I never understood the self censorship on the internet. Why replace the letters in shit with dashes? I can sort of understand not spelling out the N word fully to not trigger aggressive filter sensors on some networks, but shit?
No one is mastering anything by censoring themselves - and that's exactly what it is, you still used the word just replaced some letters with dashes. I'd honestly understand if someone said "I wish articles wouldn't use profanities in their titles" - then yes, I'm 100% onboard. But using the profanity, just with dashes instead of letters? It's performative, not dignified.
> I can sort of understand not spelling out the N word fully to not trigger aggressive filter sensors on some networks, but shit?
Hopefully this isn't why you aren't avoiding the N word. Using the N word if you aren't black yourself indicates either that you are unaware of its history, you don't care about it, or you care about it precisely because it causes offense. And being unaware usually correlates with not caring. People naturally infer from this that your attitude towards black people falls somewhere in the range from "I don't think about their interests" to "I wish them harm". It amounts to declaring one's hostility. The milder end of this range still implies contempt.
Communicating one's desire to offend is sufficient to cause offense. Everyone knows this. One can control one's own reaction to insults, but one cannot control the reactions of third parties who witness it. Everyone knows this as well. So claims that offended parties should just grow a thicker skin are disingenuous. This measure is insufficient to prevent all harm. So one should not say the N word not because of algorithms, but because you know in advance that it will cause harm.
Saying shit is different. Except in particular contexts -- a conversation in a retirement community, say, or a preschool -- its use cannot be construed as an attempt to harm particular classes of people. Outside of these contexts those who take offense are generally understood to be mistaking the intention of the speaker.
>>those who take offense are generally understood to be mistaking the intention of the speaker.
This is literally the entire point of what I said. Everything you said before it is unnecessary. Obviously I wouldn't use the word to offend anyone. But if you are quoting a passage from a book(as an example) that uses that word, then write it out not put dashes instead of letters, that's just silly - you still used it, just self censored yourself.
