h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Political Correctness, pah

I'm a media student, and what was said didnt offend me or even hint at any offension (?) - and I've been analysing that sort of thing for the past four years...

Hi, Lou - I'm flattered you subscribed.

I'm feeling better than I have for months, thanks! Still a couple of nasty sores on my legs, but they're not infected. The Artists' Co-operative looks like it's going to take off in the coming couple of weeks, so I'm glad my brain is a bit more back in order.

'Offension'!... Why that word has quite a bit of adaquatiquacity. I think it is quite usefullicitous in it's usagity.

I find your journals really interesting You're one of the few people who use it as just that, a journal
Glad your feeling well, and everythings coming together

I'm an english student as well, does that scare you

Even more off-topic (since the other thread is somewhat buried), what happened about your friend?

Who is that aimed at?

*becomes more confused*

*makes up more words*

Confusedness is not correctedness!

Political correctness may have gone a bit mad but we should all remember that language is not neutral and the words we use carry connotations, these connotations can offend people or re-enforce sterotypes by their usage.

"Thatcher was dogmatic and inflexible"
"Thatcher was principled and strident"

See both are accurate but the words used give both statements a "Different" feel.

You're absolutely correct Ferretbadger. And if I've offended any hummingbirds with methamphetamine dependencies, I apologize.

Count Zero

Good point

But "postperson"... ?

As a woman I find that more offensive than postman!

How about postie?

My 445 was a question to Peet (see posting tree diagram). It happened to get hit by some simulposts.

It like the sound of "postie". It makes them sound huggable somehow.

Posties? Sounds like a breakfast cereal.


Count Zero, who gets stranger things than that with his breakfast cereal.

Fair enough, but if you take a Feminist perspective for a moment it could be argued that the term "Postman" re-enforces the stereotype of postal work being a "Mans Profesion". I am not saying I necessarily agree with that but that is how the argument works.

SEF, my 447 was a puzzled look as from the context I'm not sure which friend you're referring to...

Well, Postal Carrier and Postal Worker are sufficiently gender neutral for me. As is Flight Attendant. The use of 'person' is just too impersonal (NPI). It sounds like going out of the way to be PC. I don't like offensive language, but I also don't like hypersensitive language either.

Postal Carrier sounds like a vehicle.
and postal worker is not necessarily the person that brings the post to the door . . .

2/3

Peet, I meant the one with or without a house. That was in a similar time-frame to the leg issue if not in the same context for you. I didn't mean to imply you could only possibly have one friend

Specifically 'postal worker' is NOT the person that brings the mail to your door. They are the sorters and clerks and whatnot that work behind the scenes.

Ahh... Pedantry.


speaking of which.... And this is even further off topic. I seem to remember a neat little diatribe Douglas Adams had posted on the old TDV website (I think, or maybe it was his personal website), entitle 'Pedants'. Following the link lead to a very funny timeline about the people who were celebrating the Millenium at the end of 1999 while the pedants were moping and protesting that it wasn't until the end of 2000. And at the end of 2000 when the pedants were calling for 'the big party' the rest of the world ignored them. Does anyone know if that's still floating around any of these websites?


Count Zero, trying to remember how he got so off topic.