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.
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
We say it out loud a lot. People seem to remember to be polite when not anonymous.
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
“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.
“Please” is short for “if it pleases you” or “if you please”. It’s used to turn a command into a request. It’s probably not used on Lemmy, etc. because we’re not requesting things of each other a lot.
It’s probably not used on Lemmy, etc. because we’re not requesting things of each other a lot.
Speak for yourself please. Make me a sandwich please
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.
Online discourse tends not to be the kind of place (in the English-speaking world) where “please” is the appropriate response.
I rarely use ‘seldom’
I only use it in writing when making direct requests. I say it quite often.
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
where I live using “please” (मेहरबानी) is used often.
Bro where tf are you living 😂
I’m Indian too and have never come across anyone unironically using that word in daily conversations
It’s used mostly by strangers TBH, not by someone I already know.
I’m fanatical about saying please and thank you, and it drives me batty that others don’t. Someone offers you a snack, say no thank you, don’t say “no I don’t like those” like a goddamned toddler.
Online? No. It comes off as snarky.
In real life, and emails? All the time. Please and thank you.
In Australia in the aboriginal culture I was raised in, there is no word for please. We never used it growing up
We have a ward for thank you mah,
We say thank you but if you have something and can give it and someone asks you are obliged to provide.
In today’s world this causes many problems with money etc though.
They do/don’t?
Gonna need a source for this claim.
Gonna need a source for this claim, please.
They were not asking
Indeed. That’s why I didn’t also add a question mark.
Need is directly in opposition to please. This makes your addition an ironic use of please, and not a polite one, which actually fits the ops observation better than the initial comment did.
Maybe in some cases, but in this case the use of “need” is insincere in the first place. A please at the end softens and adds a little bit of humility to what was originally a somewhat hostile response.
