because I used the Eff Word, then I probably don’t want them as a reader. It works beautifully in that regard.
You seem much nicer than me, though. : )
Nope. No official reason not to swear.
I think before I swear on my blog, so that makes it ok, right? I mean it’s usually not a random swear word, it’s said with feeling :)!
I am 100% certain you will not get blocked.
Go for it, honey. I don’t swear because my mother and grandmother read my blog. I have a certain “plain vanilla” image to uphold! But cuss away you sailor, you!
I agree, let loose and make us blush! I don’t swear (much) on my blog b/c of family that reads it. But there are times, many times, when I would love to be stringing along the bad words in new and delightful ways. They might only be words, but sometimes it just feels so much better to use them than a simple “shucks”.
no reason not swear as far as I’m concerned.
I say your blog is your blog. Do what you want. If you have second thoughts, you can always delete your entry later!
This comment has been removed by the author.
I cuss like a sailor in my daily life. I’m particularly fond of the words “ass” and “assy.” However, I’m a good friend of the Mother of All Swear Words, too.
I don’t swear very much on my blog because my family reads it. Which is completely insane, since I swear in front of them.
Thanks for helping me realize just exactly how retarded I am.
A lot of the ClubMom writers don’t curse because of who is paying them.
Most of the other bloggers I read DO swear, and I can’t think of any time that it has caused a problem…
CURSE ON GIRL!
I think that the people who believe they can’t swear in blogs are people who can’t swear in real life either, dammit! That said, there are “some words” that don’t sound right coming out of my particular mouth, and I don’t blog them either.
Uh…I occasionally have a severe pottymouth on mine, so I can’t judge anyone else for swearing in blogland. Let ‘er rip, I say!