Klarinet Archive - Posting 000054.txt from 2002/04

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: [kl] Continue-to-be-irritated
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 09:16:54 -0500

On Tue, 2 Apr 2002 07:25:17 -0600 , bill.page@-----.com said:

> Tony continued an earlier discussion:
>
> > In this context, I have to say that I find it amusing that someone
> > mentioned a multi-national company, perhaps even suggesting that
> > their practices (automatic censorship) constitute an enlightened
> > attitude towards the use of vulgar language. I'm not suggesting
> > that his particular company has anything wrong with it, but it's an
> > odd place to look for high morality in these times.
>
> Actually, I believe I made no claims of moral anything, nor did I
> suggest any particular "enlightened" attitude.

I said 'perhaps', and am pleased to be informed that you weren't
suggesting that.

> Rather, I stated the fact: the company for which I work, like many
> companies, has filters in place that block access to certain Internet
> sites, messages with certain words in the headers, and I don't know
> what all else. It's not a matter of moral superiority; it is a step
> towards maintaining a more professional atmosphere.

It's just silly interference if you allow it to apply to everything, as
is demonstrated by reports of similar filters blocking words like
'anatomy', for example.

> Discussion of the shock value of some language in artistic settings
> has no relevance to the earlier simple request that we keep our
> subject header free from vulgarity.

Yes, it has relevance. It's not *the same*.

> I would suggest that this was a reasonable request.

It was a request *made* reasonably, and I thought replied to reasonably.
I continue to maintain that it's distinctly counterproductive to give
children -- they're the issue, right? -- the impression that the use of
a dozen or so words is 'bad' in any important sense whatever.
Particularly if that's applied to the word 'bullshit', with its most
useful relatives 'chickenshit' (mainly N American, OED, thank you all
very much for that) and 'elephant shit' (which I first encountered in
the work of Fritz Perls, IIRC).

I wonder if it would be correct English to run those last two words
together, as is done in 'bullshit' and 'chickenshit'? I can't quote an
authority, because it hasn't made it to any of my dictionaries yet.
(The 'ntsh' looks kinda funny if you do, don't you think?-)

Anyway, as I indicated, the problem isn't going to go away, by its very
nature. And clearly you're one of what I described as 'the first
camp', the 'continue-to-be-offendeds'.

So it goes.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
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