On the subject of swearing - DHH, the pioneer

If he did anything less than speak his mind, we'd be getting a disingenuous experience of him. The gap between public DHH and private DHH is narrow, presumably.

DHH isn't asking anyone to like him. If his swearing is offensive to you, that's ok. But by trying to change his or Zach Holmans behavior, you're trying to censor them. That's not ok.

However, in the context of a large meeting, formal presentation, or conference, I always avoid using profanity.

I don't think its so much about who is offended and who isn't but more so about maintaining a sense of professionalism. I truly believe in a formal setting there are much better ways to get your point across than to resort to profanity, methods that will help maintain an image of credibility, intellect, and thoughtfulness.