Check out how often Twitters are swearing through Cursebird
No sooner do I write about swearing on Twitter than I discover there is a website that reveals how often those on the micro blogging service are prone to use bad language – the rather aptly named Cursebird.
Surprisingly it was not on Twitter that the Cursebird website was revealed, but on the busy forums of 4Networking after mentioning about my earlier blog post about swearing on Twitter.
The tool is a blunt one. For example my Twitter address @Nigel_Morgan is found to be left wanting with a single transgression since joining Twitter in 2007 – and that was quoting someone who suggested a Twitterfied word to join the likes of Tweet Up and Twetiquette was ‘Twat’, which apart from being slang wasn’t even direct use of bad language!
It turns out some on Twitter are labelled as swearing like ‘Gangsta Rappers’ and ‘Scottish Comedians’, some quite surprisingly so, not least because Cursebird has a long memory.
The website will also stream foul mouthed tweets if you fancy being mindlessly entertained! Seriously though, the website would be helpful to make an informed decision before unfollowing someone who offends you with inappropriate language in their Tweets. Next time you are about to unfollow or even block someone who is swearing on Twitter, put their name into Cursebird and you will know whether their bad manners is a bad habit or simply an error of judgement.
Ultimately swearing is about bad manners, as is not responding to Tweets or Direct Messages while merrily carrying on Tweeting. Admittedly it can be tricky when you have thousands of followers, but what do you think the excuse would be of the foul-beaked local politician who has ignored repeated invites to join the debate over his own bad language on Twitter?
Yes, David Betts, the Conservative councillor on West Berkshire Council and a member of its ruling executive has yet to reply to any Tweets or Direct Messages sent to @dabetts inviting him to join in the debate on this blog. Shame on him.