Language at Championships

[LPaton716]

I'm so glad this has been brought up...I've been thinking of doing it for a while.

I strongly agree with many of the previous responses. I think that swearing is distasteful (whether done seriously or jokingly, though when hitting your thumb with a hammer it is more understandable.) When I hear people speaking like that I'm less likely to try to meet them. Also, if the language makes you uncomfortable then it will be harder to work together.

I've politely confroted and asked some people about it/to try to not swear as much. Their responses have varied. I think the greatest lesson I've learned is that confronting people privately is much easier and more effective solution than brining up a specific situation in front of a group (although this sometimes works well).

One response that I received, after bringing the topic up, was, "Oh please, it just another word in the English language."...I didn't say anything more because arguing then wouldn't have helped.
But, to that I say, yes it is just another word. But our words have meaning. (Really can you imagine trying to communicate if your words had no meaning And what we say to each other reflects the way we treat each other. And swearing, though disrespect may not be intended, is NOT respectful. And we're trying to foster respect...yes?

Lastly, swearing has no place in the workplace. And while we're competing and building robots together, we are working. Fortunately, most people I meet have been wonderful to meet and I have learned so much from being a part of FIRST. And thank you for starting this thread.