"Miss Manners" asks if DU'ers would be willing to use Please & Thank You

[KoKo]

More Often?

I remember way back when I first found DU and I was an Internet Newbie, and was so excited that a "clueless/math compromised" person could get on her Compaq (with, at that time, a tech support who would listen to your problems for hours just because you bought a computer from them) and get rolling so that I could do the research it would take me hours and days to do in the Public Library.

I thought it was a "Wonderful World" and I was thrilled to be a part of it all.

But.....I did wonder about the "language." I tried to learn all the acronyms and the abbreviated "web short hand" like: imho, fgs, wtf, rofl, roflmao, etc. etc.

I went out of my way to learn "Web Lingo" and to try to be a part of it all, although I have never been able to get over my love of "FULL CAPS EMPHASIS" which is interpreted as "SCREAMING!!!"

Anyway, what really annoyed me was that for all the "Jazzy, In Your Face, Slick, Cute, Clever" stuff the internet language was all about, that very few ever said "Thank You, and Please."

DU in the early days had many of us who knew what "TY and PLS" meant and how useful they could be. But, we were told: "Use Emoticoms" because they soften the "hard edge" of Internet Lingo. They make it all human. We don't need to do more than that, because we are a "New Language."

Emoticoms are really great. Better than verbal language in most cases for general posts on Chat Sites.

But, when you get to know people, like so many of us on DU, couldn't a more personal human dialog start to develop where we could go back to some honest human words like "Please and Thank You, I Appreciate..., I don't agree with you......but here's what I think....I think you are very misguided,and this is why I think you are....." etc., etc., etc.

Could we do something to smooth the rough edges here? :shrug:

[eleny]

1. Uh-oh

Now you asked for it!

[City Lights]

2. How come you didn't say please?

"Could we do something to smooth the rough edges here?"

[trumad]

3. Fuck no

:evilgrin:

[KoKo]

9. I missed "Please" because my "edges" are now bruised & rough!

:D.....really....you wouldn't believe how I've (IMHO) deteriorated in my use of language since I've been on the Internet. I cuss & swear at everything. I get up in the morning and it rains and I say WTF!

I think, maybe I need to get back to my "softer side."

[City Lights]

11. LOL!

Thank you for responding. :-)

BTW, WTF is my all-time favorite phrase.

[Ekova]

4. Reasonable I'd say.

[Robin Hood]

5. Please STFU!!

Thank you.

JK.

[Lars39]

6. Add to that , "I'm sorry." It's rare to see that one in print here, too.

Thank you, Ms/Mr KoKo!

[KoKo]

10. Yes, "I'm Sorry." But, it's use is now sarcastic, unfortunately. Like,

"I'm sorry, but you are a F**k Off and I don't want to hear what you say because you don't know WTF you're talking about because you are an ass wipe, and should be thrown out the door.

That's kind of what I'm trying to get away from, because I see it creeping into my way of presenting myself to the "outside world" but then the "outside world" talks like that too, and I then want to burrow into a hole where I can get away from that "confrontational language" because really .....it's all pretty "ugly" when one thinks about it, unless you like to live your life in the bar or the locker room.

But, then, you can tell from my post, I'm sort of "old fashioned." YIKES! The word, "Old Fashioned," doesn't exist anymore! :eyes:

[brokensymmetry]

7. Ahh, civility.

It's rare - and all the more treasured because of the rarity.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[ParanoidPat]

8. Do you mean like saying.......

......Would you please MYOFB, Thank You. :hi:

instead of F*** OFF jerk! :mad:

</sarcasm> :+

Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I Appreciate your sentiment and totally agree! Thank you for posting. Please post again. :)

[tkmorris]

12. I second that but

It is nowhere near a DU only problem. Nor even an internet one. It is nationwide. At least.

I have often felt that just about everything that is wrong with society today can be directly traced to an attack of bad manners on the part of someone.

[Cleita]

13. I dunno Koko01.

Your asking that people who have had to slug it out in life's jungle of rude behavior and language to suddenly turn around and start behaving like church ladies.

I think Miss Manners is a Republican as well. It seems the good manners are for certain people (women, children and subordinates) and the rest of the class of privilege can behave anyway they like, take what they like, say what they like and do it without any please, thank you, or I apoligize, expected from them.

[KoKo]

14. Ah, but Ceita, you are assuming that I haven't slugged it out in "Life's

Jungles." My post seemed "prim and propper" and that's actually a side of me, as it may be with many DU'ers, but I also have a "Jungle Side" or I wouldn't be here on DU, would I?

It's all in how we view and make assumptions about our fellow human beings. And, being trapped into a language because of "protocol" is as bad for the "Miss Manners" as it is for the "Internet New Lingoists."

My point is that we are human. And, once one gets on a "dedicated site" like this, we might be more respectful of each other.

Sort of like our intimacy with each other shouldn't breed "contempt" but should breed "loving kindness." JMHO, here. :shrug:

[KoKo]

15. Ahhhhhh........my post has been given the "kiss of death." This isn't

to me a Lounge Post because who wants to see "Manners" post in DU Lounge?

I, wouldn't want to see this post in the Lounge because it doesn't belong here......

Oh well.....I tried. Maybe if I rephrased it with some profanity and used a Candidates Name I could put it in GD2004? :D

[SoCalDem]

16. I hear you...

:)

[KoKo]

17. Well.......I'll go for a Reprise, here......don't give up easily......

:D