There is a cultural aspect to this which should be taken into account. I am of a British working class culture. Being in that culture I have learnt we will often insult a person to see where they stand, as being able to take an element of abuse, without reacting overly, or being just a door mat, is thought of quite highly. And the individual can also feel more comfortable, knowing the other parties are not going to react to an odd misplaced word. This is so deep in british working class culture that we often don't realise we are doing it.
This can confuse people from other cultures. I am not saying this to plead for a special case for brits as I know this way of expressing oneself is present in other cultures. However a blanket ban on abuse will reduce a forum to a politically correct place with only one sort of voice. Yes there will be confusion as it is often hard to work out what is meant by a statement, but surly that is the fun of being here.
This can confuse people from other cultures. I am not saying this to plead for a special case for brits as I know this way of expressing oneself is present in other cultures. However a blanket ban on abuse will reduce a forum to a politically correct place with only one sort of voice. Yes there will be confusion as it is often hard to work out what is meant by a statement, but surly that is the fun of being here.
