Furthermore, and apart from the fact that the internet encourages colloquial language, the internet spawns its own cant, as is visible here everyday.
I beg to differ. Since this thread is attached to an article by Mark Steyn, I'd like to point out that he is quite capabale of expressing anything he likes, without ever using what some consider offensive words. The word "offensive" is subjective, of course, but I think it fair to say that use of such words has never promoted the thesis of an argument. Your desire to use them to express a level of frustration is similar to those on the Internet who think that capitalizing every letter makes their point stronger. To most of us, it is more reminiscent of the louder and louder shouting before a fight at the schoolyard. If the person with whom you are having a discussion is incapable of understanding your argument through the use of "high English", or as we oldtimers like to call it, "English," it is doubtful that shouting and using expletive substitutes will convince them of your erudition and the verity of your point of view.
Furthermore, and apart from the fact that the internet encourages colloquial language, the internet spawns its own cant, as is visible here everyday.
Apart from the fact that the Internet is a bunch of computers and routers and cannot encourage anything, I think that the "spawning of its own cant' is reflective of the breakdown in civility lately, evinced in everyday life from TV sitcoms to Free Republic to the U.S. Senate. That doesn't make it a good thing!