Posted by ericsaints on June 21st, 2007 in News bulletin, Feature articles

“Music expresses that which can not be said
and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
- Victor Hugo

“Profanity is the crutch of the ineloquent motherf*****.”
- Anonymous

The startling contrast of the above quotations is purely intentional.

HEdCen.com appreciates that students enjoy sharing and posting lyrics of their favorite pop tunes or rock anthems in their blogs. Certain songs affect us more deeply than others. One reason why is the way the lyricist has captured in words the sentiments we bear toward something, almost as if he/she knew what we personally went through.

Music does that for our innate need to let others know how we feel, especially when we have difficulty describing the depth, breadth and (con)fusion of the emotions swirling in us. “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music” (Aldous Huxley). Or as an anonymous poet puts it, “Music . . . can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”

That said, we’d like to encourage everyone to observe some basic policy guidelines in choosing and posting song lyrics (or other written material for that matter).

Rule No. 1: Let’s avoid posting sexually explicit or graphically violent lyrics. Same goes for swear words and other expressions of profanity.

If obeying Rule No. 1 diminishes the meaning or impact of the song or your purpose in wanting to share its lyrics with others, and you believe in your heart that the song ultimately delivers an uplifting or humanizing message, then follow –

Rule No. 2: Precede your post with the warning that the lyrics contain such language.

Which must go hand-in-hand with –

Rule No. 3: In addition to the warning under Rule No. 2, use asterisks or symbols (e.g. ƒ#?%!@#) to replace such words or parts thereof.

Take a cue from Wis, who introduced her April 10, 2007 post of the lyrics to “Passive” with the following precaution:

“(*Note: I censored those words which might appear as offensive to some people.)”

She then substituted asterisks (****) for portions of those words, which is an acceptable practice for blogging in sites catering to a wide range of users like our HEdCen.com.

As Virginia Shea points out in The Core Rules of Netiquette, by using classic asterisk fillers, “you avoid offending anyone needlessly. And everyone will know exactly what you mean.”

Having a blog in HEdCen.com is a great opportunity for sharing with others stuff we like. Let’s make sure though that what we choose to share is appropriate for Our Third Home and its family members.

On a curiously related note, a cable TV channel has this mini-feature on the weird occupation of a Professional Bleeper. You know what he does on the job? He’s the TV station guy who monitors shows for broadcast and, with his finger on this nifty sound effects control button, anticipates all those ƒ#?%!@#s and other expletives that can’t be aired publicly and, by pressing the button, he turns them into bleeps.

We don’t need someone like him for HEdCen.com, right? Didn’t think so. You already know what to do. At the very least, you can be your own Professional Bleeper of what you post online.

We’re in a school that aims to bring out the best in each of us. Being sensitive to the welfare of others, whether in the physical world or in cyberspace, helps to make us Better People for a Better Earth. As the second of The Core Rules of Netiquette bids us: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.

For a short version of the main points of the above article, see Riana’s “Things You Can Ignore (But It’s Better If You Don’t).” What we have here is really just an EP (Extended Play) rip-off of her post.