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>But personally, I think the F is tastless and crude, adding nothing to
>the instruction
Instruction? Naw, it's just shop talk!
>and demeaning not just the reader
It's not demeaning if no one ever tells it to 'em, and they don't.
> the writer (if only because it's verbose).
I hardly think that a difference of one letter qualifies as verbose.
>Why not just leave it out?
The expression helps builds solidarity among writers by boldly expressing
the deep frustration that we experience when people waste our efforts by not
reading our work, and then waste more time by calling tech support.
Expressing that kind of depth requires the use of an expletive, so and
leaving it out would make the expression fall flat. And being shop talk, we
should feel free to use such expressions, with the comfort of knowing that
we aren't hurting anyone. So not only does it build solidarity, it's
therapeutic--like screaming in a closet.
