Oh #$%@! This Chat Bot Gives to Charity Every Time You Cuss

If you're not familiar with Slack, you should be. The messaging app is a productivity godsend, allowing teams to do everything they'd normally do over email, but in real time. It's like one of those AOL chat rooms of the late '90s, with less ear-piercing dial-up sound and more time-saving functionality for fast-paced office environments.

If you are familiar with Slack, then you already know how that slightly less formal feel lends itself nicely to the occasional swear. What's a couple four-letter words among friends and co-workers, you know? It's inevitable.

And now, thanks to a new Slack bot, you can cuss for a cause.

SwearJar is a downloadable bot from Give Lively, a tech incubator that works with nonprofits to facilitate giving. The mechanics are simple: Add the bot to your team's Slack channel, pick your "trigger words"—F-bombs, buzzwords or whatever else—and chat away. When someone says a trigger word, the bot automatically donates $1 to the featured charity of the week.

Here it is in action:

Cool, right? Now, you might be wondering, "What if my team's Slack channel reads like a Quentin Tarantino script?" No worries—SwearJar allows users to set a monthly maximum for donations. The developers also assure it won't store or analyze messages, alleviating some privacy concerns.

For nonprofits, the bot offers dual benefit. Organizations that use Slack can incorporate the bot into their workplace-giving programs as a fun and easy way to build a culture of philanthropy. And charities can partner with Give Lively to end up on the receiving end of some foul-language-inspired funds.

Everybody wins, except for your poor mother—do you kiss her with that mouth?!