"I am Offended!"

Based on experience; it seems to come up more with americans then the other english speakers i've talked to.

I kinda got that impression, yet. along with lots of entitlement that *i have the right to say what I want*, but **YOU** better not offend me. Right, left, rich, poor. I don't see it often in France, but that's my "worldlyness" limit. and it does hurt and it does piss me off when i get called "a fat bitch" or something, but dear god, you say to your self "what a fool" and move on. You don't say "I'm going to make a rule that you cannot call anyone a fat bitch". it doesn't make them less ignorant, or you stronger, it just means someone is paying lots of fines, and others are handing out lots of tickets.

I seem to recall that Brigitte Bardot was arrested, tried, and convicted in French court for making blasphemous offensive remarks about certain animal slaughter practices.

Yes. It is illegal there to use incendiary, racist, and maybe sexist language, individually or collectively, in public or private. The law suits against what it means to "defame, insult or injure" someone are wicked to follow.

by the way, a wiki search says it's 5 times she's been indicted for inciting hatred. Of course all against Islam and muslims. that's impressive. Course when you are one of the public voice of FN....

I use words like "fag", called people "fucking dirty little piglets" and often question other peoples ability to form coherent thoughts based on what I assume is either poor upbringing, hereditary genetic disorders or parasitic diseases....and I am completely unrepentant and will not stop.

I do online, far more than in person. I'm pretty fucking nice in real life, and i usually try to be so, online too. But there are enough fuckers that congrats around religious sites, abortion sites, free thinking sites, and this place that i just lump everyone into one big "oh fuck off" session now and then.

Hate the french, though. damned arrogant fucks ;-)

most people are much nicer in real life :P i'm much quieter in real life. It's fun.

In real life my brother is the mean one, while I sit by him and say variations of "that's not very nice" after every other sentence he says.

I am not much different in real life, but despite my abrupt disposition I have a very polite manner.

It's true, Ace is the perfect gentleman. When I met him, he only punched me once, warned me before throwing up on my shoes and after I passed out, at least left me my wallet when he helped himself to the cash.

I didn't mean any of it and as to your grandma - well, she shouldn't have mouthed off like that in the first place.

I'm the same person on-line as I am in real life and I try to avoid insulting anybody personally. If somebody says something abusive or insulting about me then they have given me some interesting information about themselves and their way of thinking which will affect my private opinion of them.

Indeed. I don't understand the need to reinvent oneself for the purpose of an internet site. Many people here now know me personally through facebook, skype and personal meetings so I would be exposed as a fraud very quickly if I were anything other than Ace.

Other than trolling, I don't think most people "reinvent" themselves. (some, yes...especially very shy people).

Most of us just tend to be less self restrictive. It's human nature to want to cuss, but we know that if kids are around, we will self-censor. We also self censor more when we are eye to eye. Studies show you are far less likely to lie, cheat, or be abusive face-to-face. So the internet is perceived by our subconscious to be a giant dark room with people we do not know or never will who are all grown up adults.

isn't it?