I think sites like MySpace that are full of informal comments are a goldmine of information for anyone interested in informal communication and culture. I don't think we've properly started to exploit this opportunity yet. Comments welcome on the article below (submitted to a journal): Thelwall, M. (2007). Fk yea I swear: Cursing and gender in MySpace. Available: http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1993/papers/MySpaceSwearing_online.doc Abstract: Youth-orientated social network sites like MySpace are important venues for socialising and identity expression. Analysing such sites can therefore give a timely window into otherwise hidden aspects of contemporary culture. In this article MySpace member home pages are used to analyse swearing in the U.S. and U.K. The results indicate that almost all young MySpaces and about half of middle-aged MySpaces contain some swearing, for both males and females. There was no significant gender difference in the U.K. for strong swearing, especially for younger users (16-19). This is perhaps the first large-scale evidence of gender equality in strong swearing frequency in any informal English language use context. In contrast, U.S. male MySpaces contain significantly more strong swearing that those of females. The U.K. female assimilation of traditionally male swearing in the informal context of MySpace is suggestive of deeper changes in gender roles in society, possibly related to the recent rise in ‘ladette culture’.