shivers wrote:It helps if it's actually insulting. Granny & gramps are generally aces in most people's minds.
Add to "faggot" to that list of stupid insults. Variations on that theme get used an awful lot around here, but as far as I can see (since the departure of Shining Eye), nobody actually takes offense at being called a faggot.
The point you're missing is that an insult can only be judged by the intended target. Third parties judgement of said insult on the basis of effectiveness is irrelevant, unless it is an indication of a reaction on behalf of the target, which in this case is probably partially true given the track record you (generic you) people have of sending whiny PMs to each other. Alternative third party attempts to modify behaviour by either an appeal to a set of self-generated norms or good old fashioned ridicule (you pukes are learning, slowly, but learning nonetheless) are also good indicators of effectiveness, especially when the third parties have some degree of sympathy with the target.
Thanks to friendlyskies for starting this, it's going to lead in all sorts of unexpected directions, this sad little hidden sub forum being just one of them.