At 1:50 AM -0700 7/5/98, Michael Price wrote:

>I'll also add as a personal observation that the word 'fuck' and its various
>forms has entered common usage to the extent that even many daily newspapers
>and massmarket magazines now reproduce it as-is, without either masking or
>abbreviation. It is used in TV news without bleeping, it is in an increasing
>number of 'adult' dramas and comedies on television.

Really? Have you heard this on US stations, or only on Canadian? It's my
understanding that use of the 'f' word is still considered by the FCC to be
an offense potentially punishable by license forfeiture. Such punishment
is, of course, much more likely to be threatened against a small, locally
owned station than it is to be used against a corporate owned station.
Nevertheless, I would be suprised to hear it on a US station of any kind.

As to the topic of vulgarity on Tweeters, though I have tried to minimize
the use of such language as I've gotten older (with mixed success), I tend
to agree with Michael; pretending that childeren don't know these words, or
that they will be harmed by hearing (or reading) them, doesn't make a lot
of sense to me. There are so many things that are potentially more harmful
that the occasional cuss word on Tweeters doesn't seem to me to be worth
getting upset about. But with respect to those who disagree, I promise to
try to keep them out of my posts in the future.

Rob Saecker
Olympia