Hello,
First of all I don’t really get the actual meaning of “please”. I understand it as it used to make a polite request. However I have rarely seen any westerner saying “please” on either Lemmy, Mastodon or IRC. where I live using “please” (मेहरबानी) is used often.
Online? No. It comes off as snarky.
In real life, and emails? All the time. Please and thank you.
There’s rarely a use for it online. It’s used to make a request, and a lot of online discourse is making statements.
Irl, it’s a lot more common
I say it often in my day to day life. I don’t use it much on Lemmy because I rarely ask anyone to do anything on here
“Please” is used more in verbal or formal communication in English. I wouldn’t typically use it when writing a comment here as online comment sections are considered informal written communication. But I would always say it if I was asking a food service worker for something.
And you’re sure your criteria includes Canadians?
Honestly. I genuinely have to fight to not say please and thank you.
Or Britain?
Or anywhere ffs
I use it constantly in the real world. Not on Lemmy. But I consider this to be pretty informal.
I also deliberately say “I beg your pardon,” instead of “Excuse me.” The former is a request. The latter is mostly a demand, at least in the USA the way people behave.
Con su permisso, or Excuse me please, when I need to move past someone. Yeah it’s a demand but a polite one I think.
sudo make me a sandwich…please
Command make not found, but can be installed with apt-get install make.
People say it in person a lot. Another factor might be that some people view it coming across as either non genuine or passive aggressive in written form.
It’s funny, I was ALWAYS taught to say please growing up, but as an adult I only hear it in more formal settings, or from older folks. I think people realized that tone and body language also show that you’re trying to be pleasant and not bossy, and dropped the habit of saying it.
I’m sure it’s regional, though, and I’m only speaking for one small chunk of the US.
Please let me know, how you know, they are westerners?
Does it really mean anything? If you’re a respectable person isn’t it implied? Thank you as well. People should be able to see the thankfulness… Too many assholes fucked up use of please and thank you trying to look good when they aren’t being good. Now sometimes I see it as a sign someone’s trying to take advantage or hide their true self.
I say it in newer company but I don’t know if I say it to often to people I know.
Online discourse tends not to be the kind of place (in the English-speaking world) where “please” is the appropriate response.
I just checked, and I used “please” about 30 times in the last year on lemmy.ml. I live in Burgerland.
Did you mean Burgenland? It’s a funny typo.
I meant Burgerland, home of the Whopper and the Big Mac.
Rusty on my reading of devanagari-- is that pronounced like “meharbaanii”?
Yes, that’s correct.
I only use it in writing when making direct requests. I say it quite often.
